About

Known credits:
156
Birthday:
1945-10-19
Place of birth:
Rochester, New York, USA
Website:
N/A

John Lithgow

Overview

John Arthur Lithgow (/ˈlɪθɡoʊ/ LITH-goh; born October 19, 1945) 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).

Description above from the Wikipedia article John Lithgow, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting
2025 The Rule of Jenny Pen Actor Dave Crealy 58
Average
2025 Jimpa Actor Jimpa N/A
N/A
2025 SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night Actor Self 69
Fair
2024 Spellbound Actor Bolinar (voice) 61
Fair
2024 Conclave Actor Tremblay 68
Fair
2024 Art Happens Here with John Lithgow Actor Self N/A
N/A
2024 Cabrini Actor Mayor Gould 62
Fair
2023 Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic Actor Self 59
Average
2023 Killers of the Flower Moon Actor Prosecutor Peter Leaward 72
Good
2023 Sharper Actor Richard Hobbes 64
Fair
2022 Chez Bob Actor N/A
N/A
2022 The Old Man Actor Harold Harper 71
Good
2022 The Bubble Actor Tom the Studio Chairman 52
Average
2021 Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes Actor Philip Drummond 59
Average
2021 Show of Titles Actor "There's No Business Like Show Business" Performer N/A
N/A
2021 Emily @ the Edge of Chaos Actor Sir Isaac Newton (voice) N/A
N/A
2021 Myths and Hymns Actor N/A
N/A
2020 Give My Regards to Broadway Actor Self N/A
N/A
2019 Bombshell Actor Roger Ailes 66
Fair
2019 On Broadway Actor Self 59
Average
2019 The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts Actor President Donald J. Trump 59
Average
2019 The Tomorrow Man Actor Ed Hemsler 58
Average
2019 Pet Sematary Actor Jud Crandall 57
Average
2019 Late Night Actor Walter Lovell 62
Fair
2018 Pet Sematary: The Tale of Timmy Baterman Actor Jud Crandall 59
Average
2018 Mister Rogers: It's You I Like Actor Self 59
Average
2017 Pitch Perfect 3 Actor Fergus 64
Fair
2017 Broadway: The Next Generation Actor Self 58
Average
2017 Daddy's Home 2 Actor Don 62
Fair
2017 The Pulitzer At 100 Actor Self 59
Average
2017 Beatriz at Dinner Actor Doug Strutt 58
Average
2017 Hickory Dickory Doc Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2017 They All Saw a Cat Actor N/A
N/A
2016 Miss Sloane Actor Senator Ronald Sperling 70
Good
2016 The Accountant Actor Lamar Blackburn 70
Good
2016 Shakespeare Live! From the RSC Actor Self - Performer 59
Average
2016 Ode to Joy: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2015 Best of Enemies Actor Self 61
Fair
2015 Lord John Actor N/A
N/A
2015 Inside 'Interstellar' Actor Self 58
Average
2015 Projections of America Actor Self - Narrator (voice) 59
Average
2014 9 Kisses Actor Man in Club 59
Average
2014 Interstellar Actor Donald 84
Very good
2014 The Roosevelts: An Intimate History Actor James Roosevelt (voice) 72
Good
2014 The Jungle Bunch 2: The Great Treasure Quest Actor Maurice (voice) 58
Average
2014 Love Is Strange Actor Ben 60
Fair
2014 The Homesman Actor Reverend Alfred Dowd 62
Fair
2013 Timms Valley Actor Ol' Gregory Timms 59
Average
2013 Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love Actor Self 59
Average
2013 Once Upon a Time in Wonderland Actor The White Rabbit (voice) 69
Fair
2013 Shrek Stories Actor Lord Farquaad (voice) 60
Fair
2013 National Theatre Live: The Magistrate Actor Posket 59
Average
2012 This Is 40 Actor Oliver 58
Average
2012 Casting By Actor Self 59
Average
2012 The Campaign Actor Glen Motch 58
Average
2011 Shrek: Once Upon a Time Actor Self 59
Average
2011 New Year's Eve Actor Jonathan Cox (uncredited) 58
Average
2011 Prohibition Actor Reader / H.L. Mencken (voice) 73
Good
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes Actor Charles Rodman 72
Good
2010 Leap Year Actor Jack Brady 66
Fair
2009 Miracle in a Box: A Piano Reborn Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2009 The Macabre World of Lavender Williams Actor God 59
Average
2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic Actor Edgar West 64
Fair
2008 Car of the Future Actor Narrator 59
Average
2007 ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway Actor Self 59
Average
2006 Dreamgirls Actor Jerry Harris 64
Fair
2006 Twenty Good Years Actor 70
Good
2006 The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays Actor René Gallimard (segment "M. Butterfly") N/A
N/A
2006 The Great Robot Race: The DARPA Grand Challenge Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2006 Sangre Actor Cafe chef and owner N/A
N/A
2005 Einstein's Big Idea Actor Narrator (voice) U.S. edition 59
Average
2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Actor Blake Edwards 60
Fair
2004 Kinsey Actor Alfred Seguine Kinsey 62
Fair
2004 Dogs and More Dogs Actor Narrator 59
Average
2003 The Ghost of Lord Farquaad Actor Ghost of Farquaad (voice) 59
Average
2003 Bark, George Actor N/A
N/A
