Lithgow, John [Arthur] (b. 1945), actor. Born in Rochester, New York, he studied at Harvard and at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. The tall, versatile, Everyman‐type actor made his debut at the Antioch Shakespeare Festival in 1953 and was praised for his Broadway bow as the athlete Kenny Kendal in The Changing Room (1973) earning a Tony Award. Active on Broadway, Off Broadway, and in regional theatres (as well as in films and television), Lithgow has appeared as seaman Mat Burke in Anna Christie (1977), the ex‐radical Chris in Division Street (1980), boxer McClintock in Requiem for a Heavyweight (1985), newspaper editor Walter Burns in The Front Page (1986), French diplomat René Gallimard in M. Butterfly (1988), and columnist J. J. Hunsecker in Sweet Smell of Success (2002).
John Lithgow
| American Theater Guide: John [Arthur] Lithgow |
| Spotlight: John Lithgow |
From our Archives: Today's Highlights, October 19, 2005
| Artist: John Lithgow |
- Active: '90s, 2000s
- Genres: Spoken Word
- Instrument: Guitar, Arranger, Vocals
- Representative Albums: "Singin' in the Bathtub," "Farkle and Friends," "The Sunny Side of the Street"
Biography
Though he is best known for his roles in Broadway productions like The Changing Room (for which he won a Tony) and films like Terms of Endearment, The World According to Garp, Footloose, and Shrek, John Lithgow is also a best-selling children's author as well as a performer. In 1999 his first album for kids, Singin' in the Bathtub, which covered classic songs, was released, followed three years later by Farkle and Friends, which accompanied his book The Remarkable Farkle McBride and found Lithgow backed by the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra. Continuing in his pursuit to make high-quality, intelligent music that both children and adults could enjoy, Lithgow released The Sunny Side of the Street, which revisited the Great American Songbook and featured guest performances from Madeleine Peyroux and cabaret singer Maude Maggart, in 2006. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide| Discography: John Lithgow |
| Actor: John Lithgow |
- Born: Oct 19, 1945 in Rochester, New York
- Occupation: Actor
- Active: '80s-2000s
- Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
- Career Highlights: Terms of Endearment, The Day After, Blow Out
- First Major Screen Credit: Dealing: or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972)
Biography
A distinguished actor of stage, television, and movies who is at home playing everything from menacing villains, big-hearted transsexuals, and loopy aliens, John Lithgow is also a composer and performer of children's songs, a Harvard graduate, a talented painter, and a devoted husband and father: in short, he is a true Renaissance man.Once hailed by the Wall Street Journal as "the film character actor of his generation," Lithgow is the son of a theater director who once headed Princeton's McCarter Theater and produced a series of Shakespeare festivals in Ohio, where Lithgow was six when he made his first theatrical bow in Henry VI, Part 3. His parents raised Lithgow in a loving home that encouraged artistic self-expression and took a broad view of the world. As a youth, Lithgow was passionate about painting and at age 16, he was actively involved with the Art Students League in New York. When the acting bug bit, Lithgow's father was supportive. After Lithgow graduated from Harvard, he received a Fulbright scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art; while in England, Lithgow also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and for the Royal Court Theatre. He returned to the U.S. in the early '70s and worked on Broadway where he won his first Tony and a Drama Desk Award for his part in The Changing Room (1973). Lithgow remained in New York for many years, establishing himself as one of Broadway's most respected stars and would go on to appear in at least one play per year through 1982. He would subsequently receive two more Tony nominations for Requiem for a Heavyweight and M. Butterfly. He made his first film appearance in Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972). The film itself was an inauspicious affair as were his other subsequent early efforts, though by the early '80s, his film roles improved and diversified dramatically. Though capable of essaying subtle, low-key characters, Lithgow excelled in over-the-top parts as the next decade in his career demonstrates.
