John Lithgow has defended being cast as Albus Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter TV show. The actor, 79, who played Winston Churchill in The Crown, faced criticism after news broke he would be portraying the Hogwarts headmaster in the HBO adaptation of JK Rowling’s famous books.

US actor John Lithgow has said he is “very excited” and “very intimidated” to play wizard and Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in a new Harry Potter TV series. The upcoming HBO Original series has creator JK Rowling as its executive producer,

Lithgow confirmed his own casting in February and will join McTeer, Frost, Paapa Essiedu, Paul Whitehouse, and more in the franchise's first TV adaptation.