Revision as of 00:29, 19 November 2021 edit95.70.146.7 (talk)No edit summaryTag: changing height and/or weight← Previous edit | Revision as of 17:46, 22 November 2021 edit undoUrielAcosta (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users25,006 edits →Early life: sourceTags: nowiki added Mobile edit Mobile web editNext edit → | ||
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==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
Lithgow was born on October 19, 1945, in ]. As a child, he learned how to play ].<ref name=bkr1>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XBkrAQAAIAAJ&q=%22John+Lithgow+is+born+on+Oct.+19+in+Rochester,+N.Y.,+to+retired+actress+Sarah+Jane+Price+and+regional+theatre+producer+Arthur+Lithgow.+He+will+go+on+to+win+a...%22|title=American Theatre|date=July 2005}}</ref> He has said that his earliest memories as a child are of visits to ] in ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Greenstreet|first=Rosanna|title=Q&A: John Lithgow, actor|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/31/john-lithgow-interview-love-is-strange|website=]|date=January 31, 2015}}</ref> His mother, Sarah Jane Lithgow (née Price), was a retired actress.<ref name=bkr1/> His father, ] was a theatrical producer and director who ran ] in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/85/John-Lithgow.html |title=John Lithgow Biography (1945–) |publisher=Filmreference.com |access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800011126/bio |title=John Lithgow Biography – Yahoo! Movies |publisher=Movies.yahoo.com |access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> His father was born in ], ], to a European-American family; his great-grandfather was a vice consul and vice commercial agent in the country.<ref name=fdr1>Stated on '']'', April 13, 2021</ref> On the show '']'', Lithgow discovered that he is a descendant of eight '']'' passengers, including colonial governor ].<ref name=fdr1/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/66723202/Excerpt-Drama-by-John-Lithgow|title=Excerpt: "Drama" by John Lithgow - A Midsummer Night's Dream - Coretta Scott King|website=Scribd|access-date=May 24, 2017}}<!--Which page is this reference to William Bradford on? I read the whole chapter and didn't see such a reference anywhere.--></ref><ref>''The Mayflower Quarterly'', Vol. 64, General Society of Mayflower Descendants: 1998 (quarterly journal).</ref> Because of his father's job, the family moved frequently during Lithgow's childhood. He spent his childhood years in ], where activist ] |
Lithgow was born on October 19, 1945, in ]. As a child, he learned how to play ].<ref name=bkr1>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XBkrAQAAIAAJ&q=%22John+Lithgow+is+born+on+Oct.+19+in+Rochester,+N.Y.,+to+retired+actress+Sarah+Jane+Price+and+regional+theatre+producer+Arthur+Lithgow.+He+will+go+on+to+win+a...%22|title=American Theatre|date=July 2005}}</ref> He has said that his earliest memories as a child are of visits to ] in ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Greenstreet|first=Rosanna|title=Q&A: John Lithgow, actor|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/31/john-lithgow-interview-love-is-strange|website=]|date=January 31, 2015}}</ref> His mother, Sarah Jane Lithgow (née Price), was a retired actress.<ref name=bkr1/> His father, ] was a theatrical producer and director who ran ] in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/85/John-Lithgow.html |title=John Lithgow Biography (1945–) |publisher=Filmreference.com |access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800011126/bio |title=John Lithgow Biography – Yahoo! Movies |publisher=Movies.yahoo.com |access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> His father was born in ], ], to a European-American family; his great-grandfather was a vice consul and vice commercial agent in the country.<ref name=fdr1>Stated on '']'', April 13, 2021</ref> On the show '']'', Lithgow discovered that he is a descendant of eight '']'' passengers, including colonial governor ].<ref name=fdr1/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/66723202/Excerpt-Drama-by-John-Lithgow|title=Excerpt: "Drama" by John Lithgow - A Midsummer Night's Dream - Coretta Scott King|website=Scribd|access-date=May 24, 2017}}<!--Which page is this reference to William Bradford on? I read the whole chapter and didn't see such a reference anywhere.--></ref><ref>''The Mayflower Quarterly'', Vol. 64, General Society of Mayflower Descendants: 1998 (quarterly journal).