He got his first real break and a Best Supporting Actor nomination when he played macho football player-turned-sensitive woman Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp (1982). In 1983, he provided one of the highlights of Twilight Zone--The Movie as a terrified airline passenger and earned a second Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination in Terms of Endearment where he appeared with Shirley Maclaine and Jack Nicholson, as well as playing a fiery preacher in Footloose. That year, he won his first Emmy nomination for his work in the scary nuclear holocaust drama The Day After. In 1984, he played the crazed Dr. Lizardo in the cult favorite The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. In Ricochet (1992), Lithgow proved himself a terrifying villain with his portrayal of a psychopathic killer hell-bent for revenge against Denzel Washington, the man who incarcerated him. In 1990, he made Babysong video tapes of his performing old and new children's songs on the guitar and banjo. Though he had already established himself on television as a guest star, Lithgow gained a large and devoted following when he was cast as an alien captain who, along with his clueless crew, attempts to pass for human in the fresh, well-written NBC sitcom Third Rock From the Sun (1996). The role has won him multiple Emmys and Golden Globe awards. When not busy working on the show, in theater, or in feature films, Lithgow is at home playing "Superdad" to his children and his wife, a tenured college professor at U.C.L.A. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
| Filmography: John Lithgow |
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| Wikipedia: John Lithgow |
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This article's introduction section may not adequately summarize its contents. To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. (September 2009) |
| John Lithgow | |
|---|---|
 John Lithgow in 2007 |
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| Born | John Arthur Lithgow October 19, 1945 Rochester, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Actor, musician, poet |
| Years active | 1972 – present |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Yeager (1981-present) Phoebe Jean Taynton (1966-1980) |
John Arthur Lithgow (pronounced /ˈlɪθɡoʊ/; born October 19, 1945) is an American actor, musician, and author, best known for his starring role as Dr. Dick Solomon on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun and, more recently, his role as the 'Trinity killer' on the Showtime series Dexter. He has also achieved success on stage, film, and radio. He has earned multiple Emmy Awards and Tony Awards, as well as two Academy Award nominations. He has also recorded music, and has written poetry and short stories for children.
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Early life
Lithgow was born in Rochester, New York. His mother, Sarah Jane (née Price), was a retired actress, and his Dominican-born father, Arthur Lithgow, was a theatrical producer and director who ran the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey.[1][2] Because of his father's job, the family moved frequently during Lithgow's childhood, including teenage years in Akron and Lakewood, Ohio.[3]
Lithgow went to Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1967. He lived in Adams House as an undergraduate, across the hall from roommates former Vice President Al Gore and actor Tommy Lee Jones. Lithgow later served on its Board of Overseers. Lithgow credits a performance at Harvard of Gilbert and Sullivan's Utopia Limited with helping him decide to become an actor.[4] After graduation, Lithgow won a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Stage career
In 1973, Lithgow debuted on Broadway in David Storey's The Changing Room, for which he received both the Tony and Drama Desk Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play. The following year he starred opposite Lynn Redgrave in My Fat Friend and in 1976 played opposite Meryl Streep in Arthur Miller's A Memory of Two Mondays. He was nominated for two Best Actor Tonys for Requiem for a Heavyweight (1985) and M. Butterfly (1988).
In 2002, Lithgow won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of J.J. Hunsecker in the Broadway adaptation of the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success. In 2005, Lithgow was elected into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for his work on Broadway. He was also nominated for a Best Leading Actor in a Musical Tony for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Lithgow, at age 26, fell in love with one Shelby Sharpnack, but was denied by her after she saw his film, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, claiming his role to be unattractive. Though John bounced back, he took it as a sign to work only in films where he would play a benevolent character.
In 2008 through 2009, Lithgow played Joe Keller in a Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons.[5]
In 2010, Lithgow will be staring alongside Jennifer Ehle in the production of MR. & MRS. FITCH presented by Second Stage Theatre.[6]
Film career
In 1979, Lithgow portrayed the role of Lucas Sergeant in Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical movie All That Jazz. The character was loosely based on the real-life director/choreographer Michael Bennett, best known for his work on Dreamgirls and A Chorus Line.
In 1983 and 1984, 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. Lithgow originated the character of Dr. Emilio Lizardo/Lord John Whorfin, a psychotic Italian physicist inhabited by an evil alien, which he played in the 1984 cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. In 1984, Lithgow also played the moralistic anti-dancing, anti-rock pastor in Footloose and later the role of American space engineer Walter Curnow in 2010, the sequel to the science fiction classic 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In 1983, Lithgow played John Valentine in a remake of the classic Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" in Twilight Zone: The Movie as the paranoid passenger once made famous on the television show by William Shatner. In 1991 he starred in the movie Ricochet opposite Denzel Washington as Earl Talbot Blake a vengeful criminal that seeks revenge after Washington's character Nicholas Styles becomes famous after arresting him. In 1992, he starred as the main role in Brian De Palma's film Raising Cain, and in 1993, starred as Eric Qualen in the Sylvester Stallone movie Cliffhanger.
In 1987, Lithgow starred in the Bigfoot-themed family comedy Harry and the Hendersons. In 2002, he narrated Life's Greatest Miracle, a sex education film, while in 2004, he portrayed the moralistic, rigid father of Alfred Kinsey in that year's biopic Kinsey. 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.
