It seems very impossible to believe that Emmy and Tony-winning actor John Lithgow did not know about the transphobic backlash to Harry Potter.

Granted, I haven’t checked online to see Lithgow’s Instagram and the comments that followed his casting. But at the same time, the backlash to J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter franchise has been very public since summer 2020. Before that point, it was said to have been accidental likes on Twitter. But after summer 2020, one couldn’t make any mistake about it: Rowling went all in on her transphobic hatred. The core trio of cast members have distanced themselves from Rowling, showing support for the transgender community. Hell, I’ve even shared an elevator ride with Daniel Radcliffe and he apologized for my experiences working at a movie theater.

John Lithgow opened up about not expecting the backlash in an interview with The Sunday Times. Interestingly enough, the actor has recently portrayed antisemitic author Roald Dahl in Giant, winning a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance. The series will be taking up a good amount of his time given that it’s expected to adapt every single one of those books.

“No, absolutely not. 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.”

Who cares what Rowling thinks about the backlash? She earned it by being such a hateful bigot!

“I thought, why is this a factor at all? I wonder how JK Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her and I’m curious to talk to her.”

Even with all the criticism against Rowling and the franchise, did John Lithgow ever consider maybe not taking on the part?

“Oh, heavens no.”

And then there’s this comment:

 “No one complained when I agreed to play Dahl, but I’ve received so many messages about JK Rowling. Isn’t that odd?”

Maybe because people need to be reminded of how Roald Dahl was such a vicious and vile antisemitic being when he was alive and the fact that he’s currently dead? His estate might benefit from a Netflix deal, but whatever projects come from that deal will not be covered over here because Dahl–like Mel Gibson, Susan Sarandon, and other antisemites–are currently blacklisted on SATM for being such hateful bigots. J.K. Rowling, on the other hand, is still alive and spewing his transphobic hatred. I think that’s the biggest difference by far.

I’ve been very vocal about my loathing of this franchise for a few years now and not just because I was forced to dress up against my will as Harry Potter during opening weekend at a movie theater in 2001. While that was the inciting factor in forever turning me off from the franchise, be it books or movies, I was against the franchise before it was the cool thing to do.

It isn’t just John Lithgow. Actors Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse; showrunner/executive producer Francesca Gardiner, and director/executive producer Mark Mylod all need to explain why they are–knowingly or unknowingly–deciding to support transphobia through the hate money that they are earning for being involved with this franchise. More often than not, the casting announcements are made after an actor has wrapped photography on a film or TV series. However, it appears that filmmaking hasn’t started yet.

If it isn’t too late for those involved to de-attach themselves from the upcoming Harry Potter series, they can make up for it by donating their salaries to organizations that benefit the transgender community and especially to organizations that have not pushed away transgender Jews for being proud Jews, as has been the case for a number of LGBTQ organizations since October 7. John Lithgow and all involved can start their process of making amends now before it’s too late.

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