John Lithgow
Birth Place: Rochester, NY
2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards Winners- RAGTIME and SCHMIGADOON! Lead the Pack (May 11, 2026)
Breaking Down the 2026 Tony Awards Nominations (May 10, 2026)
GIANT on Broadway to Host Post-Show Discussion With 92NY (May 8, 2026)
BIO
JOHN LITHGOW has long been regarded as one of America's most distinguished performers. He has made an indelible impression on audiences with his work in film, television and the theater, receiving two Tonys, six Emmys, two Golden Globes, four SAG Awards and two Oscar nominations. Lithgow has appeared in a long list of critically acclaimed films, as far back as The World According to Garp and as recent as Conclave. He most recently starred in The Rule of Jenny Pen with Geoffrey Rush, and in the title role of JIMPA with Olivia Colman, which debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Lithgow has starred in the hit TV shows “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “Dexter,” “The Crown,” and the recent “The Old Man” on FX. On stage, he has appeared on Broadway twenty-five times, including award-winning appearances in “The Changing Room,” “M. Butterfly,” “Requiem for a Heavyweight,” and the musicals “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “The Sweet Smell of Success.” Upcoming, Lithgow will be seen as ‘Dumbledore’ in the “Harry Potter” series for HBO. In November, Lithgow concluded a sold-out run of “Giant” at London’s Royal Court Theatre, where he starred as Roald Dahl. The production then transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre on the West End for a limited run in Spring 2025. Lithgow won an Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance, with “Giant” also earning the award for Best New Play. For children, Lithgow has written several best-selling children’s picture books for Simon & Schuster. His recordings for kids have landed him four Grammy nominations , and he has appeared with a dozen major American orchestras in children’s concerts that feature many of his own songs. He wrote the narration for the New York City Ballet’s “Carnival of the Animals” in 2003 and danced the role of The Elephant. In 2011, a warm reception greeted Lithgow’s memoir “Drama: An Actor’s Education,” published by Harper Collins. Since 2019, he has written and illustrated the “Dumpty Trilogy,” three books of political satire from Chronicle Prism which achieved the remarkable feat of landing Lithgow on the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list for three consecutive years. Mr. Lithgow recently completed his term as co-chair of the Commission on the Arts of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, producing authoritative reports on America’s creative workforce and arts in education. The Commission’s deliberations also spawned Art Happens Here, a PBS documentary which highlights the importance of all the arts in the lives of young people.
Photos
STAGE CREDITS
Productions
Writing
Awards and Nominations
John Lithgow, Giant
John Lithgow, Giant
John Lithgow, Giant
John Lithgow, John Lithgow: Stories by Heart
John Lithgow, The Columnist
John Lithgow, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
winner
John LithgowMrs. Farnsworth
winner
John Lithgow, Sweet Smell of Success
winner
John Lithgow , Sweet Smell of Success
winner
John Lithgow, Sweet Smell of Success
John LithgowM. Butterfly
John Lithgow, M Butterfly
winner
John Lithgow, M. Butterfly
John Lithgow, M. Butterfly
winner
John Lithgow, Requiem for a Heavyweight
John Lithgow, Requiem for a Heavyweight
winner
John Lithgow, The Changing Room
winner
John Lithgow, The Changing Room
Videos
Video: HARRY POTTER Special Will Go Behind the Scenes of HBO Series with John Lithgow, Janet McTeer & More
by Josh Sharpe - 2026-04-02 10:39:11
Video/Photos: HARRY POTTER Teaser Unveils First Look at New HBO Series
by Josh Sharpe - 2026-03-25 15:25:29
Video: John Lithgow Talks Roald Dahl and Bringing GIANT to Broadway
by Josh Sharpe - 2026-03-10 10:44:37
Video: Phillip Johnson Richardson Sings Acoustic 'Gramercy Park' from HELL'S KITCHEN
by Michael Major - 2025-06-20 11:12:50
Video: Kevin Bacon Visits FOOTLOOSE High School Prior to Demolition
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-04-21 09:54:48
VIDEO: Katie Holmes & Alan Cumming Star in RARE OBEJCTS Film Trailer
by Michael Major - 2023-02-23 13:16:21
VIDEO: Stephen Colbert Pays Tribute to Frank Galati on THE LATE SHOW
by Stephi Wild - 2023-01-06 08:12:03
VIDEO: TODAY Goes Behind the Scenes of MURDER IN STUDIO ONE Off-Broadway
by Michael Major - 2022-05-18 14:27:37
VIDEO: Krysta Rodriguez Sings and Signs from SPRING AWAKENING
by Taylor Brethauer-Hamling - 2021-11-07 15:51:06
VIDEO: Krysta Rodriguez Visits Backstage with Richard Ridge- Watch Now!
by Backstage With Richard Ridge - 2021-11-05 13:30:20
VIDEO: THE CROWN's Josh O'Connor and Emma Corrin Discuss How They Met, Other Roles They'd Like to Play, and More!
by Stephi Wild - 2020-11-22 19:14:23
VIDEO: The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Holds Virtual Benefit Gala Featuring Jonathan Groff, Carole King, and More!
by Stephi Wild - 2020-09-19 09:33:33
VIDEO: Krysta Rodriguez Sings 'Good Kisser' By Lake Street Dive at Feinstein's/54 Below
by Stephi Wild - 2020-03-16 07:37:41
VIDEO: John Lithgow Talks Dissecting Roger Ailes' Personality on LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS
by Sarah Leiber - 2019-12-20 21:08:23
VIDEO: John Lithgow Talks About His BOMBSHELL Transformation on THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON
by Sarah Leiber - 2019-12-18 20:14:18
News
by Nicole Rosky - May 11, 2026
The Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town, national, and digital news publications, has just announced the winners of the 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards. We have the full list.
