John Lithgow: Playing Dumbledore will 'define me'

US histrion John Lithgow has said helium is "excited" to beryllium playing Dumbledore successful the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series, adding that the relation is "going to specify maine for the past section of my life".

The makers of the caller amusement are presently assembling their cast, and portion nary authoritative announcements person been made yet, the seasoned Oscar-nominated prima appears to person confirmed helium volition play the Hogwarts headmaster.

Lithgow is known for starring successful sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun, with different roles ranging from voicing Lord Farquaad successful Shrek to playing Winston Churchill successful The Crown.

It present looks similar helium volition travel successful the footsteps of Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, who played Albus Dumbledore successful the Harry Potter films.

On Tuesday, Lithgow confirmed to ScreenRant that helium had said yes to playing the quality successful the tiny surface adaptation.

The 79-year-old said the proposition "came arsenic a full astonishment to me".

"I conscionable got the telephone telephone up astatine the Sundance Film Festival... and it was not an casual determination due to the fact that it's going to specify maine for the past section of my life, I'm afraid," helium added. "But I'm precise excited."

The Hollywood stalwart has the required operation of gravitas, warmth and levity to marque a occurrence of the Dumbledore role, though if the in-depth bid does past for a decade, he'd beryllium astir 90 by the clip it ends.

He continued: "Some fantastic radical are turning their attraction backmost to Harry Potter. That's wherefore it's been specified a hard decision.

"I'll beryllium astir 87 years aged astatine the wrapper party, but I've said yes."

The TV bid volition diagnostic a marque caller formed and is expected to commencement filming this summer.

It volition beryllium "a faithful adaptation of the iconic books" by writer JK Rowling, and is owed to past for a decade, streaming work HBO Max has said.

Lithgow is the archetypal histrion to look to person officially confirmed his involvement, but an unfastened casting telephone has been held to find the 3 young stars.

"We admit that specified a high-profile bid volition gully a batch of rumour and speculation," HBO told Deadline earlier this month, successful effect to the reports astir Lithgow.

"As we marque our mode done pre-production, we volition lone corroborate details arsenic we finalise deals."

He's been 1 of the astir fashionable and respected actors successful America for respective decades, with roles that span some play and comedy.

Lithgow earned 2 Oscar nominations successful the 1980s (for The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment) and won 3 Emmys for playing Dick Solomon successful 3rd Rock from the Sun from 1996 to 2001.

He won different Emmy and got a Bafta information for playing Churchill successful Netflix's The Crown - proving helium tin maestro a British accent - with much memorable TV roles successful Dexter and Perry Mason.

He has precocious been seen arsenic an FBI brag successful The Old Man, and arsenic a scheming cardinal successful Conclave, which is up for a drawstring of Oscars this year.