John Lithgow has agreed to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’sHarry PotterTV remake, and he is essentially guaranteed to fix two big mistakes from the movies. This is the first real casting announcement for the upcoming series, which is fitting since Dumbledore is among the most key figures in the overarching story ofHarry Potter. It was important that HBO get this right, especially considering the high bar set by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in Warner Bros’Harry Pottermovies. It’s not enough to simply meet these actors' standards—Lithgow has to go above and beyond.
HBO’sHarry Potterremakehas been toted as a book-faithful adaptation. As beloved as the movie series was (and is), the shorter format meant significant changes from book to screen were necessary. By adapting Harry’s story into a TV show, HBO has a chance to finally bring every moment to the screen. Of course, this makes it all the more critical that the new on-screen characters are as much like the books as possible.In the case of Albus Dumbledore, this means thatsome of the ways Harris and Gambon didn’t quite fit the bill will have to be corrected, and Lithgow should have no trouble.
John Lithgow’s Dumbledore Will Be A More Commanding Figure Than Richard Harris' Version In the Harry Potter Movies
Richard Harris Was Perfectly Magical (But He Was Missing Something)
Harris was the first on-screen Albus Dumbledore in theHarry Pottermovies, and in many ways, he was perfect. The actor brought that mysterious, magical twinkle that the role required and was especially effective in the early movies since Dumbledore played a more background role in Harry’s story inPhilosopher’s StoneandChamber of Secrets. However,while Harris' Dumbledore was charming and mysterious, he wasn’t a particularly commanding figure.
The book character was an old man, but he was by no means frail. Harry described Dumbledore as authoritative and unmistakably powerful—even frightening and intimidating at times (though never to the students of Hogwarts). This was something that Harris didn’t quite capture. Lithgow, on the other hand, will have no problem in this regard. The legendary actor has played a wide variety of characters, from heroes to villains. Lithgow can certainly match Harris' magical twinkle, buthe can bring the commanding authoritativeness that was missing from the earlyHarry Pottermovies.
It’s Hard To Imagine John Lithgow Repeating Michael Gambon’s “Aggressive” Dumbledore Moments
Michael Gambon Took Things Too Far In Goblet Of Fire
Following Harris' death in 2002,Michael Gambon took over the rolefor the remainingHarry Pottermovies. This actor more or less matched his predecessor’s magical twinkle, and brought even further eccentricity to the character that was a touch more fitting with the books. Gambon also brought a far more commanding presence to Dumbledore, which, as previously stated, was needed—especially considering the more prominent role the headmaster had to play in Harry’s story fromPrisoner of Azkabanonward. However, Gambon sometimes went a bit too far.
Gambon’s Dumbledore was notoriously aggressive in theHarry Potter and the Goblet of Firemovie. A famous example is when the headmaster was meant to calmly ask Harry whether he had put his name in the titular cup.Gambon instead essentially tackled Radcliff’s Harry, demanding he reveal whether he had entered himself. This aggression continued throughoutGoblet of Fire, but Gambon’s performance leveled out for the remaining movies. While Lithgow can pull off aggressive when he needs to, it’s much harder to imagine him taking this approach in theHarry Potterremake.
John Lithgow Could Be The First Truly Book Accurate Albus Dumbledore
John Lithgow Could Bring A Perfect Balance
Though there has been some negative feedback regarding Lithgow’s casting, mostly revolving around the fact that he isn’t British, this casting news is promising. The upcomingHarry Potterremake has a chance to correct some of the mistakes of the movies, and Lithgow seems like a great first step in achieving this. The previous Dumbledore actors perfectly captured specific aspects of the character, but we have so far missed a balance between these qualities. However, it certainly seems thatLithgow has the ability to capture what was best about Harris, Gambon, and the canon character himself.
How Old John Lithgow Is Compared To The Harry Potter Movies' 2 Dumbledore Actors
John Lithgow has finally been confirmed as the HBO Harry Potter show’s Dumbledore. Here’s how his age compares to the previous actors in the role.
Lithgow has played dozens of British characters who have ranged from downright silly to frighteningly authoritative. Albus Dumbledore is, at times, a mix of all of this. He is bizarrely eccentric, clever, funny, kind, and, when he needs to be, terrifying. TheHarry Pottermovies were forced to simplify the headmaster’s personality, butHBO’s TV remake has the luxury of time to feature Dumbledore at every angle. With Lithgow following in the footsteps of Harris and Gambon, we are sure to finally get a book-faithful version of the character for the very first time.
