John Lithgow
3.2Acting

John Lithgow

Oct 19, 1945 - Rochester, New York, USA

John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his diverse work on stage and screen. He has received numerous accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, four Grammy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award.

Lithgow won two Tony Awards, his first for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his Broadway debut in The Changing Room (1972) and his second for Best Actor in a Musical for the musical Sweet Smell of Success (2002). He was Tony-nominated for Requiem for a Heavyweight (1985), M. Butterfly (1988), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005). He has acted in the plays The Columnist (2012), A Delicate Balance (2014), and Hillary and Clinton (2019). He portrayed Roald Dahl in the play Giant on the West End, for which he was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor. 

He starred as Dick Solomon in the television sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001), winning three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. He received further Primetime Emmy Awards for his performances as Arthur Mitchell in the drama Dexter (2009) and as Winston Churchill in the Netflix drama The Crown (2016–2019). He also starred in HBO's Perry Mason (2020) and FX's The Old Man (2022).

On film, he has received two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor nominations for his roles as a transsexual ex-football player in The World According to Garp (1982) and a lonely banker in Terms of Endearment (1983). He also acted in All That Jazz (1979), Blow Out (1981), Footloose (1984), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), A Civil Action (1998), Shrek (2001), Kinsey (2004), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Love Is Strange (2014), Interstellar (2014), Late Night (2019), Bombshell (2019), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), and Conclave (2024).