</ref> Because of his father's job, the family moved frequently during Lithgow's childhood. He spent his childhood years in ], where activist ] was his babysitter.<ref> on ] '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s YouTube channel</ref> He spent his teenage years in ] (living at ])<ref>{{cite news |first=Mary Beth |last=Breckenridge |title=Actor Lithgow Revisits Akron Roots |url=http://enjoy.ohio.com/actor-lithgow-revisits-akron-roots-1.391267 |work=] |date=April 19, 2013 |access-date=April 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414044329/http://enjoy.ohio.com/actor-lithgow-revisits-akron-roots-1.391267 |archive-date=April 14, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Dawidziak |first=Mark |url=http://www.cleveland.com/tv/index.ssf/2009/05/former_akronite_john_lithgow_t.html |title=Former Akronite John Lithgow takes on killer role for 'Dexter' |website=] |access-date=February 26, 2013 |date=May 28, 2009}}</ref> | ||
Lithgow graduated from ] in Princeton.<ref>LaGorce, Tammy. , '']'', November 11, 2007. Accessed December 10, 2018. "The visit will allow Mr. Lithgow, a Princeton High School graduate, to catch up with a few school friends still in the area, he said and to relive 'loads of fond memories' of the 1960s, when his father, Arthur Lithgow, ran the McCarter Theater downtown."</ref> He attended ] graduating with an ] '']'' in 1967, in history and literature. Lithgow lived in ] as an undergraduate and later served on Harvard's ]. He credits a performance at Harvard of ]'s '']'' with helping him decide to become an actor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/news/popwire_post/6265/stupid-mistake-changed-john-lithgows-life-for-the-better/ |title='Stupid mistake' changed John Lithgow's life – for the better < News |publisher=PopMatters |date=October 9, 2006 |access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> He was a pupil of dramatist ] who was the director of Harvard's Loeb Drama Center.<ref>{{cite work|title=Robert Chapman, 81, Playwright And Retired Harvard Professor|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/24/arts/robert-chapman-81-playwright-and-retired-harvard-professor.html?searchResultPosition=1|author=Eric Pace|work=]|date=October 24, 2000}}</ref> After he graduated, Lithgow won a ] to study at the ]. Also after graduation, he served as the Director of the Arts and Literature Department at ], the ] radio station in New York City. | Lithgow graduated from ] in Princeton.<ref>LaGorce, Tammy. , '']'', November 11, 2007. Accessed December 10, 2018. "The visit will allow Mr. Lithgow, a Princeton High School graduate, to catch up with a few school friends still in the area, he said and to relive 'loads of fond memories' of the 1960s, when his father, Arthur Lithgow, ran the McCarter Theater downtown."</ref> He attended ] graduating with an ] '']'' in 1967, in history and literature. Lithgow lived in ] as an undergraduate and later served on Harvard's ]. He credits a performance at Harvard of ]'s '']'' with helping him decide to become an actor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/news/popwire_post/6265/stupid-mistake-changed-john-lithgows-life-for-the-better/ |title='Stupid mistake' changed John Lithgow's life – for the better < News |publisher=PopMatters |date=October 9, 2006 |access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> He was a pupil of dramatist ] who was the director of Harvard's Loeb Drama Center.<ref>{{cite work|title=Robert Chapman, 81, Playwright And Retired Harvard Professor|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/24/arts/robert-chapman-81-playwright-and-retired-harvard-professor.html?searchResultPosition=1|author=Eric Pace|work=]|date=October 24, 2000}}</ref> After he graduated, Lithgow won a ] to study at the ]. Also after graduation, he served as the Director of the Arts and Literature Department at ], the ] radio station in New York City. |
Revision as of 17:46, 22 November 2021
American actor, author, musician, poet and singer
John Lithgow | |
---|---|
Lithgow in 2008 | |
Born | John Arthur Lithgow (1945-10-19) October 19, 1945 (age 79) Rochester, New York, U.S. |
Education | Harvard University (BA) London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (MA) |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1972–present |
Works | Filmography |
Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) |
Spouses |
|
Children | 3, including Ian Lithgow |
Awards | Full list |
Website | www |
John Arthur Lithgow (/ˈlɪθɡoʊ/ LITH-goh; born October 19, 1945) is an American actor, author, musician and poet. 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.
