John Lithgow thinks joining the Wizarding World will be a breeze.
The actor is about to take on the fan-favorite role of Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series for HBO. He doesn’t think stepping into the shoes of the character will be very difficult, as he said on the most recent episode of the SmartLess podcast.
“You know, Dumbledore, he’s kind of this nuclear weapon,” Lithgow said. “He only goes off very, very occasionally. And I don’t think it’s gonna be that hard a job.”
Lithgow was not very familiar with Harry Potter before landing the role, admitting he is “behind everybody” else when it comes to knowing about the franchise. But he’s currently educating himself on the story.
“The overall concept of this entire reboot of Harry Potter is an entire season is devoted to a single novel,” Lithgow said. He is currently “halfway through the second” novel.
He also understands the time commitment he has signed up for.
“The logistics are a little bit scary,” Lithgow said. “I really did have to think hard about whether to take it on but I also thought, well, I’m about to turn 80 next year.”
With there being seven Harry Potter books, that could theoretically turn into seven seasons of TV.
“If this is indeed a seven- or eight-year-long job, it’s a wonderful way to grow old as an actor,” Lithgow said. “I mean, the alternative is to just be hauled out once a year to play an Alzheimer’s patient [with] an awful lot of weeping middle-aged children, you know.”
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