Image of John Lithgow

John Lithgow

John Arthur Lithgow (born October 19, 1945) is an American actor. Prolific in films, television and on stage, Lithgow is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Tony Awards and nominations for two Academy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Lithgow studied at Harvard University winning a Fulbright scholarship and getting a chance to attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. From there he focused his training on the New York stage beginning a distinguished career on Broadway. In 1973, Lithgow received his first Tony Award for his performance in The Changing Room. In 1976 Lithgow acted alongside Meryl Streep in three plays 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, A Memory of Two Mondays and Secret Service. In the 1980s he continued to receive Tony Awards nominations for his performances in Requiem for a Heavyweight (1985) and M. Butterfly (1988). In 2002, Lithgow received his second Tony Award, this time for a musical, The Sweet Smell of Success and another nomination for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005). In 2007, he made his Royal Shakespeare Company debut as Malvolio in Neil Bartlett's production of Twelfth Night. He has also appeared on Broadway in the acclaimed plays The Columnist (2012) and A Delicate Balance (2014). He portrayed Bill Clinton in Hillary and Clinton (2019) alongside Laurie Metcalf as Hillary Clinton. Lithgow is also known for his television roles such as Dick Solomon in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001) winning three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance. He also played Arthur Mitchell in the drama Dexter (2009) and he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama. In 2004, Lithgow played Blake Edwards in the HBO television movie, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. He has also appeared on 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, Louie and Drunk History. Lithgow won great acclaim for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Peter Morgan's historical drama The Crown (2016–2019) on Netflix. For acting in The Crown he won a Primetime Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2020, he had a recurring role on the HBO period series Perry Mason. He is also well known for his film roles. His early screen roles included Bob Fosse's All That Jazz (1979) and Brian De Palma's Blow Out (1981). He received his first Academy Award nomination for his breakout performance in The World According to Garp (1982) and received a second Academy Award nomination for Terms of Endearment (1983). He then starred in the films Footloose (1984), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), The Pelican Brief and Cliffhanger (1993), A Civil Action (1998), Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000), Shrek (2001), Kinsey (2004), Dreamgirls (2006), Love Is Strange (2014), Miss Sloane (2016) and Beatriz at Dinner (2017). In 2019 he appeared in Mindy Kaling's comedy Late Night and portrayed Roger Ailes in Bombshell.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Oct 19, 1945 In Rochester, New York, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
194
First Appeared:
In the series Hallmark Hall of Fame 1951-12-24
Latest Project:
Movie Jimpa 2025
Known For
Poster of Killers of the Flower Moon
Poster of Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled
Poster of Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Poster of Shrek
Filmography
Movie Jimpa Jimpa 2025
Movie Amazing Stories: The Movie II John Walters (archive footage) 2025
Movie Cabrini Mayor Gould 2024-03-07
Movie Art Happens Here with John Lithgow Self 2024-04-26
Movie Conclave Tremblay 2024-10-25
Movie The Rule of Jenny Pen Unknown 2024-09-19
Movie Spellbound Minister Bolinar (voice) 2024-11-15
Series Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled Self 2023-05-21
Movie Sharper Richard Hobbes 2023-02-10
Movie Killers of the Flower Moon Prosecutor Peter Leaward 2023-10-18
Movie Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic Self 2023-12-21
Series The Old Man Harold Harper 2022-06-16
Movie The Bubble Tom the Studio Chairman 2022-03-25
Series Sherri Self - Guest 2022-09-12
Movie Chez Bob Unknown 2022-12-15
Movie Emily @ the Edge of Chaos Sir Isaac Newton (voice) 2021-05-07
Movie Myths and Hymns Unknown 2021-01-13
Series Dexter: New Blood Arthur Mitchell 2021-11-07
Series Ultra City Smiths Ol' Gregory Timms 2021-09-13
Movie Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes Philip Drummond 2021-12-07
Series Stars in the House Self - Special Guest 2020-03-16