As a voice actor, Lithgow is well-known for his role as the evil Lord Farquaad in the Shrek movie franchise. His appearances as Farquaad include Shrek, Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party, Shrek 4-D which was originally Shrek 3-D and used as a amusement park attraction, and Shrek the Third.
He will reappear as Lord Farquaad in Shrek 4, set for release in 2010.
Television career
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 was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" in each of the program's six seasons and won three times, in 1996, 1997, and 1999. In 1986, Lithgow received a Primetime Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series" for his appearance in an episode of the Amazing Stories anthology show.
Additionally, Lithgow has been nominated for an "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special" Emmy for The Day After (1983), two "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special" Emmys 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.
Since 2006 he has starred in Campbell Soup Company's commercials advertising their "Campbell's Select" premium soup brand.
On March 5, 2009, Lithgow made a brief cameo on NBC's 30 Rock.
In September 2009 Lithgow joined the cast of Dexter. Lithgow plays Arthur Mitchell, an unassuming, mild-mannered suburbanite who has been living a dual life as one of America's most prolific and deadliest serial killers. Dubbed the "Trinity Killer" because of his proclivity to kill in threes, he relocates to Miami after being tracked by F.B.I. Special Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine). Brought on to assist in the investigation of Miami's latest serial killer, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) becomes fascinated with "Trinity's" unique killing methods and his ability to evade capture for almost three decades. [7]
Children's entertainment
Lithgow is also dedicated to his work for children, including several books and albums geared towards kids. 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.
Lithgow launched into a career as a recording artist with the 1999 album of children's music, Singin' in the Bathtub. 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. 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,” with decidedly animated performances geared towards children. Produced by JC Hopkins (Victoria Williams, JC Hopkins Biggish Band featuring Norah Jones), the album features guest appearances by Madeleine Peyroux, Wayne Knight (Seinfeld's Newman), Broadway's Sherie Rene Scott (Aida, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and cabaret star Maude Maggart. Lithgow also makes occasional appearances on stage and television singing children's songs and accompanying himself on guitar.
Other appearances
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. He hosts Paloozaville, a children's Video on Demand program on Mag Rack based on his best-selling children's books. He appeared in the most recent Campbell's SelectSoups commercials, portraying a restaurant waiter serving 'customers' in their own household. He often delivers commencement addresses at American universities. Lithgow also appears in "Books By You", a children's computer game, and guides them through the steps to finish a pre-designed book.[8]
Awards and award nominations
Lithgow has won four Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.[9] He has also been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.[9][10] In 2005, he became the first actor ever to deliver a commencement speech at Harvard University.[11]
Personal life
Lithgow currently resides in Los Angeles, although he owns a home in New York. He has been married twice, to Jean Taynton from 1966 to 1980, and to Mary Yeager since 1981. He is the father of three children: Ian (born in 1972) from his marriage to Taynton; and Phoebe McCurtain (born in 1982) and Nathan George (born in 1983) from his marriage to Yeager. Ian made regular appearances on 3rd Rock from the Sun as Leon, a particularly slow student in Prof. Solomon's class.
Work
Filmography
- 1972 Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues
- 1976 Obsession
- 1977 Secret Service
- 1978 The Big Fix
- 1979 All That Jazz | Rich Kids
- 1980 Big Blonde | Mom, the Wolfman and Me | The Oldest Living Graduate
- 1981 Blow Out
- 1982 I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can
- 1982 Not in Front of the Children | The World According to Garp
- 1983 Terms of Endearment | The Day After | Twilight Zone: The Movie
- 1984 Footloose
- 1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
- 1984 2010 | The Glitter Dome
- 1985 Santa Claus: The Movie
- 1986 Mesmerized|The Manhattan Project | Resting Place
- 1987 Harry and the Hendersons | Baby Girl Scott
- 1988 Distant Thunder
- 1989 Traveling Man | Out Cold
