John Lithgow finds J.K. Rowling's trans stance "ironic and inexplicable"

John said at a screening of his new film Jimpa at the Rotterdam Film Festival: "I take this subject extremely seriously. She has created this amazing canon for young people and it has jumped into the consciousness of the society. It's about good versus evil, kindness versus cruelty. I find her views ironic and inexplicable. I've never met her, she's not really involved in this production at all. But the people who are, are remarkable."

The Crown star explained that he was told to "walk away from the job" by others because of the show's association with Rowling.

Lithgow said: "It upsets me when people are opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in Potter canon you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. She's written this mediation of kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role.

"It was a hard decision. It made me uncomfortable and unhappy that people insisted I walk away from the job. I chose not to do that."

John has signed up to play Dumbledore in the HBO series for eight years and joked that it "means (he) will live to be 88".

He quipped: "I'm the oldest person in this entire room, just turned 80. And yet I signed a contract - I will be playing Dumbledore for the next eight years! I absolutely have to keep at it. I felt: 'Wow! That means I will live to be 88.' I have that in writing."

Lithgow previously explained that playing Dumbledore is likely to be the final "major role" of a career that has spanned more than 50 years.

He told the Sunday Times' Culture magazine last year: "Of course, it was a big decision because it's probably the last major role I'll play. It's an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role."