Well, I Tried.

Two months back, I penned down a letter titled “A Message to John Lithgow: Kindly Step Away From Harry Potter.” At that time, Lithgow had not yet confirmed his role as Dumbledore in the upcoming HBO TV adaptation of the Harry Potter series. I knew the chances of him reading it, let alone walking away from the project, were slim, but I felt compelled to give it a shot.
Recently, I was surprised to learn that Lithgow had indeed read my letter. It was actually shared with him by “a close friend who is a parent of a transgender child.” When asked if his friend’s request for him to distance himself from the controversial franchise influenced his decision on the role, he responded, “Absolutely not.”
Naturally, I have many thoughts on this whole situation.