John Lithgow - Actor Profile

John Lithgow

Acting
Freshness: Jan 20, 2026
50Total Films
10.0 Highest Rated
Born: Oct 19, 1945
Birth Place: Rochester, New York, USA

About John Lithgow

John Arthur Lithgow (born October 19, 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his diverse work on stage and screen. He has received numerous accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, four Grammy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award. Lithgow won two Tony Awards, his first for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his Broadway debut in The Changing Room (1972) and his second for Best Actor in a Musical for the musical Sweet Smell of Success (2002). He was Tony-nominated for Requiem for a Heavyweight (1985), M. Butterfly (1988), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005). He has acted in the plays The Columnist (2012), A Delicate Balance (2014), and Hillary and Clinton (2019). He portrayed Roald Dahl in the play Giant on the West End, for which he was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor.  He starred as Dick Solomon in the television sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001), winning three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. He received further Primetime Emmy Awards for his performances as Arthur Mitchell in the drama Dexter (2009) and as Winston Churchill in the Netflix drama The Crown (2016–2019). He also starred in HBO's Perry Mason (2020) and FX's The Old Man (2022). On film, he has received two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor nominations for his roles as a transsexual ex-football player in The World According to Garp (1982) and a lonely banker in Terms of Endearment (1983). He also acted in All That Jazz (1979), Blow Out (1981), Footloose (1984), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), A Civil Action (1998), Shrek (2001), Kinsey (2004), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Love Is Strange (2014), Interstellar (2014), Late Night (2019), Bombshell (2019), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), and Conclave (2024).

Career Statistics & Market Influence

Analyzing the cinematic journey of John Lithgow reveals a career defined by exceptional commercial consistency. With a total of 50 major appearances, the actor has established a significant footprint in global cinema.

Genre Dominance: Drama

The majority of John Lithgow's filmography leans towards the Drama genre. Audience data suggests that viewers respond most favorably to this persona, though their versatility has allowed for successful crossovers into other categories.

The "Box Office" Signature

With a 100% Success Ratio (movies rated above 6.5), John Lithgow remains a reliable draw for studios. Their peak performance was recorded in Broadway: The Next Generation, which continues to be the benchmark for their career rating-wise.

Best John Lithgow Movies Ranked

Must-watch hits from John Lithgow's career based on audience ratings.

Complete Filmography & Success Status

Tracking the career evolution and box office verdicts of John Lithgow.

YearMovieCharacterSuccessMore
2024 Spellbound Bolinar (voice) Hit Similar →
2024 Conclave Tremblay Hit Similar →
2024 Cabrini Mayor Gould Super Hit Similar →
2023 Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic Self Super Hit Similar →
2023 Killers of the Flower Moon Prosecutor Peter Leaward Hit Similar →
2023 Sharper Richard Hobbes Hit Similar →
2021 Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes Philip Drummond Super Hit Similar →
2019 Bombshell Roger Ailes Hit Similar →
2019 On Broadway Self Super Hit Similar →
2019 The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts President Donald J. Trump Super Hit Similar →
2018 Pet Sematary: The Tale of Timmy Baterman Jud Crandall Hit Similar →
2018 Mister Rogers: It's You I Like Self Super Hit Similar →
2017 Broadway: The Next Generation Self Super Hit Similar →
2016 Miss Sloane Senator Ronald Sperling Hit Similar →
2016 The Accountant Lamar Blackburn Hit Similar →
2016 Shakespeare Live! From the RSC Self - Performer Hit Similar →
2015 Best of Enemies Voice of Gore Vidal Hit Similar →
2015 Inside 'Interstellar' Self Hit Similar →
2014 Interstellar Donald Super Hit Similar →
2013 Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love Self Super Hit Similar →
2013 Shrek Stories Lord Farquaad (voice) Super Hit Similar →
2012 Casting By Self Hit Similar →
2011 Shrek: Once Upon a Time Self Super Hit Similar →
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes Charles Rodman Hit Similar →
2010 Leap Year Jack Brady Hit Similar →
2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic Edgar West Hit Similar →
2007 ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway Self Hit Similar →
2006 Dreamgirls Jerry Harris Hit Similar →
2005 Einstein's Big Idea Narrator (voice) U.S. edition Hit Similar →
2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Blake Edwards Hit Similar →
2004 Kinsey Alfred Seguine Kinsey Hit Similar →
2002 Buckaroo Banzai Declassified Self Super Hit Similar →
2001 Shrek Lord Farquaad (voice) Super Hit Similar →
2000 Rugrats in Paris: The Movie Jean-Claude (voice) Hit Similar →
1999 Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection Dr. Oscar Charles Super Hit Similar →
1998 A Civil Action Judge Walter J. Skinner Hit Similar →
1997 Officer Buckle and Gloria Narrator (voice) Hit Similar →
1995 The Tuskegee Airmen Senator Conyers Hit Similar →
1993 The Pelican Brief Smith Keen Hit Similar →
1993 Cliffhanger Eric Qualen Hit Similar →
1993 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble Narrator Super Hit Similar →
1990 Memphis Belle Bruce Derringer Hit Similar →
1984 2010 Dr. Walter Curnow Hit Similar →
1984 Footloose Rev. Shaw Moore Hit Similar →
1983 The Day After Joe Huxley Hit Similar →
1983 Terms of Endearment Sam Burns Hit Similar →
1982 The World According to Garp Roberta Muldoon Hit Similar →
1981 Blow Out Burke Hit Similar →
1979 All That Jazz Lucas Sergeant Super Hit Similar →
1976 Obsession Robert Lasalle Hit Similar →

John Lithgow - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best movie of John Lithgow?

According to audience ratings, the best movie starring John Lithgow is "Broadway: The Next Generation" with a rating of 10.0/10.

How many movies has John Lithgow acted in?

John Lithgow has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.

What are some other popular movies by John Lithgow?

Other notable films include "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble", "Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love", and "Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection".