"Why is this a factor at all?" the actor, who is slated to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO's upcoming show, said amid Rowling's anti-trans controversies.

John Lithgow has responded to the backlash over being cast as Albus Dumbledore in J.K. Rowling's forthcoming 'Harry Potter' series.

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,