“It was definitely a difficult moment in time,” said 20-year-old Aud Mason-Hyde.

John Lithgow’s nonbinary Jimpa costar says actor’s involvement in Harry Potter series ‘feels vaguely hurtful’

"It was definitely a difficult moment in time," said 20-year-old Aud Mason-Hyde.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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February 9, 2026 3:32 p.m. ET

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John Lithgow and 'Jimpa' costar Aud Mason-Hyde. Credit:

Tommaso Boddi/Getty

John Lithgow's nonbinary costar, 20-year-old actor Aud Mason-Hyde, has great memories of working alongside the veteran actor — but was hurt to learn of his involvement in the upcoming *Harry Potter* TV series.

Mason-Hyde, who stars alongside Lithgow in the queer family drama *Jimpa*, recently showered the 80-year-old actor in praise while chatting with *Out* magazine. But after noting that Lithgow became "in some capacity a mentor" to them, the young actor admitted to having complicated feelings about Lithgow's decision to star in the HBO series adapted from JK Rowling's Wizarding World novels, amid controversy sparked by the authors anti-trans views.

"It was definitely a difficult moment in time," Mason-Hyde said, noting that Lithgow accepted the role after shooting *Jimpa*. "I don't think it's worth speaking to John's reasoning by any means, but I do also think that it's a strange decision, for sure. And also I found it disconcerting, maybe, is the right word."

*Jimpa* stars Lithgow as Jim, a gay activist and university professor, who gets a visit from his daughter (Olivia Colman) and his nonbinary grandchild, Frances (Mason-Hyde). The intimate family drama, directed by the young actor's mother Sophie Hyde, explores generational differences between the two queer leads.

Aud Mason-Hyde and John Lithgow in 'Jimpa'.

"He is such an incredibly talented actor, but also such a beautiful human to make work with, and that was my experience with John," Mason-Hyde said. "I never felt invalidated or questioned or doubted in my identity or in my transness by him. I consistently felt that he was a very loving and a very guiding co-star."

They added, "And so there's an element of this that feels vaguely hurtful."

Addressing their relationship with Lithgow, Mason-Hyde noted that the decision ultimately "can't take away from what we had and the time that we spent together and the beautiful work that he does in this movie and actually how incredibly authentically he played the role."

Lithgow has played several queer characters across his career, even earning an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of trans woman Roberta Muldoon in *The World According to Garp.* So when news arrived last April that he would star in the eight-season *Harry Potter *saga, many fans expressed outrage and disappointment, fueled by the fact that Rowling has spent the past few years espousing hurtful rhetoric tied to the TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) movement, which posits the belief that trans women are not women.

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In response, Lithgow has consistently defended his choice to star in the series while distancing himself from Rowling's controversial anti-trans remarks. While representing *Jimpa* at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) earlier this month, the actor insisted that he takes the issue "extremely seriously."

John Lithgow and JK Rowling.

Dave J Hogan/Getty;Michael Loccisano/Getty

He went on to argue that Rowling's *Harry Potter* series is "so much about acceptance" with its good versus evil narrative, adding, "I find it ironic and somewhat inexplicable that Rowling has expressed such views."

Lithgow added that he has not actually met Rowling, noting that she is "not really involved in this production at all."

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This sentiment has similarly been voiced by HBO and Max executives, including CEO Casey Bloys, who has maintained that the *Harry Potter* TV show hasn't "felt any impact" from Rowling's anti-transgender views, insisting, "It hasn't affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff or anything."

Meanwhile, Rowling has explicitly stated that as her wealth continues to grow thanks to the *Harry Potter* and wider Wizarding World franchise, she will continue funding legal cases, foundations, and policies that seek to limit the rights of transgender women. In 2025, she formally founded the J.K. Rowling Women's Fund, which supports individuals and organizations "fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights."**

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