Credits

Cast

Media
Movie2001ShrekLord Farquaad (voice)
Movie1984FootlooseRev. Shaw Moore
Movie2023SharperRichard Hobbes
Movie2004The Life and Death of Peter SellersBlake Edwards
Movie2009Confessions of a ShopaholicEdgar West
Movie19842010Dr. Walter Curnow
Movie1976ObsessionRobert Lasalle
Movie1986The Manhattan ProjectJohn Mathewson
Movie1983Terms of EndearmentSam Burns
Movie2004KinseyAlfred Seguine Kinsey
Movie1984The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th DimensionLord John Whorfin
Movie1982The World According to GarpRoberta Muldoon
Movie1981Blow OutBurke
Movie1983The Day AfterJoe Huxley
Movie1995The Tuskegee AirmenSenator Conyers
Movie2020Give My Regards to BroadwaySelf
Movie2010Leap YearJack Brady
Movie2003The Ghost of Lord FarquaadGhost of Farquaad (voice)
Movie1987Harry and the HendersonsGeorge Henderson
Movie1998A Civil ActionJudge Walter J. Skinner
Movie1991RicochetEarl Talbott Blake
Movie2003Bark, George
Movie1993The Pelican BriefSmith Keen
Movie1993CliffhangerEric Qualen
Movie1985Santa Claus: The MovieB.Z.
Movie1994A Good Man in AfricaArthur Fanshawe, British High Commissioner
Movie2015Inside 'Interstellar'Self
Movie1992Raising CainCarter Nix / Cain / Dr. Nix / Josh / Margo
Movie1978The Big FixSam Sebastian
Movie1993The Wrong ManPhillip Mills
Movie2004Dogs and More DogsNarrator
Movie2021Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent StrokesPhilip Drummond
Movie1997Officer Buckle and GloriaNarrator (voice)
Movie1994Princess CarabooProfessor Wilkinson
Movie2000Rugrats in Paris: The MovieJean-Claude (voice)
Movie1979All That JazzLucas Sergeant
Movie1998HomegrownMalcolm / Robert Stockman
Movie1994Silent FallDr. Rene Harlinger
Movie2017They All Saw a Cat
Movie2012Casting BySelf
Movie1991At Play in the Fields of the LordLeslie Huben
Movie1986Resting PlaceMaj. Kendall Laird
Movie1985MesmerizedOliver Thompson
Movie1993Love, Cheat & StealPaul Harrington
Movie1996Hollow PointThomas Livingston
Movie1979Rich KidsPaul Philips
Movie2015Projections of AmericaSelf - Narrator (voice)
Movie2012The CampaignGlen Motch
Movie2012This Is 40Oliver
Movie1989Out ColdDave
Movie2022Chez Bob
Movie2008Car of the FutureNarrator
Movie2022The BubbleTom the Studio Chairman
Movie1972Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag BluesJohn
Movie1995Redwood CurtainLaird Riordan
Movie2014InterstellarDonald
Movie200095 Worlds and CountingNarrator
Movie2000Don QuixoteDon Quixote de La Mancha / Alonso Quixano
Movie2013Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For LoveSelf
Movie1988Distant ThunderMark Lambert
Movie2024CabriniMayor Gould
Movie1987Baby Girl ScottNeil Scott
Movie2014Love Is StrangeBen
Movie1996Special Effects: Anything Can HappenNarrator
Movie2013National Theatre Live: The MagistratePosket
Movie2002Orange CountyBud Brumder
Movie2024SpellboundBolinar (voice)
Movie1995My Brother's KeeperTom Bradley / Bob Bradley
Movie2011Rise of the Planet of the ApesCharles Rodman
Movie1983Twilight Zone: The MovieValentine
Movie1990Memphis BelleBruce Derringer
Movie2025The Rule of Jenny PenDave Crealy
Movie1990Ivory HuntersRobert Carter
Movie2014The HomesmanReverend Alfred Dowd
Movie2006SangreCafe chef and owner
Movie2023Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of MagicSelf
Movie1990Night of 100 Stars IIISelf
Movie1998Johnny SkidmarksSergeant Larry Skovik
Movie2024Art Happens Here with John LithgowSelf
Movie2016The AccountantLamar Blackburn
Movie2009Miracle in a Box: A Piano RebornNarrator
Movie2014The Jungle Bunch 2: The Great Treasure QuestMaurice (voice)
Movie2015Lord John
Movie20149 KissesMan in Club
Movie2006DreamgirlsJerry Harris
Movie2017Broadway: The Next GenerationSelf
Movie2015Best of EnemiesSelf
Movie2013Shrek StoriesLord Farquaad (voice)
Movie2013Timms ValleyOl' Gregory Timms
Movie1980The Oldest Living GraduateClarence
Movie1984The Glitter DomeSgt. Marty Wellborn
Movie2025JimpaJimpa
Movie1982I'm Dancing as Fast as I CanMr. Brunner
Movie2016Ode to Joy: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9Narrator
Movie2016Miss SloaneSenator Ronald Sperling
Movie1990Amazing Stories: The Movie IIJohn Walters (archive footage)
Movie2016Shakespeare Live! From the RSCSelf - Performer
Movie2017Beatriz at DinnerDoug Strutt
Movie1984Goldilocks and the Three BearsGoldilocks' Father
Movie2017Daddy's Home 2Don
Movie2005Einstein's Big IdeaNarrator (voice) U.S. edition
Movie2002Buckaroo Banzai DeclassifiedSelf
Movie2007ShowBusiness: The Road to BroadwaySelf
Movie2001Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance PartyLord Farquaad (singing voice)
Movie2017The Pulitzer At 100Self
Movie2017Pitch Perfect 3Fergus
Movie1977Secret ServiceCapt. Thorne
Movie2018Mister Rogers: It's You I LikeSelf
Movie2019Late NightWalter Lovell
Movie2019Pet SemataryJud Crandall
Movie1989Traveling ManBen Cluett
Movie2006The Great Robot Race: The DARPA Grand ChallengeNarrator
Movie2019BombshellRoger Ailes
Movie1987The Amazing BoneNarrator
Movie2017Hickory Dickory DocHimself