- 1990 Memphis Belle | Ivory Hunters
- 1991 The Boys | L.A. Story
- 1991 At Play in the Fields of the Lord | Ricochet
- 1992 Raising Cain
- 1992 Yertle the Turtle (film)
- 1993 The Wrong Man | Cliffhanger
- 1993 The Country Mouse & the City Mouse: A Christmas Tale
- 1993 The Pelican Brief | Love, Cheat & Steal
- 1994 World War II - When Lions Roared
- 1994 Silent Fall | Princess Caraboo | A Good Man in Africa
- 1995 Redwood Curtain (film) | My Brother's Keeper
- 1995 Hollow Point | The Tuskegee Airmen
- 1996 Special Effects: Anything Can Happen
- 1998 Homegrown | Johnny Skidmarks
- 1998 Officer Buckle and Gloria | A Civil Action
- 2000 Don Quixote
- 2000 Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
- 2000 C-Scam
- 2001 Shrek
- 2001 Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party
- 2002 Orange County
- 2003 Shrek 4-D
- 2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
- 2004 Kinsey
- 2005 Einstein's Big Idea
- 2006 Dreamgirls
- 2007 Shrek the Third (Cameo)
- 2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic
- 2009 Dexter (TV series)
- 2009 The National Parks: America's Best Idea
- 2010 Shrek Forever After
Stage
- 1973 The Changing Room (Tony Award - Best Featured Actor in a Play)
- 1974 My Fat Friend
- 1975 Trelawny of the \"Wells\" (revival)
- 1976 A Memory of Two Mondays
- 1976 Boy Meets Girl (revival)(Director) and Secret Service (revival)
- 1976 Comedians
- 1977 Anna Christie (revival)
- 1978 Once in a Lifetime (revival)
- 1979 Spokesong
- 1980 Division Street
- 1982 Beyond Therapy
- 1985 Requiem for a Heavyweight (Tony Nomination - Best Actor in a Play)
- 1986 The Front Page (revival)
- 1988 M. Butterfly (Tony Nomination - Best Actor in a Play)
- 2002 Sweet Smell of Success (Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical)
- 2003 The Retreat From Moscow
- 2005 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony Nomination - Best Actor in a Musical)
- 2008 All My Sons
Discography
- Singin' in the Bathtub (1999, Sony Wonder)
- 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)
- Marsupial Sue Presents "The Runaway Pancake", (2005,Simon & Schuster)
- Mahalia Mouse Goes to College, (2007,Simon & Schuster)
References
- ^ John Lithgow Biography (1945-)
- ^ John Lithgow Biography - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ http://www.cleveland.com/tv/index.ssf/2009/05/former_akronite_john_lithgow_t.html
- ^ 'Stupid mistake' changed John Lithgow's life - for the better < News | PopMatters
- ^ ‘’The New York Times’’ “Two Fathers Are Learning Lessons of ‘All My Sons’.” Cohen, Patricia. Nov.12,2008.
- ^ http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Tony_Winners_Lithgow_and_Ehle_Are_MR_MRS_FITCH_For_Second_Stage_Theatre_20090819
- ^ "John Lithgow Joins Dexter Season Four". Comingsoon.net. 2009. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=55834. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ http://www.booksbyyou.com.au/
- ^ a b Alvin Powell, "Lithgow to speak at Afternoon Exercises: Actor, writer, humanitarian to grace Tercentenary Theatre", Harvard Gazette, 2005-04-07.
- ^ In 1982 for his role in The World According to Garp and in 1983 for his role in Terms of Endearment.
- ^ Beth Potier, "Of mice and manatees: Lithgow charms all: Commencement address gives star treatment by actor, author", Harvard Gazette, 2008-06-16.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Lithgow |
- John Lithgow official website
- John Lithgow at FEARnet
- John Lithgow at the Internet Broadway Database
- John Lithgow at the Internet off-Broadway Database
- John Lithgow at the Internet Movie Database
- John Lithgow at the TCM Movie Database
- John Lithgow at TV.com
- Profile of John Lithgow - Downstage Center
- American Theatre Wing - 2005 interview
- 2006 bio article on Lithgow
- Razor and Tie Artist Page
- Razor and Tie Media Page
- TonyAwards.com Interview with John Lithgow
- John Lithgow speaks at the Oxonian Society November 15, 2007
- Books By You
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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Mentioned in
- John Lithgow: Saturday Night Live (TV Episode) (1985 Comedy TV Episode)
- John Lithgow: Saturday Night Live (TV Episode) (1987 Comedy TV Episode)
- John Lithgow: Saturday Night Live (TV Episode) (1988 Comedy TV Episode)
- A Distant Thunder (1970 Drama Film)
- Christmas That Almost Wasn't (2001 Album by Various Artists)
- NOVA: Dogs and More Dogs (2004 Science & Technology Film)
- Antarctic Antics (1998 Film)
- Raising Cain (1992 Horror Film)
- Ricochet (1991 Crime Film)
- Don Quixote (2000 Adventure Film)
- Shrek (Movie)
- Distant Thunder (1988 Drama Film)
- The Wrong Man (1993 Drama Film)
- Dr. Seuss: Yertle the Turtle (1991 Comedy Film)
October 19, 2005
Time sneaks up on you like a windshield on a bug.
- John Lithgow
