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Upcoming · Harry Potter · 2026
John Lithgow

Person · Actor

John Lithgow

A celebrated actor with a rich theatrical legacy, John Lithgow navigates the highs of critical acclaim and the lows of personal turmoil as he transitions from Broadway stages to Hollywood screens and unexpected fatherhood.

Born
June 23, 1945
From
Rochester, New York, USA
Height
1.93 m (6'4")
  • Also:
  • Producer
  • Writer
157
Credits on file
8
Decades active
12
Awards
1
Upcoming

In short · Acting since 1952, 8 decades active, 157 credits, 8 Primetime Emmy Award wins.

Now & next

  1. Upcoming

    Harry Potter

  2. In the news

    John Lithgow Becomes Oldest Male Tony Winner at 80

    “John Lithgow, at 80 years old, has made history by becoming the oldest male actor to win a competitive Tony Award. He received the award for his performance in the play 'Giant.' This achievement breaks a 53-year-old record previously held by Dick Latessa, who won for his role in 'Hairspray.' Lithgow's win highlights his enduring talent and impact on stage. The Tony Awards celebrate excellence in theater, and Lithgow's recognition underscores his significant contributions to the performing arts. His win has been widely celebrated as a milestone in the history of the awards.”

  3. Award win

    Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

  4. Award win

    Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

  5. Award win

    Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

  6. Award win

    Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Biography

If "born to the theater" has meaning in determining a person's life path, then John Lithgow is a prime example of this truth. He was born in Rochester, New York, to Sarah Jane (Price), an actress, and Arthur Washington Lithgow III, who was both a theatrical producer and director. John's father was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, where the Anglo-American Lithgow family had lived for several generations. John moved frequently as a child, while his father founded and managed local and college theaters and Shakespeare festivals throughout the Midwest of the United States. Not until he was 16, and his father became head of the McCarter Theater in Princeton New Jersey, did the family settle down. But for John, the theater was still not a career. He won a scholarship to Harvard University, where he finally caught the acting bug (as well as found a wife). Harvard was followed by a Fulbright scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Returning from London, his rigorous dramatic training stood him in good stead, and a distinguished career on Broadway gave him one Tony Award for "The Changing Room", a second nomination in 1985 for "Requiem For a Heavyweight", and a third in 1988 for "M. Butterfly". But with critical acclaim came personal confusion, and in the mid 1970s, he and his wife divorced. He entered therapy, and in 1982, his life started in a new direction, the movies - he received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp (1982). A second Oscar nomination followed for Terms of Endearment (1983), and he met a UCLA economics professor who became his second wife. As the decade of the 1990s came around, he found that he was spending too much time on location, and another career move brought him to television in the hugely successful series 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996). This production also played a role in bringing him back together with the son from his first marriage, Ian Lithgow, who has a regular role in the series as a dimwitted student.

Family & relationships

Parents
Sarah Jane Lithgow(Price)
Children

Filmography · 141 of 141

Streaming

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Actor

97 credits

Editor

27 credits

Other crew

17 credits

Awards & Nominations

8 wins · 4 nominations

Primetime Emmy Award

  • Won2017Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — John Lithgow
  • Won2010Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series — John Lithgow
  • Won1999Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series — John Lithgow
  • Won1997Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series — John Lithgow
  • Won1996Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series — John Lithgow
  • Won1986Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series — John Lithgow

Golden Globe Award

  • Nom2023Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film — John Lithgow
  • Won1997Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy — John Lithgow
More awards & festivals (4) — regional academies & film-festival prizes

Golden Globe Awards

  • Nom2023Golden Globe — Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
  • Won1997Golden Globe — Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy

Academy Awards

  • Nom1983Oscar — Actor in a Supporting Role
  • Nom1982Oscar — Actor in a Supporting Role

Originals

Streaming originals this person worked on.

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Additional credits16Show

Non-headline appearances — talk-show, awards-show, panel, and archive-footage credits, kept separate from the main filmography.

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