John Lithgow says much of JK Rowling's trans remarks have been 'twisted and misrepresented'

"Much of it, I think, has been twisted and misrepresented, and she has sort of doubled down on it at her own cost."

Lithgow, 80, who is set to portray Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming "Harry Potter" HBO television series, said he was aware of the controversy surrounding Rowling before signing on, and even faced pressure to walk away from the project.

"I was urged to walk away, and I was not about to do that," he said, explaining that he felt "the reasons to do it were much, much stronger" than objections to Rowling's comments.

After Lithgow explained his decision, Remnick pressed further on Rowling's rhetoric, noting how "surprised" he has been by the "ferocity" and, at times, "cruelty" in the tone of her public comments.

Lithgow responded, "Yes, I'm surprised by it, too, and disappointed by it."

She has taken to social media multiple times to weigh in on issues relevant to the subject, including transgender athletes in women's sport, biological men entering female-only spaces and the legal definition of a woman while providing support for other women who have opposed transgender ideology.

Lithgow noted that non-binary actor Aud Mason-Hyde, his co-star in a separate project, called his decision to join the Potter show "disconcerting" and "vaguely hurtful" and, because of the pushback, he "considered quitting the series but decided not to" and pushed forward, well aware of possible ramifications.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.