Movie Disclosure Self (archive footage) 2020-06-19
Series Perry Mason Elias Birchard 'E.B.' Jonathan 2020-06-21
Movie Give My Regards to Broadway Self 2020-07-16
Movie Pet Sematary Jud Crandall 2019-04-04
Movie Late Night Walter Lovell 2019-01-25
Movie The Tomorrow Man Ed Hemsler 2019-05-22
Movie The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts President Donald J. Trump 2019-06-24
Movie Bombshell Roger Ailes 2019-12-13
Movie On Broadway Self 2019-10-12
Series The Kelly Clarkson Show Self 2019-09-09
Movie Mister Rogers: It's You I Like Self 2018-03-06
Series The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer Self - Guest 2018-03-06
Series James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction Self 2018-04-29
Series Firing Line with Margaret Hoover Unknown 2018-06-22
Movie Pet Sematary: The Tale of Timmy Baterman Jud Crandall 2018-11-13
Series Trial & Error Larry Henderson 2017-03-14
Movie Hickory Dickory Doc Himself 2017-01-30
Movie They All Saw a Cat Unknown 2017-01-01
Movie Beatriz at Dinner Doug Strutt 2017-06-09
Movie The Pulitzer At 100 Self 2017-07-21
Movie Pitch Perfect 3 Fergus 2017-12-20
Movie Broadway: The Next Generation Self 2017-11-16
Movie Daddy's Home 2 Don 2017-11-09
Movie Ode to Joy: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 Narrator 2016-04-05
Movie Shakespeare Live! From the RSC Self - Performer 2016-04-23
Movie The Accountant Lamar Blackburn 2016-10-13
Movie Miss Sloane Senator Ronald Sperling 2016-11-25
Series The Crown Winston Churchill 2016-11-04
Movie Projections of America Self - Narrator (voice) 2015-02-10
Movie Inside 'Interstellar' Self 2015-03-31
Movie Lord John Unknown 2015-07-20
Series Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Self 2015-08-02
Series The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Unknown 2015-09-08
Movie Best of Enemies Self 2015-07-31
Series Late Night with Seth Meyers Self 2014-02-25
Series The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Self 2014-02-17
Movie Love Is Strange Ben 2014-02-07
Movie The Homesman Reverend Alfred Dowd 2014-05-18
Series The Roosevelts: An Intimate History James Roosevelt (voice) 2014-09-14
Movie The Jungle Bunch 2: The Great Treasure Quest Maurice (voice) 2014-08-27
Movie 9 Kisses Man in Club 2014-12-11
Movie Interstellar Donald 2014-11-05
Series Variety Studio: Actors on Actors Self 2014-12-21
Movie National Theatre Live: The Magistrate Posket 2013-01-17
Movie Shrek Stories Lord Farquaad (voice) 2013-10-01
Movie Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love Himself 2013-10-12
Series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland The White Rabbit (voice) 2013-10-10
Movie Timms Valley Ol' Gregory Timms 2013-12-31
Series Finding Your Roots Self 2012-03-24
Movie The Campaign Glen Motch 2012-08-09
Movie Casting By Self 2012-11-01
Movie This Is 40 Oliver 2012-12-20
Movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes Charles Rodman 2011-08-03
Series Prohibition Reader / H.L. Mencken (voice) 2011-10-02
Movie Shrek: Once Upon a Time Self 2011-12-30
Movie New Year's Eve Jonathan Cox (uncredited) 2011-12-08
Movie Leap Year Jack Brady 2010-01-08
Series Conan Self 2010-11-08
Movie The Macabre World of Lavender Williams God 2009-05-31
Movie Confessions of a Shopaholic Edgar West 2009-02-05
Series Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Self - Guest 2009-07-16
Movie Miracle in a Box: A Piano Reborn Narrator 2009-10-10
Movie Car of the Future Narrator 2008-04-22
Series The Graham Norton Show Self 2007-02-22
Movie ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway Self 2007-04-19
Movie The Great Robot Race: The DARPA Grand Challenge Narrator 2006-03-28
Movie The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays René Gallimard (segment "M. Butterfly") 2006-05-02
Movie Sangre Cafe chef and owner 2006-01-01
Series 30 Rock John Lithgow 2006-10-11
Movie Dreamgirls Jerry Harris 2006-12-25
Series Twenty Good Years 2006-10-11
Series Dexter Arthur Mitchell 2006-10-01
Series The Apprentice: Martha Stewart Unknown 2005-09-21
Series How I Met Your Mother Jerry Whittaker 2005-09-19
Movie Einstein's Big Idea Narrator (voice) U.S. edition 2005-10-11
Series The Colbert Report Unknown 2005-10-17
Movie Kinsey Alfred Seguine Kinsey 2004-09-04
Movie Dogs and More Dogs Narrator 2004-02-03
Movie The Ghost of Lord Farquaad Ghost of Farquaad (voice) 2004-04-03
Movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Blake Edwards 2004-10-01
Series The Tony Danza Show Self 2004-09-13
Movie Bark, George Unknown 2003-01-01
Series VH1 Goes Inside Unknown 2003-06-20
Movie Buckaroo Banzai Declassified Self 2002-01-04