Early life
Lithgow was born on October 19, 1945, in Rochester, New York. As a child, he learned how to play J.S. Bach. He has said that his earliest memories as a child are of visits to Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca. His mother, Sarah Jane Lithgow (née Price), was a retired actress. His father, Arthur Washington Lithgow III was a theatrical producer and director who ran McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey. His father was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, to a European-American family; his great-grandfather was a vice consul and vice commercial agent in the country. On the show Finding Your Roots, Lithgow discovered that he is a descendant of eight Mayflower passengers, including colonial governor William Bradford. Because of his father's job, the family moved frequently during Lithgow's childhood. He spent his childhood years in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where activist Coretta Scott King was his babysitter. He spent his teenage years in Akron (living at Stan Hywet Hall) and Lakewood, Ohio.
Lithgow graduated from Princeton High School in Princeton. He attended Harvard College graduating with an A.B. magna cum laude in 1967, in history and literature. Lithgow lived in Adams House as an undergraduate and later served on Harvard's Board of Overseers. He credits a performance at Harvard of Gilbert and Sullivan's Utopia Limited with helping him decide to become an actor. He was a pupil of dramatist Robert Chapman who was the director of Harvard's Loeb Drama Center. After he graduated, Lithgow won a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Also after graduation, he served as the Director of the Arts and Literature Department at WBAI, the Pacifica radio station in New York City.
Career
1970s
In 1972, Lithgow made his film debut in Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues. In 1976 he starred in a pivotal role in Brian De Palma's Obsession with Cliff Robertson and Genevieve Bujold as Cliff Robertson's long time business partner Robert Lasalle.
In 1973, Lithgow debuted on Broadway in David Storey's The Changing Room at the Morosco Theatre, earning him his first Tony nomination for Featured Actor in a Play and his first win. He also won a Drama Desk Award. The following year he starred again on Broadway in the comedy play My Fat Friend opposite Lynn Redgrave at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. In 1976 he starred on Broadway in Arthur Miller's A Memory of Two Mondays opposite Meryl Streep and Tom Hulce at the Playhouse Theatre.
In 1979, Lithgow appeared in Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical movie All That Jazz as Lucas Sergeant. The character was loosely based on the real-life Broadway director and choreographer Michael Bennett, known for his work on Follies, Company, Dreamgirls and A Chorus Line. Between 1978 and 1980, Lithgow appeared in ten episodes of the radio drama revival series CBS Radio Mystery Theater.
1980s
Lithgow voiced the character of Yoda in the National Public Radio adaptations of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He provided narration for the IMAX film Special Effects: Anything Can Happen.
In 1982 and 1983, Lithgow was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances as Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp and as Sam Burns in Terms of Endearment. Both films were screen adaptations of popular novels. In 1983, Lithgow appeared in a remake of the classic Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" in Twilight Zone: The Movie as the paranoid passenger made famous on the television show by William Shatner. In an interview with Bill Moyers, Lithgow reveals this role as his favorite of his film career.
In 1984, he starred in the film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension as Dr. Emilio Lizardo / Lord John Whorfin. Also in 1984, he starred in 2010: The Year We Make Contact and played a pastor who condemns dancing in Footloose. In 1985, he starred opposite Jodie Foster in Mesmerized. In 1986, he starred in The Manhattan Project directed by Marshall Brickman. In 1987, Lithgow starred in the Bigfoot-themed family comedy Harry and the Hendersons.
In 1985, he starred in Requiem for a Heavyweight written by Rod Serling at the Martin Beck Theatre. In 1988 he starred in David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly alongside BD Wong at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.
In 1986, Lithgow received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his appearance in the episode The Doll of the Amazing Stories anthology series. Additionally, Lithgow has been nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for The Day After (1983) and two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for Resting Place (1986) and My Brother's Keeper (1995). Lithgow was approached about playing Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers, but turned it down. Lithgow starred with Jeffrey Tambor in the NBC sitcom Twenty Good Years.
1990s
In television, Lithgow is probably most widely known for his starring role as Dick Solomon in the 1996–2001 NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. He received six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and won three times (1996, 1997, 1999). His son Ian regularly appeared alongside him as Leon, one of his physics students.
