John Lithgow: Playing Dumbledore will 'define me'

US actor John Lithgow has said he is "excited" to be playing Dumbledore in the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series, adding that the role is "going to define me for the last chapter of my life".

The makers of the new show are currently assembling their cast, and while no official announcements have been made yet, the veteran Oscar-nominated star appears to have confirmed he will play the Hogwarts headmaster.

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

It now looks like he will follow in the footsteps of Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, who played Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films.

On Tuesday, Lithgow confirmed to ScreenRant that he had said yes to playing the character in the small screen adaptation.

The 79-year-old said the suggestion "came as a total surprise to me".

"I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival... and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid," he added. "But I'm very excited."

The Hollywood stalwart has the required combination of gravitas, warmth and levity to make a success of the Dumbledore role, although if the in-depth series does last for a decade, he'd be almost 90 by the time it ends.

He continued: "Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision.

"I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes."

The TV series will feature a brand new cast and is expected to start filming this summer.

It will be "a faithful adaptation of the iconic books" by author JK Rowling, and is due to last for a decade, streaming service HBO Max has said.

Lithgow is the first actor to appear to have officially confirmed his involvement, but an open casting call has been held to find the three young stars.

"We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumour and speculation," HBO told Deadline earlier this month, in response to the reports about Lithgow.

"As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalise deals."

He's been one of the most popular and respected actors in America for several decades, with roles that span both drama and comedy.

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

He won another Emmy and got a Bafta nomination for playing Churchill in Netflix's The Crown - proving he can master a British accent - with more memorable TV roles in Dexter and Perry Mason.

He has recently been seen as an FBI boss in The Old Man, and as a scheming cardinal in Conclave, which is up for a string of Oscars this year.