2002 Orange County Actor Bud Brumder 59
Average
2002 Buckaroo Banzai Declassified Actor Self 59
Average
2001 Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party Actor Lord Farquaad (singing voice) 59
Average
2001 Shrek Actor Lord Farquaad (voice) 76
Good
2000 Rugrats in Paris: The Movie Actor Jean-Claude (voice) 62
Fair
2000 Don Quixote Actor Don Quixote de La Mancha / Alonso Quixano 59
Average
2000 95 Worlds and Counting Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
1999 Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection Actor Dr. Oscar Charles 59
Average
1998 A Civil Action Actor Judge Walter J. Skinner 61
Fair
1998 Homegrown Actor Malcolm / Robert Stockman 58
Average
1998 Johnny Skidmarks Actor Sergeant Larry Skovik 58
Average
1997 Officer Buckle and Gloria Actor Narrator (voice) N/A
N/A
1996 Hollow Point Actor Thomas Livingston 58
Average
1996 The West Actor Self 72
Good
1996 Special Effects: Anything Can Happen Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
1996 3rd Rock from the Sun Actor Dick Solomon 74
Good
1995 The Tuskegee Airmen Actor Senator Conyers 61
Fair
1995 My Brother's Keeper Actor Tom Bradley / Bob Bradley 58
Average
1995 American Cinema Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
1995 Redwood Curtain Actor Laird Riordan 58
Average
1994 Silent Fall Actor Dr. Rene Harlinger 57
Average
1994 Princess Caraboo Actor Professor Wilkinson 58
Average
1994 A Good Man in Africa Actor Arthur Fanshawe, British High Commissioner 58
Average
1994 Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects Actor Self N/A
N/A
1994 World War II: When Lions Roared Actor Franklin Delano Roosevelt 69
Fair
1994 American Cinema Actor 70
Good
1993 The Country Mouse & the City Mouse: A Christmas Tale Actor Alexander (voice) N/A
N/A
1993 Love, Cheat & Steal Actor Paul Harrington 58
Average
1993 The Pelican Brief Actor Smith Keen 64
Fair
1993 The Wrong Man Actor Phillip Mills 58
Average
1993 Cliffhanger Actor Eric Qualen 63
Fair
1993 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble Actor Narrator 59
Average
1992 Raising Cain Actor Carter Nix / Cain / Dr. Nix / Josh / Margo 59
Average
1991 At Play in the Fields of the Lord Actor Leslie Huben 59
Average
1991 Ricochet Actor Earl Talbott Blake 59
Average
1991 The Boys Actor Artie Margulies N/A
N/A
1990 Memphis Belle Actor Bruce Derringer 62
Fair
1990 Ivory Hunters Actor Robert Carter 58
Average
1990 John Lithgow's Kid-Sized Concert Actor 59
Average
1990 Night of 100 Stars III Actor Self 58
Average
1989 Traveling Man Actor Ben Cluett 58
Average
1989 Out Cold Actor Dave 58
Average
1988 Distant Thunder Actor Mark Lambert 58
Average
1987 Harry and the Hendersons Actor George Henderson 60
Fair
1987 The Amazing Bone Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
1987 Baby Girl Scott Actor Neil Scott 58
Average
1986 The Manhattan Project Actor John Mathewson 59
Average
1986 Resting Place Actor Maj. Kendall Laird 58
Average
1985 Santa Claus: The Making of the Movie Actor Self 59
Average
1985 Mesmerized Actor Oliver Thompson 58
Average
1985 Santa Claus: The Movie Actor B.Z. 60
Fair
1984 2010 Actor Dr. Walter Curnow 63
Fair
1984 The Glitter Dome Actor Sgt. Marty Wellborn 58
Average
1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Actor Lord John Whorfin 59
Average
1984 Footloose Actor Rev. Shaw Moore 65
Fair
1984 Goldilocks and the Three Bears Actor Goldilocks' Father 59
Average
1984 2010 : The Odyssey Continues Actor Himself N/A
N/A
1983 The Day After Actor Joe Huxley 62
Fair
1983 Terms of Endearment Actor Sam Burns 66
Fair
1983 Twilight Zone: The Movie Actor Valentine 62
Fair
1982 Not in Front of the Children Actor Richard Carruthers 59
Average
1982 The World According to Garp Actor Roberta Muldoon 62
Fair
1982 I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can Actor Mr. Brunner 58
Average
1981 Blow Out Actor Burke 70
Good
1980 Big Blonde Actor Herbie Morse N/A
N/A
1980 Mom, the Wolfman and Me Actor Wally N/A
N/A
1980 The Oldest Living Graduate Actor Clarence N/A
N/A
1979 All That Jazz Actor Lucas Sergeant 67
Fair
1979 Rich Kids Actor Paul Philips 58
Average
1978 The Big Fix Actor Sam Sebastian 58
Average
1977 Secret Service Actor Capt. Thorne N/A
N/A
1976 Obsession Actor Robert Lasalle 61
Fair
1974 The Country Girl Actor Paul Unger N/A
N/A
1972 Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Actor John 58
Average
Amazing Stories: The Movie II Actor John Walters (archive footage) N/A
N/A
Harry Potter Actor Albus Dumbledore N/A
N/A
Untitled Trinity Killer Prequel Show Actor Inner Voice of Arthur (voice) N/A
N/A

Production
2025 The Rule of Jenny Pen Production Executive Producer 58
Average
2024 Art Happens Here with John Lithgow Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2000 Don Quixote Production Executive Producer 59
Average