In 1991, he starred in the movie Ricochet opposite Denzel Washington as Earl Talbot Blake, a criminal seeking revenge against the policeman who sent him to prison. Also in 1991, he played missionary Leslie Huben in the film adaptation of Peter Matthiessen's novel At Play in the Fields of the Lord. In 1992, he starred as a man with multiple personality disorder in Brian De Palma's film Raising Cain. In 1993, he starred in Renny Harlin's film Cliffhanger opposite Sylvester Stallone as terrorist leader Eric Qualen.
2000s
In 2001, Lithgow gained recognition for voicing the evil Lord Farquaad in the Academy Award-winning DreamWorks Animated film Shrek alongside Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz. In 2002, he narrated Life's Greatest Miracle, a documentary about human embryonic development.
In 2002, Lithgow starred as J.J. Hunsecker in the Broadway adaptation of the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success alongside Brian D'Arcy James. Lithgow won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance. In 2005, he starred on Broadway in the musical-comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. alongside Norbert Leo Butz at the Imperial Theatre. While both were nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, Butz won over Lithgow. That same year Lithgow was elected into the American Theater Hall of Fame for his work on Broadway.
In 2003, Lithgow wrote the narrations for Christopher Wheeldon ballet Carnival of the Animals and appeared as the elephant character—nurse Mabel Buntz—with the New York City Ballet. He returned for a 2005 revival, the Houston Ballet production of the same show in 2007, and the Pennsylvania Ballet production of it in 2008. In 2007, Lithgow played Malvolio in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Twelfth Night, at The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in the United Kingdom.
In 2004, he portrayed the moralistic, rigid father of Alfred Kinsey in that year's biopic Kinsey; Liam Neeson also starred. In 2006, Lithgow had a small role in the Academy Award-winning film Dreamgirls as Jerry Harris, a film producer offering Deena Jones (Beyoncé Knowles) a film role. In 2010, he appeared briefly in the romantic comedy Leap Year playing Amy Adams' father.
In 2005, Lithgow became the first actor to ever deliver a commencement speech at Harvard University and received an honorary Doctor of Arts from his alma mater. He was featured at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 4–6, 2009 for performances of Mozart's Requiem with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He narrated some letters written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, some poems and sections from the Book of Revelation in certain parts of the performance.
Since 2006, he has starred in Progresso commercials, advertising their soup brand. On March 5, 2009, Lithgow made a cameo on NBC's 30 Rock acting in the episode "Goodbye, My Friend" with several references to his role in Harry and the Hendersons. In September 2009, Lithgow joined the cast of Dexter as Arthur Mitchell, a serial killer and Dexter Morgan's nemesis. He won a Golden Globe Award for this role and won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series. He guest starred on How I Met Your Mother in the role of Barney Stinson's father, Jerry.
In 2008 through 2009, Lithgow played Joe Keller in a Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons directed by Simon McBurney. Lithgow starred alongside Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson and Katie Holmes in her Broadway debut at the Schoenfeld Theatre.
He hosted Paloozaville, a children's Video on Demand program on Mag Rack based on his best-selling children's books. Lithgow also appears in Books By You, a children's computer game and guides them through the steps to personalize a pre-designed book.
2010s
In 2010, Lithgow starred in the Off-Broadway production of Douglas Carter Beane's comedy Mr & Mrs Fitch alongside Jennifer Ehle at the Second Stage Theatre which ran from February 22, 2010, to April 4, 2010. In 2012 Lithgow returned to Broadway in David Auburn's play The Columnist, which played at the Manhattan Theatre Club. The performance earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
On October 1, 2010, Lithgow appeared on Doug Benson's podcast Doug Loves Movies, with fellow guests Paul F. Tompkins and Jimmy Pardo. He has appeared on Chris Hardwick's show The Nerdist Podcast in 2012 and the WTF with Marc Maron podcast in 2019. In September 2011, Lithgow was featured in a one-night only production of Dustin Lance Black's play 8, a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage—as Attorney Theodore Olson to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights. In 2015, Lithgow did the voice over work for Gore Vidal in the documentary film Best of Enemies with Kelsey Grammer. On October 18, 2017, Lithgow coauthored the New York Times daily crossword puzzle.
