One Previous John Lithgow Role Makes A Convincing Case For Casting Him As The Harry Potter Remake's Albus Dumbledore

John Lithgow is among the finalists being considered to play Albus Dumbledore in the Harry PotterTV remake, and one of his lesser-known roles makes an excellent case for this actor's casting. The news that Lithgow could very well be the next Dumbledore was a bit of a surprise since British actors have traditionally been preferred for the on-screen Harry Potter franchise. What's more, Lithgow is known for his villainous or comedic roles, so it's difficult to imagine him morphing into the Hogwarts headmaster. He's certainly different from the previous Harry Potter casting choices.

Three actors have portrayed Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potteradaptations over the years. The first was Richard Harris, who played the character in the first two movies. From there, the role of Dumbledore was taken over by Michael Gambon, who continued to play the quirky headmaster through the remaining six Harry Potter films. In the prequel Fantastic Beasts movies, a younger Dumbledore was played by Jude Law, but the time has come for someone new to take over the mantle. Lithgow is an unconventional choice, but he has already proven himself to be at least partially capable.

John Lithgow Voicing Star Wars' Yoda Makes A Great Case For Him Playing Dumbledore

Lithgow Played Yoda In A Radio Dramatization Of Star Wars

John Lithgow looking stunned in Dexter New Blood

Lithgow's career has taken him through a variety of unique roles on the stage, screen, and, more surprisingly, the radio. One of his lesser-known roles was voicing the character Yoda in a radio dramatization of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Lithgow managed to seamlessly produce the familiar voice of Yoda, demonstrating a surprising versatility (even for him). Of course, Albus Dumbledore's voice is nothing like Yoda's, but there is something to be said about Lithgow's talent based on this role. After all, to play Dumbledore, Lithgow must demonstrate similar adjustments within his typical style.

Lithgow has a distinctly identifiable voice, and typical casting often takes this into account. It's challenging to imagine Albus Dumbledore speaking in the way this actor typically does. However, Lithgow is no stranger to changing his voice for a performance. Yoda is proof of this, but there have been other projects that required Lithgow to put on an English accent as well. Doing so for the Harry Potter TV remake should be no significant issue, but there are even further reasons why Lithgow's performance as Yoda is an indication that Dumbledore is within his scope.

John Lithgow's Run As Yoda Proves That He Can Play Eccentric Characters Well

Harry Potter Needs An Actor To Capture Dumbledore's Twinkle & Eccentricity

Albus Dumbledore is a profoundly eccentric character, and not every actor who has portrayed him has captured this in the same way. Harris was perfect as a wise and trustworthy figure, but he lacked the overall strangeness that Dumbledore possessed in the books. Gambon managed this a bit better, especially in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but he brought a harshness to Dumbledore that is disjointed from the canon character. Law captures the younger Dumbledore's levity and conflicted confidence in Fantastic Beasts, but this character wasn't anywhere near as eccentric.

Michael Gambon holding a wand as Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Harry Potter Remake's New Dumbledore Plan Is More Faithful To The Books In One Key Way

John Lithgow is being eyed for the role of Dumbledore in HBO’s Harry Potter, which would make one aspect of the headmaster far more book accurate.

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Like Dumbledore, Star Wars' Yoda is eccentric and, sometimes, downright silly. This is something that Lithgow is uniquely equipped to handle. He has the presence of a stage actor, which means Lithgow is often a touch over-the-top, both in dramatic and comedic scenes. This worked well for Yoda since Lithgow wasn't afraid to embrace the character's eccentric and playful way of speaking. If Lithgow approaches Dumbledore's eccentricity without fear or hesitancy, then HBO's Harry Potter remake may feature the first version of this character that is entirely true to the books.

A Stint As Yoda Means The Actor Can Portray A Mentor Figure In Harry Potter's Remake

Yoda Fills The Same Character Archetype As Dumbledore

Yes, He’s American, But John Lithgow Is Perfect For Albus Dumbledore In Harry Potter’s Remake

Comparing Dumbledore and Yoda may seem like apples and oranges, but these characters actually fill the same archetype. Harry Potter and Star Wars both follow the "Hero's Journey" formula, which often features a mentor or "guide" character. This is a figure, often eccentric and mysterious, who seems to know what is going to happen before it does and knows precisely the sort of push that the protagonist needs. Another example of such a character is Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. Albus Dumbledore and Yoda fill the same mold. Each "mentor" differs, but there are overarching formulaic similarities.

Lithgow is a power player on the stage, screen, and radio—HBO's Harry Potter TV remake would be lucky to have him.

Overall, it's understandable why Harry Potter fans would be nervous about Lithgow being selected to play Dumbledore. There is a long tradition of English actors only in this franchise, and Lithgow would be an uncomfortable disruption to that. However, so long as he can sound and look like an eccentric, wise old man, there should be no problem. Lithgow is a power player on the stage, screen, and radio—HBO's Harry PotterTV remake would be lucky to have him.