John Lithgow Biography

American actor John Lithgow was born in 1945 in Rochester, New York. Long before Lithgow grew up to become one of America’s most awarded and recognized actors, he grew up influenced by his parents’ experiences in the entertainment industry; his mother had been an actress and his father worked as a director and producer in a local theater.

Young John moved around quite a bit as a child, as his father brought the family with him wherever he was able to find work. Lithgow’s formative years were mainly spent in Ohio, where he excelled in school academically and earned a coveted entry to the prestigious Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in literature and history, Lithgow was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to further his studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. It was here that John honed his skills as an actor, and upon his return to New York in the early 1970’s, he was ready to pursue a full-time career, starting with the New York stage.

John Lithgow’s debut came in 1973, in the play The Changing Room on Broadway. His performance earned him both a Drama Desk Award and a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play. Multiple stage roles followed, as did multiple Tony nominations, most notably for his roles in M. Butterfly and Requiem for a Heavyweight. Around the same time, he began to appear in films, staring with roles in movies such as The Big Fix, All That Jazz, and Rich Kids. Eventually, he went on to star in blockbuster hits and critically acclaimed films such as The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment, for which Lithgow earned Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.

On the small screen, John Lithgow is best known for his role as Dick Solomon on 3^rd Rock from the Sun, a role which earned him multiple Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor, with three wins. In the late 1990’s, he also began to record a series of children’s albums, foraying into the music industry as well.

John Lithgow continues to perform, act, and record. His most recent film role is in the blockbuster hit Interstellar, and he is scheduled to appear in the movie The Accountant, expect for a release in 2016. In 2014, Lithgow appeared in the plays King Lear and A Delicate Balance.