In the winter of 2012–13 he appeared in the London revival of Arthur Wing Pinero's The Magistrate as Police Magistrate Aeneas Posket at the National Theatre. In 2014, he returned to Central Park's Delacorte Theater and Shakespeare in the Park for the 2014 summer season in the title role of Shakespeare's King Lear, directed by Tony Award Winner Daniel Sullivan. The production was the first play at the theater since 1973 and Lithgow's first time there since 1975 when he had played Laertes. In Fall 2014, Lithgow returned to Broadway as Tobias in a revival of Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance. He starred opposite Glenn Close, Martha Plimpton, Lindsay Duncan, Bob Balaban and Clare Higgins. Pam MacKinnon directed the limited 18-week production at the John Golden Theatre.
Lithgow gained critical attention for starring in Ira Sachs' independent romance film Love Is Strange (2014). The film received a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading "Held aloft by remarkable performances from John Lithgow and Alfred Molina, Love Is Strange serves as a graceful tribute to the beauty of commitment in the face of adversity." The film also received four Independent Spirit Award nominations, including for both Lithgow and Molina.
Lithgow during the 2010s appeared in Rise of the Planet of the Apes., Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014), Tommy Lee Jones' The Homesman (2014) and John Madden's Miss Sloane (2016)
In 2015, Lithgow made a cameo on Louis C.K.'s Louie in the season five episode "Sleepover" alongside Glenn Close, Michael Cera and Matthew Broderick. In 2017, Lithgow starred in Trial & Error as a professor who becomes implicated in the murder of his wife in the first season (spring 2017) of the mockumentary series.
In 2016, Lithgow appeared in the first season of The Crown (2016) portraying Winston Churchill. Lithgow won numerous awards for his performance including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Lithgow then starred in the independent film Beatriz at Dinner (2017). Lithgow starred in the solo play John Lithgow: Stories by Heart, which opened on Broadway on January 11, 2018, at the American Airlines Theatre, written by Lithgow. Lithgow has performed this play around the U.S. starting at the Lincoln Center Theater with Willie Nelson in 2008, with a return performance at Lincoln Center slated for April to May 2019.
In 2018, Lithgow was one of the actors who voiced the audiobook A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. In 2019, Lithgow lent his voice for an audio play If You Win by Emily Chadick Weiss for Playing on Air and was released in spring 2020.
Lithgow starred as Bill Clinton opposite Laurie Metcalf as Hillary Clinton in the Lucas Hnath play Hillary and Clinton on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre. The play opened on April 18, 2019, and closed on June 23, 2019. In 2019, Lithgow co-starred in Mindy Kaling's comedy Late Night. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival was released June 7, 2019. He also played Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in the film Bombshell.
2020s
In 2020, Lithgow portrayed the lawyer Elias Birchard "E.B." Jonathan in season one of the HBO reboot of Perry Mason. In the story, Mr. Birchard starts out as the employer of Mason, who is his investigator.
On June 28, 2021, Showtime confirmed that Lithgow would reprise his role of Arthur Mitchell in the 10-episode Dexter limited series, with Clyde Phillips returning as the head writer. The series premiered on November 7, 2021. In August 2021, Lithgow joined the cast of Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon as Prosecutor Leaward.
Other appearances
Lithgow has done extensive work for children, including several books and albums. Some of his book titles are Marsupial Sue, Marsupial Sue Presents "The Runaway Pancake", Lithgow Party Paloozas!: 52 Unexpected Ways to Make a Birthday, Holiday, or Any Day a Celebration for Kids, Carnival of the Animals, A Lithgow Palooza: 101 Ways to Entertain and Inspire Your Kids, I'm a Manatee, Micawber, The Remarkable Farkle McBride, Mahalia Mouse Goes to College and I Got Two Dogs. He also appeared as a guest on Ants in Your Pants, a Canadian children's program.
Lithgow launched into a career as a recording artist with Singin' in the Bathtub, a 1999 album of children's music. In June 2002, Lithgow released his second children's album Farkle and Friends. It was the musical companion to his book The Remarkable Farkle McBride, which tells the story of a young musical genius . Farkle and Friends features the vocal talents of Lithgow and Bebe Neuwirth, backed by the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra as well. In August 2006, Lithgow released The Sunny Side of the Street, his third children's album and first with Razor & Tie. This album features versions of classic songs from the Great American Songbook, including "Getting to Know You" and "Ya Gotta Have Pep". Produced by JC Hopkins, the album features guest appearances by Madeleine Peyroux, Wayne Knight, Sherie Rene Scott and Maude Maggart. Lithgow also makes occasional appearances on stage and television singing children's songs, accompanying himself on guitar.
