John Lithgow is in final talks to play Professor Dumbledore in HBO’s TV adaptation of Harry Potter. The 3rd Rock From the Sun star would play the bearded headmaster of Hogwarts wizarding school whose Order of the Phoenix fights evil Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore was previously played by legendary late actors Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, and Jude Law as young Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts prequel. This famous roster of British and Irish actors creates big shoes for the American to fill, but fortunately the 79-year-old Lithgow has some experience playing characters from across the pond, including an Emmy-winning performance as Winston Churchill on Netflix’s The Crown. The Harry Potter series is intended to run for over ten years from late 2026, and aims to be a “faithful adaptation” of each of J.K. Rowling’s novels. “We will only confirm details as we finalize deals,” an HBO spokesperson told Deadline.
