Well before there was ever such a thing as Hogwarts, there was John Lithgow. And now, after several decades of being one of the greatest science fiction and fantasy actors in the business, Lithgow has been given the keys to Hogwarts. Like it or not, the HBO Harry Potter TV series is going forward, and, the very first cast member has been revealed: Lithgow will play the role of Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Technically, Lithgow will be the fourth actor to play Dumbledore, following in the footsteps of Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law. And for a certain set of young people, he could also become the definitive Dumbledore, since the new series is set to reboot the entire franchise for an entirely new generation. And whether or not older Potterheads are ready for this or not is hardly the question. It’s happening. And Lithgow certainly has the genre pedigree to get the job done.