Satirical works
Trump portrayal
In June 2019, Lithgow portrayed Donald Trump in "The Investigation: A Search for Truth in Ten Acts", a live reading of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Staged on the altar of New York City's Riverside Church, the reading was created by playwright Robert Schenkkan and narrated by Annette Bening. It also featured Kevin Kline as Mueller, Joel Grey as Jeff Sessions, Jason Alexander as Chris Christie and Alfre Woodard as Hope Hicks.
Trump poetry books
In October 2019, Lithgow published Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse, a book of poems and illustrations. The project originated when Lithgow was asked to perform a Gilbert and Sullivan-style song he wrote about Michael Flynn. The book charted at number three on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction bestsellers in its first week. A follow-up book title Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown was released on September 29, 2020, by Chronicle Books.
Voiceover work
Lithgow contributed voiceover work for the audio book version of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, a 2018 children's book written by Jill Twiss, a comedy writer for HBO's television show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The book is a loose parody of Marlon Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice President.
Work
Filmography
Main article: John Lithgow on screen and stageSelected credits
- All That Jazz (1979)
- Blow Out (1981)
- The World According to Garp (1982)
- Terms of Endearment (1983)
- Footloose (1984)
- The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
- Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
- The Manhattan Project (1986)
- Harry and the Hendersons (1987)
- Memphis Belle (1990)
- L.A. Story (1991)
- Raising Cain (1992)
- The Pelican Brief (1993)
- Cliffhanger (1993)
- A Good Man in Africa (1994)
- A Civil Action (1998)
- 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996)
- Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000)
- Shrek (2001)
- The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)
- Kinsey (2004)
- Dreamgirls (2006)
- Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
- Leap Year (2010)
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- This Is 40 (2012)
- Love Is Strange (2014)
- Interstellar (2014)
- The Homesman (2014)
- Best of Enemies (2015)
- Miss Sloane (2016)
- Beatriz at Dinner (2017)
- Daddy's Home 2 (2017)
- Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)
- Late Night (2019)
- Pet Sematary (2019)
- Bombshell (2019)
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2021)
Discography
- Singin' in the Bathtub (1999, Sony Wonder)
- Farkle & Friends (2002, Kid Rhino)
- The Sunny Side of the Street (2006, Razor & Tie)
Bibliography
- Remarkable Farkle McBride (2000, Simon & Schuster)
- Marsupial Sue (2001, Simon & Schuster)
- Micawber (2002, Simon & Schuster)
- I'm a Manatee (2003, Simon & Schuster)
- A Lithgow Palooza (2004, Simon & Schuster)
- Carnival of the Animals (2004, Simon & Schuster)
- Lithgow Party Paloozas!: 52 Unexpected Ways to Make a Birthday, Holiday, or Any Day a Celebration for Kids (2005, Simon & Schuster)
- Lithgow Paloozas!: Boredom Blasters (2005, Running Press)
- Marsupial Sue Presents "The Runaway Pancake" (2005, Simon & Schuster)
- Mahalia Mouse Goes to College (2007, Simon & Schuster)
- I Got Two Dogs (2008, Simon & Schuster)
- Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse (2019, Chronicle Prism)
- Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown: Verses for a Despotic Age (2020, Chronicle Books)
Awards
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by John LithgowLithgow has received two Tony Awards, six Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, an American Comedy Award, four Drama Desk Awards and has also been nominated for two Academy Awards and four Grammy Awards. Lithgow has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Lithgow was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2019.
Personal life
Lithgow married Jean Taynton, a teacher in 1966. The couple had one son together, Ian (born 1972), who is an actor and a marriage and family therapist. Lithgow and his wife separated after he had an affair with actress Liv Ullmann and they divorced in 1980. Lithgow married UCLA history professor Mary Yeager in 1981 and they have a son, Nathan and a daughter, Phoebe. Lithgow has been a supporter of Liverpool F.C. for many years.
References
- Contemporary Newsmakers: Cumulation. 1985. ISBN 9780810322011.
- "Perry Mason, Season 1". TVDorks. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ "American Theatre". July 2005.
- Greenstreet, Rosanna (January 31, 2015). "Q&A: John Lithgow, actor". The Guardian.
