John Lithgow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Lithgow
|
|
|---|---|
Lithgow in 2008
|
|
| Born |
John Arthur Lithgow
October 19, 1945 Rochester, New York, U.S.
|
| Education | Harvard University (BA) London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1972–present |
|
Works
|
Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 3, including Ian Lithgow |
| Awards | Full list |
John Arthur Lithgow (born October 19, 1945) is a famous American actor. He is also an author, musician, and poet. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Lithgow is known for playing many different types of characters.
He has won many awards for his acting. These include six Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards. He was also nominated for two Academy Awards. In 2001, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2005, he joined the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Lithgow was born in Rochester, New York, on October 19, 1945. His mother, Sarah Jane, was a retired actress. His father, Arthur Lithgow, was a theater producer and director. Because of his father's job, John's family moved often.
He spent his childhood in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Later, he lived in Akron and Lakewood, Ohio. He graduated from Princeton High School in 1963.
College Years
Lithgow then went to Harvard College. He studied history and English literature there. He realized he wanted to be an actor after a play at Harvard. His teacher, Robert Chapman, was the director of Harvard's drama center.
John graduated from Harvard in 1967 with high honors. After college, he won a Fulbright Scholarship. This allowed him to study acting in London. He went to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Acting Career Highlights
John Lithgow has had a long and successful career. He has acted in plays, movies, and TV shows.
Early Career: 1970s and 1980s
Lithgow started acting on Broadway in 1972. His first play was The Changing Room. He won his first Tony Award for this role. In 1976, he acted with Meryl Streep in several plays.
His first movie role was in 1972. In 1979, he appeared in the movie All That Jazz. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice. This was for his roles in The World According to Garp (1982) and Terms of Endearment (1983).
In 1983, he starred in Twilight Zone: The Movie. He played a scared passenger on a plane. He also played a pastor who was against dancing in the movie Footloose (1984). In 1987, he was in the family comedy Harry and the Hendersons.
Becoming a Well-Known Actor: 1990s and 2000s
John Lithgow became very famous for his TV role in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. He played Dick Solomon from 1996 to 2001. He won three Emmy Awards for this role. His son, Ian, also appeared on the show.
In 2001, he voiced the character of Lord Farquaad in the animated movie Shrek. He also narrated a documentary about human development.
On Broadway, he won his second Tony Award in 2002. This was for his role in the musical Sweet Smell of Success. In 2005, he starred in the musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
In 2007, he acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. He played Malvolio in Twelfth Night.
Recent Work: 2010s and 2020s
In 2009, Lithgow joined the TV show Dexter. He played Arthur Mitchell and won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy for it. He also appeared in How I Met Your Mother as Barney Stinson's father.
He continued to act in many movies. These include Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Interstellar (2014), and The Homesman (2014).
In 2016, Lithgow played Winston Churchill in the Netflix series The Crown. He won an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for this role. He also appeared in movies like Daddy's Home 2 (2017) and Pet Sematary (2019).
More recently, he was in the HBO series Perry Mason (2020). He also returned to Dexter in 2021. In 2022, he starred in the series The Old Man with Jeff Bridges. In 2023, he acted in Martin Scorsese's movie Killers of the Flower Moon.
Other Work
Children's Books and Music
John Lithgow has created many things for children. He has written several books, such as Marsupial Sue and I'm a Manatee. He also has albums of children's music. His albums include Singin' in the Bathtub (1999) and Farkle and Friends (2002).
He sometimes sings children's songs on stage and TV. He plays the guitar while he sings.
Satirical Works
Lithgow has also done satirical work. In 2019, he published Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse. This book has poems and drawings. He also voiced an audiobook called A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. This was a funny story for children.
Personal Life
John Lithgow married Jean Taynton in 1966. They had one son, Ian Lithgow. They divorced in 1980. Later, Lithgow married Mary Yeager, a history professor. They have a son and a daughter together.
Awards and Honors
John Lithgow has received many awards for his acting. He has won two Tony Awards for his stage work. He has also won six Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for his TV roles. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards for his movie roles.
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is also a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Discography
- Singin' in the Bathtub (1999, Sony Wonder)
- Farkle & Friends (2002, Kid Rhino)
- The Sunny Side of the Street (2006, Razor & Tie)
See also
In Spanish: John Lithgow para niños
