John Lithgow’s non-binary co-star feels ‘vaguely hurt’ by actor’s Harry Potter casting

‘I do think that it’s a strange decision,’ actor said of Lithgow signing on to play Dumbledore

John Lithgow’s non-binary co-star Aud Mason-Hyde has called his decision to star in a new Harry Potter series “vaguely hurtful” and “difficult”.

Mason-Hyde, who stars opposite Lithgow in new drama Jimpa, hailed their co-star as “a beautiful human”, but said they found his casting as Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore to be confusing due to JK Rowling’s comments about the transgender community.

Mason-Hyde said that it was the positive experience working with Lithgow, 80, that led to feeling so “disconcerted” by his “strange” decision to sign up to the forthcoming show.

“I never felt invalidated or questioned or doubted in my identity or in my transness by him,” they told OUT. “I consistently felt that he was a very loving and a very guiding co-star, and so there’s an element of this that feels vaguely hurtful.”

Mason-Hyde added: “But also I think that he’s making this decision after we had made the film and after we had premiered the film, can’t take away from what we had and the time that we spent together and the beautiful work that he does in this movie and actually how incredibly authentically he played the role.”

They said learning the news “was definitely a difficult moment in time”, adding: “I don't think it’s worth speaking to John’s reasoning by any means, but I do also think that it’s a strange decision, for sure. And also I found it disconcerting, maybe, is the right word.”

John Lithgow and Aud Mason-Hyde with ‘Jimpa’ co-star Olivia Colman and director Sophie Hyde (Getty Images for Vox Media)

During an appearance at Rotterdam Film Festival earlier this month, Lithgow said he was “upset” that he’s being criticised for signing up to the forthcoming HBO show.

He told the crowd that he takes the subject “extremely seriously” and that the author is “not really involved in this production at all” – branding her transgender rights views “ironic and inexplicable”.

Lithgow said that he finds it particularly confusing that Rowling espouses such beliefs, considering that Harry Potter is about “kindness versus cruelty”.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

“JK Rowling has created this amazing canon for young people, young kids’ literature that has jumped into the consciousness of society. Young and old people love Harry Potter and the Harry Potter stories. It’s so much about acceptance. It’s about good versus evil.

In the last six years, Rowling has repeatedly come under fire for various comments about gender, with many, including stars of the Potter film adaptations, accusing her of transphobia.

John Lithgow called JK Rowling’s trans rights views ‘inexplicable’ (Getty Images)

This has led to consternation being directed at the stars who have signed up to the new series. Nick Frost (Rubeus Hagrid), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall), Katherine Parkinson (Molly Weasley) and Johnny Flynn (Lucius Malfoy) are among those who will also appear in the show.

Frost previously spoke out on Rowling’s views, telling The Observer: “She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine – they just don’t align in any way, shape or form.”

Frost’s opinions echo those of Paapa Essiedu, who will play Severus Snape in the HBO series. Shortly after his casting was announced, the actor was among the hundreds of TV and film professionals who signed a letter calling for industry action on trans rights.

The letter was compiled in the wake of the controversial UK Supreme Court ruling that gender is legally based on biological sex, a decision that was celebrated by controversial author Rowling and decried by LGBT+ activist groups.

After Essiedu’s appearance as a signatory on the letter, an “insider” told MailOnline that Rowling would “not be bothered one iota by Essiedu’s decision – and wouldn’t dream of intervening to get him sacked, despite being heavily involved in the project”.

Addressing this report X/Twitter, Rowling wrote: “I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did.“I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”

The Harry Potter series is being filmed now and will premiere in 2027.