John Lithgow is opening up about joining HBO’s “Harry Potter” series, saying that he “absolutely” did not anticipate the backlash he was met with.

The show has been steeped in controversy stemming from franchise creator J.K. Rowling’s past comments about the transgender community. In an interview with The Times of London, Lithgow said he accepted the role of Albus Dumbledore with his age in mind.

“Of course, it was a big decision because it’s probably the last major role I’ll play,” Lithgow said. “It’s an eight-year commitment so I was just thinking about mortality and that this is a very good winding-down role.”

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