Series E! Live from the Red Carpet Self 2002-01-13
Movie Orange County Bud Brumder 2002-01-11
Movie Shrek Lord Farquaad (voice) 2001-05-18
Movie Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party Lord Farquaad (singing voice) 2001-11-02
Movie Don Quixote Don Quixote de La Mancha / Alonso Quixano 2000-04-09
Movie 95 Worlds and Counting Narrator 2000-01-01
Movie Rugrats in Paris: The Movie Jean-Claude (voice) 2000-11-17
Movie Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection Dr. Oscar Charles 1999-09-07
Series The Early Show Self 1999-11-01
Movie Johnny Skidmarks Sergeant Larry Skovik 1998-01-18
Movie A Civil Action Judge Walter J. Skinner 1998-12-25
Movie Homegrown Malcolm / Robert Stockman 1998-04-17
Movie Officer Buckle and Gloria Narrator (voice) 1997-01-01
Series The View Self - Guest 1997-08-11
Series The Rosie O'Donnell Show Self - Guest 1996-06-10
Movie Special Effects: Anything Can Happen Narrator 1996-07-04
Series 3rd Rock from the Sun Dick Solomon 1996-01-09
Movie Hollow Point Thomas Livingston 1996-10-21
Series The Daily Show Self 1996-07-22
Series Cosby John Lithgow 1996-09-16
Series The West Self 1996-09-15
Movie Redwood Curtain Laird Riordan 1995-01-01
Movie American Cinema Narrator 1995-01-23
Movie My Brother's Keeper Tom Bradley / Bob Bradley 1995-03-14
Movie The Tuskegee Airmen Senator Conyers 1995-08-25
Series American Cinema 1994-01-01
Movie A Good Man in Africa Arthur Fanshawe, British High Commissioner 1994-07-14
Series World War II: When Lions Roared Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1994-01-01
Movie Princess Caraboo Professor Wilkinson 1994-09-16
Movie Silent Fall Dr. Rene Harlinger 1994-10-28
Movie The Wrong Man Phillip Mills 1993-09-05
Movie Sylvester and the Magic Pebble Narrator 1993-01-01
Series Late Night with Conan O'Brien Self - Guest 1993-09-13
Movie Cliffhanger Eric Qualen 1993-05-28
Series Frasier Madman Martinez (voice) 1993-09-16
Movie The Pelican Brief Smith Keen 1993-09-17
Movie The Country Mouse & the City Mouse: A Christmas Tale Alexander (voice) 1993-12-08
Movie Love, Cheat & Steal Paul Harrington 1993-12-05
Movie Raising Cain Carter Nix / Cain / Dr. Nix / Josh / Margo 1992-08-07
Movie The Boys 1991-04-15
Movie At Play in the Fields of the Lord Leslie Huben 1991-12-06
Movie Ricochet Earl Talbott Blake 1991-10-04
Movie Night of 100 Stars III Self 1990-05-21
Movie John Lithgow's Kid-Sized Concert Unknown 1990-06-01
Movie Memphis Belle Bruce Derringer 1990-09-07
Movie Ivory Hunters Robert Carter 1990-08-20
Movie Out Cold Dave 1989-03-03
Series Tales from the Crypt Dr. Oscar Charles 1989-06-10
Series The Simpsons Gus (voice) 1989-12-17
Movie Traveling Man Ben Cluett 1989-06-25
Movie Distant Thunder Mark Lambert 1988-11-11
Movie Baby Girl Scott Neil Scott 1987-01-01
Movie Harry and the Hendersons George Henderson 1987-06-05
Movie The Amazing Bone Narrator 1987-06-01
Movie Resting Place Maj. Kendall Laird 1986-04-27
Movie The Manhattan Project John Mathewson 1986-06-13
Series Amazing Stories John Walters 1985-09-29
Movie Santa Claus: The Movie B.Z. 1985-10-29
Movie Mesmerized Oliver Thompson 1985-11-18
Movie Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie Self 1985-12-01
Movie Footloose Rev. Shaw Moore 1984-02-17
Movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Lord John Whorfin 1984-08-10
Movie Goldilocks and the Three Bears Goldilocks' Father 1984-01-09
Movie The Glitter Dome Sgt. Marty Wellborn 1984-11-18
Movie 2010 Dr. Walter Curnow 1984-12-06
Movie Twilight Zone: The Movie Valentine 1983-06-24
Movie The Day After Joe Huxley 1983-11-20
Movie Terms of Endearment Sam Burns 1983-11-20
Movie I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can Mr. Brunner 1982-03-05
Movie The World According to Garp Roberta Muldoon 1982-08-13
Movie Not in Front of the Children Richard Carruthers 1982-10-26
Series Faerie Tale Theatre Goldilocks' Father 1982-09-11
Movie Blow Out Burke 1981-07-24
Movie Mom, the Wolfman and Me Wally 1980-10-20
Movie The Oldest Living Graduate Clarence 1980-04-07
Movie Big Blonde Herbie Morse 1980-12-01
Movie Rich Kids Paul Philips 1979-08-17
Movie All That Jazz Lucas Sergeant 1979-12-16
Movie The Big Fix Sam Sebastian 1978-10-06
Movie Secret Service Capt. Thorne 1977-01-12
Movie Obsession Robert Lasalle 1976-08-01
Series Saturday Night Live Self - Host 1975-10-11
Series NOVA Narrator 1974-03-03
Movie The Country Girl Paul Unger 1974-02-05
Movie Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues John 1972-02-25
Series Great Performances Capt. Thorne 1971-01-28
Series Tony Awards Self - Winner 1956-04-01
Series Today Self 1952-01-14
Series Hallmark Hall of Fame Laird Riordan 1951-12-24