- "John Lithgow Biography (1945–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- "John Lithgow Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, April 13, 2021
- "Excerpt: "Drama" by John Lithgow - A Midsummer Night's Dream - Coretta Scott King". Scribd. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- The Mayflower Quarterly, Vol. 64, General Society of Mayflower Descendants: 1998 (quarterly journal).
- Coretta Scott King Babysat John Lithgow on NBC Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's YouTube channel
- Breckenridge, Mary Beth (April 19, 2013). "Actor Lithgow Revisits Akron Roots". Akron Beacon Journal. Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
- Dawidziak, Mark (May 28, 2009). "Former Akronite John Lithgow takes on killer role for 'Dexter'". Cleveland.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- LaGorce, Tammy. "John Lithgow Sings of the Sewer and Other Funny Stuff", The New York Times, November 11, 2007. Accessed December 10, 2018. "The visit will allow Mr. Lithgow, a Princeton High School graduate, to catch up with a few school friends still in the area, he said and to relive 'loads of fond memories' of the 1960s, when his father, Arthur Lithgow, ran the McCarter Theater downtown."
- "'Stupid mistake' changed John Lithgow's life – for the better < News". PopMatters. October 9, 2006. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- Eric Pace (October 24, 2000). Robert Chapman, 81, Playwright And Retired Harvard Professor.
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- My Fat Friend Playbill
- Gilbert, Ruth (January 12, 1976). "In and Around Town: Theater". New York. p. 21.
- Ryan, Mike (April 2, 2015). "That Time John Lithgow Played Yoda And Ed Asner Played Jabba The Hutt". Uproxx. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
- "Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen". PBS. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- Kuchwara, Michael (March 7, 1985). "Rod Serling's 'Requiem for a Heavyweight' Opens on Broadway". Associated Press.
- M. Butterfly ibdb.com
- Rawson, Christopher (February 1, 2006). "Theater Hall of Fame inducts Thompson, Lithgow, others". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Kisselgoff, Anna (May 16, 2003). "Dance Review; With Everything but Hippos in Tutus". The New York Times.
- Jones, Kenneth (June 16, 2005). "Actor John Lithgow Narrates Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals at City Ballet". Playbill.
- "John Lithgow adds Houston Ballet dancer to his résumé". The Houston Chronicle.
- Eichel, Molly (May 8, 2013). "John Lithgow performs with the PA Ballet as...a lady elephant". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Billington, Michael. "Theatre review: 'Twelfth Night', The Courtyard, Stratford-upon-Avon", The Guardian,September 6, 2007
- Miska, Brad (June 23, 2010). "John Lithgow a Fatherly Figure for 'Planet of the Apes' Prequel". Bloody Disgusting. Los Angeles, California: The Collective. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- Beth Potier, "Of mice and manatees: Lithgow charms all: Commencement address gives star treatment by actor, author", Harvard Gazette, June 16, 2008.
- Avery, Mary Ellen (June 9, 2005). "Harvard awards 8 honorary degrees". Harvard University Gazette. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008.
- The Harvard Crimson Staff (June 9, 2005). "Eight to Receive Honorary Degrees". The Harvard Crimson.
- "Honorary Degrees". Harvard University.
- "'Requiem' an extraordinary Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tribute to Mozart - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review". Pittsburghlive.com. December 5, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- "TV: Showtime's 'Dexter' Posts Record-Breaking Ratings - Bloody Disgusting!". www.bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- 2009 Golden Globe Nominees HFPA Nominations and Winners Archived December 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- "2010 Emmy Nominations Include a Few Horror Favorites". Dreadcentral.com. July 8, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- Michael Ausiello (February 17, 2011). "HIMYM Exclusive First Look: How Barney Met His Father". TVLine. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- Cohen, Patricia. "Two Fathers Are Learning Lessons of 'All My Sons' ", The New York Times, November 12, 2008
- "Write and publish children's books". booksbyyou.com.au. Archived from the original on July 18, 2008.
- Hernandez, Ernio. "Blurb vs. Blog: Lithgow and Ehle are Gossipers 'Mr. & Mrs. Fitch', Opening Off-Broadway Feb. 22" playbill.com, February 22, 2010
- Jones, Kenneth. "John Lithgow Is David Auburn's 'The Columnist', Beginning Broadway Previews April 4" playbill.com, April 4, 2012
- "Prop 8 Play On Broadway Makes Its Debut". The Huffington Post. September 20, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- Kozinn, Allan (February 13, 2014). "Shakespeare in the Park Lineup: 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'King Lear'". The New York Times.
