From leading NASA in Interstellar to ruling royal circles in The Crown, John Lithgow knows how to command a room. But this time, it was not a sci-fi mission or royal drama stealing the spotlight. At a major London event, the Emmy and Tony winner took a moment that was supposed to be about celebration and flipped the script. What pushed this Hollywood giant to transition from curtain call to cultural call-out? The answer hits closer to home than many expected.

What ties together an Olivier-winning performance, the Kennedy Center, and a biting warning aimed at Washington?  The applause had barely faded when he made sure everyone was still listening.

John Lithgow did not just walk away with Best Actor at the Olivier Awards, but also delivered a scathing warning about Donald Trump's second term. According to The Guardian, Lithgow called Trump’s second term a “pure disaster” for the US arts scene, comparing it to the heavy blow of the coronavirus pandemic. He fired at the takeover of the Kennedy Center and the ousting of his friend and fellow arts supporter Deborah Rutter, calling it a low blow to a cultural space already bruised by the pandemic.

Still, Lithgow did not leave it all on a grim note. As further reported by The Guardian, he said that tough times fuel powerful creativity, and the arts community now has even more reason to fight back. His words struck a chord, especially as he is set to take on another iconic role as Dumbledore, in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, filming this summer. From London’s theater spotlight to US cultural politics, Lithgow is using every stage to speak up for the arts.

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While his fiery takedown of Trump stole the stage, Lithgow had already been buzzing in fan circles for another reason. Just weeks earlier, fans were talking about his chilling return in Dexter and his upcoming role as Dumbledore — and his take on the legendary wizard might surprise even the most loyal Hogwarts fans.

John Lithgow is brushing up on spells, but do not expect him to stress over his new role as Dumbledore. On the SmartLess podcast a few weeks ago, the Oscar-nominated actor revealed he was only halfway through the second Harry Potter book—but he is not sweating it. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Lithgow thinks the job will not be too tough since Dumbledore only pops in when it matters the most. Given that each HBO season deals with one book only, he has ample time to keep pace.

With filming set to kick off this summer in London, Lithgow seems to be ready for it, speaking about his experience surviving eight months in the UK for The Crown. Fans are already stopping him in airports—even though the deal was signed only days before, as he told SmartLess. The offer, he said in an interview with ScreenRan, came during Sundance and took him by surprise, but he is all in.

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What do you think about John Lithgow’s bold message? Was he right to speak out, or did he go too far? Let us know in the comments below!