10 Questions with John Lithgow
There’s no rule too challenging for the actor who’s gone from Churchill to Dumbledore
David Vintiner / Guardian / eyevine
- Patrick Cremona
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In his career he’s been an alien, a cardinal, a serial killer and a Prime Minister. Next, he’s a wizard – but before 80-year-old The Crown star John Lithgow dons the hat of Professor Dumbledore for the Harry Potter TV series, he’s in Jimpa. Co-starring Olivia Colman, the film follows a woman struggling to parent her non-binary child, who would prefer to live with their gay grandfather Jim (aka Jimpa, played by Lithgow). Based on director Sophie Hyde’s own family experiences (and starring her real child Aud Mason-Hyde), Jimpa is also a personal film for Lithgow, thanks to Harry Potter...
Jimpa shows family dynamics that we don’t always see on screen – was that part of the appeal?
Well mainly I was attracted to the project by Sophie Hyde, and by the fact that she was interested in making such a deep dive into her own life. I was fascinated by the character of her father [activist James Hyde] and how much she loved him, but saw objectively what a complicated, difficult person he could be. I love duality.
John Lithgow and Aud Mason-Hyde in Jimpa. Signature Entertainment
Jim loves his grandchild Frances, but there are clearly generational differences. Was that something you’ve noticed in your own life?
Inevitably, there are complications to any father-daughter, not to mention father-grandchild relationship. But hers was so accurate to her own experience, I just knew that it must be true.
Your character says it’s OK to disagree and say hurtful things sometimes – do you agree?
I think it’s true. I’m a much more fretful person than Jim is. I find it very hard to be blunt and direct, and “cruel to be kind” to people. I tend to just be kind. And you know, I’m a pleaser. It’s one of the reasons why I ended up an actor!
Jim’s a busy man and won’t retire – can you relate to that?
Absolutely. I’ll still be working at my last curtain call.
John Lithgow as Churchill in The Crown.
Olivia Colman also stars – in The Crown you played Winston Churchill opposite her predecessor, Claire Foy. Did you speak about your shared experiences on the royal drama?
Only very fleetingly. You know, there was an odd circumstance that they called me in to do a scene with Olivia during her first series, because they needed another glimpse of Churchill before they did his funeral. So I came very last minute, worked for one morning, and had this lovely evening with my wife, Olivia and her husband Ed, and we just hit it off immediately. Acting scenes with Olivia is everything that acting should be. We never had to say a word about adjusting scenes or timing or pauses.
There’s talk of The Crown creator Peter Morgan doing a prequel – would you return?
I would do anything Peter asked me to do. The Crown was right up there with my very favourite experiences. But I doubt he would hire me to play Churchill again, because I’m now the age Churchill was when I played him before. It would be bizarre to have been in The Crown pretending to be 10 years older, then go back pretending to be 20 years younger!
‘Retire? I’ll still be working at my last curtain call’
You played another great Briton, Roald Dahl, in the play Giant. What was it like to win the Olivier Award for that role?
Oh, it was overwhelming. I mean, I’ve won more than my share of awards, but to win the Olivier Award in England, playing an Englishman… let alone a Norwegian Englishman! I was very proud of the entire Giant project. Still am.
John Lithgow, in the Royal Court production of Giant. Manuel-Harlan
You’re playing Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV series – a project that will eventually take in all seven books. Were you concerned about that commitment?
It’s a little intimidating to think that I’ve got to grow old doing this part, but I’m also comforted by the fact that I have a long contract beginning at the age of 80. It’s a lovely way to grow old in a marvellous role in a marvellous project.
To some people it’s a controversial project, with regards to some of author JK Rowling’s views – what’s your response to that?
Well, it’s an interesting thing, these controversial issues, and neither of us has named them, and I’m just as happy to leave them unnamed. I take them very seriously. This is the reason why I did Jimpa. Harry Potter is a wonderful canon of books, and at the very heart of them is tolerance, kindness, acceptance, winning out over cruelty, evil, intolerance, and it’s aimed at a young audience. I’m very moved by the entire enterprise.
John Lithgow as Dumbledore. HBO
What have you thought about the controversy throughout the filming?
The experience of doing the first season was just wonderful. The controversy didn’t really affect us at all, although many of the actors were troubled by it. I’ve overcome my anxiety about that, just because I believe so deeply in the project and I like to think that my work over the years speaks for itself in terms of my own beliefs.
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So the controversy surrounding Harry Potter, I do understand it, but I’m also bemused by it. To me, I’m the right person to play Dumbledore almost because of my embrace of this issue. I know transgender people who have made this extremely courageous choice in their lives. To them, it was a choice between transitioning or ending their life. That’s how deeply felt this issue is to transgender people, so how can you not be on their side?
Authors
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
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