- "What Play Can Come Along Next Season That Will Be More Star-Studded Than A Delicate Balance?". Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- "Love Is Strange (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- "Love Is Strange (2014)". imdb.com. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Moore, Debi (October 5, 2012). "Trinity, a War Machine and a Slumdog Eying Planet of the Apes: Rise of the Apes". Dreadcentral.com. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- "Louie: "Sleepover"". The A.V. Club.
- Hughes, William (February 16, 2016). "John Lithgow to spoof Making a Murderer and The Jinx for NBC". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- Moore, Frazier (March 9, 2017). "Lithgow has you guessing, laughing, in 'Trial & Error'". Detroit News. Detroit, Michigan: Digital First Media. Associated Press. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
- Goldberg, Bryn Elise (June 18, 2015). "John Lithgow, Matt Smith cast in Netflix's 'The Crown'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- Clement, Olivia. "Check Out John Lithgow in 'Stories by Heart' on Broadway" Playbill, January 9, 2018
- " John Lithgow: Stories by Heart 2008" lct.org, retrieved January 10, 2018
- " John Lithgow: Stories by Heart 2019 lct.org, retrieved January 11, 2018
- Perkins, Dennis (March 19, 2018). "John Oliver hijacks homophobe Mike Pence's bunny book with a better one in A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- Clement, Olivia. " 'Hillary and Clinton' Closes on Broadway" Playbill, June 23, 2019
- Stasio, Marrilyn. "Broadway Review: Laurie Metcalf and John Lithgow in 'Hillary and Clinton'" Variety, April 18, 2019
- Patten, Dominic (June 28, 2021). "Lithgow Joins 'Dexter' Revival; Won Emmy For Role In Showtime Serial Killer Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- Turchiano, Danielle (July 25, 2021). "'Dexter' Revival Series Unveils First Look Trailer and November Premiere Date". Variety. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- "John Lithgow Joins Martin Scorsese Apple Original Film 'Killers Of The Flower Moon'".
- Campione, Katie (June 24, 2019). "Lithgow, Bening and more stars perform Mueller report". The Associated Press. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- Lithgow, John (October 17, 2019). "The Birth of 'Dumpty': A Song, a Sunset and a Talk Show". Blog. Powell's Books. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- "Hardcover Nonfiction Books". The New York Times. November 10, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown: Verses for a Despotic Age". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
- Alvin Powell, "Lithgow to speak at Afternoon Exercises: Actor, writer, humanitarian to grace Tercentenary Theatre", Harvard Gazette, April 7, 2005.
- HFPA Nominations and Winners HFPA Nominations and Winners Archived January 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- Hoby, Hermione (February 19, 2015). "John Lithgow: 'I just can't say no'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- "Faculty: Professor Mary Yeager". UCLA Department of History. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- "The Men in Blazers Show with John Lithgow". Men in Blazers. December 14, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
External links
- Official website
- John Lithgow at the Internet Broadway Database
- John Lithgow at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- John Lithgow at IMDb
- John Lithgow at the TCM Movie Database
- John Lithgow at FEARnet
- Profile of John Lithgow – Downstage Center
- 2006 bio article on Lithgow
- Razor and Tie Artist Page
- Razor and Tie Media Page at the Wayback Machine (archived October 4, 2006)
- TonyAwards.com Interview with John Lithgow at the Wayback Machine (archived April 23, 2007)
- John Lithgow speaks at the Oxonian Society November 15, 2007
- NYPL gallery of selected stage production photographs, 1967-1988
- John Lithgow
- 1945 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
- American banjoists
- American male film actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male radio actors
- American male Shakespearean actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American people of Dominican Republic descent
- American people of English descent
- American people of French descent
- American people of Scottish descent
- Audiobook narrators
- Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
- Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
- Drama Desk Award winners
- Harvard College alumni
- Living people
- Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Male actors from Rochester, New York
- People from Princeton, New Jersey
- Princeton High School (New Jersey) alumni
- Royal Shakespeare Company members
- Tony Award winners
- American humorists