While the new Harry Potter series has begun casting and there’s been excitement from fans, the discourse surrounding J.K. Rowling’s trans stance has also surrounded the series. It’s something John Lithgow was made aware of around the time he said yes to playing the new version of Dumbledore in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation,

Despite the ire toward and denouncement of J.K. Rowling from such colleagues like Nicola Coughlan, Pedro Pascal and David Tennant, and amid the rise of anti-trans rhetoric from the presidential administration,