John Lithgow Says HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Has Wrapped Season 1 — and Daniel Radcliffe Came to See His Play
The original Boy Who Lived just dropped in on the new Dumbledore. Stopping by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, John Lithgow — HBO’s incoming Albus Dumbledore — talked about life inside the Wizarding World and shared a fan-pleasing surprise: Daniel Radcliffe had come to see his Broadway show the night before.
Lithgow told Fallon that the cast has wrapped the entire first season and that he’ll begin filming the next one in the fall, describing the experience as glorious. He added that roughly half the crew had worked with him on The Crown — until now, he said, the finest television he’d ever been part of.
As for slipping into the headmaster’s robes, Lithgow said the long beard, sweeping cloaks, and floppy hats made the whole thing “magic, all right.” Fallon pointed to the series’ first trailer, which became the most-watched in HBO’s history within two days of its release earlier this year.
The night’s biggest delight, though, came off camera. Lithgow revealed that Daniel Radcliffe — the original Harry Potter — had turned up to see his current Broadway play, Giant, just the evening before, and called the actor great and wonderful. Fallon, a self-professed fan, was thrilled at the crossover.
Where things stand:
- The role: John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, the first American to play him on screen
- Season 1: filming complete; premieres December 25, 2026 on HBO and HBO Max
- Season 2: Lithgow begins filming in the fall
- The trailer: became the most-watched in HBO history within two days of release
- Fan moment: Daniel Radcliffe, the original Harry, attended Lithgow’s Broadway play Giant
- Behind the camera: showrunner Francesca Gardiner, with Mark Mylod directing and executive producing
What do you make of the original Harry and the new Dumbledore crossing paths? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to follow along for the latest Harry Potter news.
