Actor John Lithgow said in a recent interview that he got backlash for joining the cast of the HBO's new "Harry Potter" adaptation thanks to J.K. Rowling's statements on gender.

"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 is opening up about how fans feel about him joining HBO's "Harry Potter" series, considering the involvement of the contentious franchise creator J.K. Rowling. In a sit-down with The Times of London,