by Nicole Rosky - May 10, 2026
Still thinking about the Tony nominations? Us too! Check out some takeaways from the big announcement and recap the full list and the nominees' reactions!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 8, 2026
Following the Wednesday, May 20, 2026 7:30 PM ET performance of Giant on Broadway, starring John Lithgow, John Lithgow, Aya Cash, and Mark Rosenblatt will join a conversation with Taffy Brodesser-Akner hosted by 92NY.
by Josh Sharpe - May 6, 2026
HBO has officially greenlit a second season of the Harry Potter series, which aims to dedicate each season to an installment of the seven-volume book series.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 6, 2026
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, David Stone, Tracy Letts and David Rockwell will present the Honorary Awards at the 92nd Annual Drama League Awards, taking place at The Ziegfeld Ballroom.
by Stephi Wild - May 5, 2026
Theater Resources Unlimited and the League of Professional Theatre Women will present a Town Hall discussion on gender equality in theater, hosted at Polaris North Studio in NYC with simultaneous streaming available.
by Nicole Rosky - May 5, 2026
This year's nominees are checking in with BroadwayWorld to tell us all about how they got the news. Check back for live updates!
by Nicole Rosky - May 5, 2026
The nominations are in! Below, check out how each show fared individually in a full list of nominations by show. Follow us on BroadwayWorld throughout the day, as we'll bring you Tony nominee reactions, exclusive reports, surprises, behind the scenes coverage and oh, so much more!
by Josh Sharpe - May 5, 2026
With his nomination for Marjorie Prime, Danny Burstein has become the most nominated male actor in Tony history, having earned a total of nine nominations across his stage career.
by Nicole Rosky - May 5, 2026
BroadwayWorld's official Tony Awards coverage is here! Check out the 2026 Tony nominees here and follow us throughout the season for exclusive nominee interviews, special coverage and lots more!
by Nicole Rosky - May 5, 2026
The 79th Annual Tony Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, May 5, by Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss. The announcement can be viewed LIVE (9am ET) in their entirety here on BroadwayWorld. Catch up on everything you need to know before the announcement!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 4, 2026
The 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards is set to be the largest gathering in the organization's seven-decade history — with the most Drama Desk winners and nominees, past and present, ever assembled for the ceremony.
by Nicole Rosky - Apr 29, 2026
Raúl Esparza and Helen J Shen will announce the 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards nominations on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 10:00AM ET. Check out the nominees so far and check back later for teh complete list.
by Marina Kennedy - Apr 27, 2026
David Kuhn is a literary agent and one of the owners of Chez Nous, the cozy French restaurant tucked away in the famed Marlton Hotel in the West Village.
by Stephi Wild - Apr 25, 2026
Laurie Metcalf is back on Broadway! The actress of stage and screen is back in New York, starring in Death of a Salesman. As Metcalf takes her next Broadway bow, we're looking back on some of her many iconic roles.
by Stephi Wild - Apr 21, 2026
Isa Briones and Sepideh Moafi hosted the live announcement of the 2026 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations. Check out the full list of nominations here!
by Stephi Wild - Apr 21, 2026
Soprano Erin Morley and tenor Lawrence Brownlee join pianist Malcolm Martineau at 92NY's Kaufmann Concert Hall for GOLDEN AGE, a bel canto recital tied to their new duo album.
by Genevieve Rafter Keddy - Apr 20, 2026
Honoring Broadway and Off-Broadway achievements, 2026 Drama League Awards Nominees were announced by Tony Award Winner Natalie Venetia Belcon and film, television, and stage star Corbin Bleu. See photos!
by Stephi Wild - Apr 20, 2026
The Drama League has announced the 2026 Drama League Awards Nominees, which include Chess, Heathers, Ragtime, The Rocky Horror Show, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Titanique, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), and more. Check out the full list here!
by Nicole Rosky - Apr 20, 2026
Tony Award Winner Natalie Venetia Belcon (Buena Vista Social Club) and film, television, and stage star Corbin Bleu (The Great Gatsby) will co-host the 2026 Drama League Awards Nominations announcement on Monday, April 20.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
John Lithgow has appeared on Broadway in 25 shows.
John Lithgow has appeared on London's West End in 3 shows.
John Lithgow's first West End show was The Magistrate which opened in 2012
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Giant, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Giant, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Giant, Outstanding Solo Performance (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for John Lithgow: Stories by Heart, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for The Columnist, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Outstanding Featured Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Mrs. Farnsworth, Outstanding Actor - Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Sweet Smell of Success, Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Sweet Smell of Success , Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Sweet Smell of Success, Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (Helen Hayes Awards) for M. Butterfly, Outstanding Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for M Butterfly, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for M. Butterfly, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for M. Butterfly, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Requiem for a Heavyweight, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Requiem for a Heavyweight, Outstanding Performance (Drama Desk Awards) for The Changing Room and Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for The Changing Room.
John Lithgow has won several prestigious awards, including: - Outstanding Featured Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Mrs. Farnsworth - Outstanding Actor - Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Sweet Smell of Success - Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Sweet Smell of Success - Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Sweet Smell of Success - Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for M. Butterfly - Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Requiem for a Heavyweight - Outstanding Performance (Drama Desk Awards) for The Changing Room - Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for The Changing Room.
John Lithgow has written 1 shows including John Lithgow: Stories By Heart (Playwright).
Videos