Movie1982Not in Front of the ChildrenRichard Carruthers
Movie2019The Tomorrow ManEd Hemsler
Movie1993Sylvester and the Magic PebbleNarrator
Movie2006The Best of The Tony Awards: The PlaysRené Gallimard (segment "M. Butterfly")
Movie1985Santa Claus: The Making of the MovieSelf
Movie2019The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten ActsPresident Donald J. Trump
Movie1980Big BlondeHerbie Morse
Movie1991The BoysArtie Margulies
Movie2011New Year's EveJonathan Cox (uncredited)
Movie1990John Lithgow's Kid-Sized Concert
Movie2011Shrek: Once Upon a TimeSelf
Movie2009The Macabre World of Lavender WilliamsGod
Movie1980Mom, the Wolfman and MeWally
Movie1999Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis CollectionDr. Oscar Charles
Movie1993The Country Mouse & the City Mouse: A Christmas TaleAlexander (voice)
Movie1995American CinemaNarrator
Movie2021Myths and Hymns
Movie1974The Country GirlPaul Unger
Movie2021Emily @ the Edge of ChaosSir Isaac Newton (voice)
Movie2018Pet Sematary: The Tale of Timmy BatermanJud Crandall
Movie2023Killers of the Flower MoonProsecutor Peter Leaward
Movie2019On BroadwaySelf
Movie1994Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special EffectsSelf
Movie2024ConclaveTremblay
Movie2021Show of Titles"There's No Business Like Show Business" Performer
Movie19842010 : The Odyssey ContinuesHimself
Movie1995Tales from the Crypt: You, MurdererDr. Oscar Charles
MovieN/ASequestered - Inside ConclaveSelf
MovieN/ADexterArthur Mitchell / The Trinity Killer
TV Show19963rd Rock from the SunDick Solomon139
TV Show2005How I Met Your MotherJerry Whittaker4
TV Show2004The Tony Danza ShowSelf3
TV Show2006Twenty Good Years9
TV Show1952TodaySelf1
TV Show1989Tales from the CryptDr. Oscar Charles1
TV Show1997The ViewSelf7
TV Show1993FrasierMadman Martinez (voice)1
TV Show2005The Apprentice: Martha Stewart1
TV Show1999The Early ShowSelf1
TV Show2012Finding Your RootsSelf1
TV Show2018The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To CancerSelf - Guest1
TV Show1982Faerie Tale TheatreGoldilocks' Father1
TV Show200630 RockJohn Lithgow1
TV Show2005The Colbert Report1
TV Show1951Hallmark Hall of FamePaul Unger1
TV Show1993Late Night with Conan O'BrienSelf - Guest4
TV Show1996CosbyJohn Lithgow1
TV Show2003VH1 Goes Inside1
TV Show1996The WestSelf9
TV Show1994American Cinema13
TV Show2013Once Upon a Time in WonderlandThe White Rabbit (voice)13
TV Show2006DexterArthur Mitchell12
TV Show2002E! Live from the Red CarpetSelf1
TV Show1974NOVANarrator6
TV Show1996The Daily ShowSelf1
TV Show2015The Late Show with Stephen ColbertSelf - Guest1
TV Show1956Tony AwardsSelf - Presenter7
TV Show1997The ViewSelf - Guest2
TV Show1985Amazing StoriesJohn Walters1
TV Show2023Liv Ullmann: A Road Less TravelledSelf3
TV Show2014Late Night with Seth MeyersSelf2
TV Show1956Tony AwardsSelf - Nominee & Performer1
TV Show1975Saturday Night LiveSelf - Host3
TV Show1956Tony AwardsSelf - Winner1
TV Show2021Dexter: New BloodArthur Mitchell1
TV Show2016The CrownWinston Churchill12
TV Show1994World War II: When Lions RoaredFranklin Delano Roosevelt2
TV Show2017Trial & ErrorLarry Henderson13
TV Show2014The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonSelf2
TV Show2014The Roosevelts: An Intimate HistoryJames Roosevelt (voice)7
TV Show1989The SimpsonsGus (voice)1
TV Show2007The Graham Norton ShowSelf1
TV Show2022SherriSelf - Guest1
TV Show1951Hallmark Hall of FameMajor Kendall Laird1
TV Show1951Hallmark Hall of FameLaird Riordan1
TV Show1996The Rosie O'Donnell ShowSelf - Guest1
TV Show2009Watch What Happens Live with Andy CohenSelf - Guest1
TV Show2020Perry MasonElias Birchard 'E.B.' Jonathan8
TV Show2015The Late Show with Stephen Colbert1
TV Show1996The WestSelf / Uriah Oblinger (voice)1
TV Show2018James Cameron's Story of Science FictionSelf2
TV Show2019The Kelly Clarkson ShowSelf1
TV Show2020Stars in the HouseSelf - Special Guest1
TV Show2015Close Up with The Hollywood ReporterSelf1
TV Show2018Firing Line with Margaret Hoover1
TV Show2011ProhibitionReader / H.L. Mencken (voice)3
TV Show2015The Late Show with Stephen ColbertSelf2
TV Show1989The SimpsonsJohn Lithgow (voice)1
TV Show1971Great PerformancesCapt. Thorne1
TV Show2022The Old ManHarold Harper15
TV Show2010ConanSelf2
TV Show1956Tony AwardsSelf - Nominee2
TV Show1956Tony AwardsSelf - Nominee/Performer1
TV Show1944Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Nominee3
TV Show1944Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Presenter1
TV Show2014Variety Studio: Actors on ActorsSelf1
TV Show2025SNL50: Beyond Saturday NightSelf4
TV ShowN/AHarry PotterAlbus Dumbledore1
TV Show1953The OscarsSelf - Presenter1
TV Show2006The One ShowSelf1
TV Show2025Dexter: ResurrectionArthur Mitchell1
TV Show2003DreamWorks 6 Spooky Stories CollectionGhost of Farquaad (voice)1

Crew

Media
Movie2000Don QuixoteExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2024Art Happens Here with John LithgowExecutive ProducerProduction
Movie2025The Rule of Jenny PenExecutive ProducerProduction