[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_lithgow.jpg]]

->''"Up there with my awards, I have a great big statue of [[Creator/MarxBrothers Groucho Marx]], just to put everything in perspective."''
-->--'''John Lithgow'''

John Arthur Lithgow (born October 19, 1945 in UsefulNotes/{{Rochester}}, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New York]]) is a highly prolific and accomplished UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-nominated American actor, musician, and author.

A dormroom housemate of UsefulNotes/AlGore and Creator/TommyLeeJones while at [[UsefulNotes/IvyLeague Harvard]] in the mid-1960s, Lithgow's career has taken many odd turns with a variety of roles. Following his career on stage, where he twice won a Tony, he successfully moved into film with a number of versatile roles, with the best-known probably being Roberta Muldoon in ''Film/TheWorldAccordingToGarp'', Sam Burns in ''Film/TermsOfEndearment'', Reverend Shaw Moore in ''Film/{{Footloose}}'', and George Henderson in the family classic ''Film/HarryAndTheHendersons''. He has a talent for playing villains, including Burke in ''Film/BlowOut'', Cain in ''Film/RaisingCain'', Earl Talbot Blake in ''Film/{{Ricochet}}'', [[FakeBrit Eric Qualen]] in ''Film/{{Cliffhanger}}'', and [[LargeHam Dr. Emilio Lizardo[=/=]Lord John Whorfin]] in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossTheEighthDimension''. His more recent films include ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'', ''Film/PetSematary2019'', and ''Film/KillersOfTheFlowerMoon''.

In 1996, Lithgow moved onto the small screen, playing lead character Dick Solomon in the oddball sci-fi sitcom ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun''. The show ran until 2001 and earned him three of his five UsefulNotes/{{Emmy Award}}s. He's also lent his voice to audiobooks, dramatic readings, and animated movies, such as the first ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' in which he played the villain Lord [[UnfortunateNames Farquaad]]. Not to mention playing Yoda in NPR's [[Radio/StarWarsRadioDramas radio dramatizations]] of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' and ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''.

Lithgow joined ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' for its fourth season, playing [[FamilyValuesVillain Arthur Mitchell]] AKA [[BigBad The Trinity Killer]]. His complex, layered, and downright terrifying portrayal was met with widespread critical acclaim and earned him another Emmy as well as a UsefulNotes/{{Golden Globe|Award}} for Best Supporting Actor. He had a recurring role on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' as Jerome Whittaker, and played UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill in Netflix's ''Series/TheCrown2016'', which earned him several awards. He has also enjoyed a career on Broadway, most recently playing real-life AgentPeacock Joseph Alsop in ''The Columnist''.

He has a reputation as being one of the nicest people anyone could hope to meet, with fellow actors and other colleagues saying how much of a pleasure it is to work with him. He's also a talented children's entertainer, having authored many children's books and music [=CDs=] for children. In 2011 he published ''Drama: An Actor's Education'', an autobiographical account of his life in theater.

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!!Works with TV Tropes pages:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Film roles]]
* ''Film/{{Obsession}}'' (1976) as Robert La Salle
* ''Film/AllThatJazz'' (1979) as Lucas Sergeant
* ''Film/BlowOut'' (1981) as Burke
* ''Film/TheWorldAccordingToGarp'' (1982) as Roberta Muldoon
* ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' (1983) as John Valentine
* ''Film/TermsOfEndearment'' (1983) as Sam Burns
* ''Film/{{Footloose}}'' (1984) as Rev. Shaw Moore
* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossTheEighthDimension'' (1984) as Dr. Emilio Lizardo[=/=]Lord John Whorfin
* ''Film/TwoThousandTenTheYearWeMakeContact'' (1984) as Dr. Walter Curnow
* ''Film/SantaClausTheMovie'' (1985) as B.Z.
* ''Film/TheManhattanProject'' (1986) as John Mathewson
* ''Film/HarryAndTheHendersons'' (1987) as George Henderson
* ''Film/MemphisBelle'' (1990) as Lt. Col. Bruce Derringer
* ''Film/{{Ricochet}}'' (1991) as Earl Talbot Blake
* ''Literature/AtPlayInTheFieldsOfTheLord'' (1991) as Leslie Huben
* ''Film/RaisingCain'' (1992) as Dr. Carter Nix[=/=]Cain[=/=]Dr. Nix Sr.[=/=]Josh[=/=]Margo
* ''Film/{{Cliffhanger}}'' (1993) as Eric Qualen
* ''Film/ThePelicanBrief'' (1993) as Smith Keen
* ''Film/SilentFall'' (1994) as Dr. Rene Harlinger
* ''Literature/ACivilAction'' (1998) as Judge Walter J. Skinner
* ''WesternAnimation/RugratsInParis'' (2000) as Jean-Claude (voice)
* ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' (2001) as Lord Farquaad (voice)
** ''WesternAnimation/Shrek4D'' (2003) as Ghost of Lord Farquaad (voice)
* ''Film/OrangeCounty'' (2002) as Bud Brumder
* ''Film/TheLifeAndDeathOfPeterSellers'' (2004) as Creator/BlakeEdwards
* ''Film/{{Kinsey}}'' (2004) as Alfred Seguine Kinsey
* ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}'' (2006) as Jerry Harris
* ''Film/ConfessionsOfAShopaholic'' (2009) as Edgar West
* ''Film/{{Leap Year|2010}}'' (2010) as Jack
* ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' (2011) as Charles Rodman
* ''Film/NewYearsEve'' (2011) as Jonathan Cox ({{uncredited|role}})
* ''Film/TheCampaign'' (2012) as Glenn Motch
* ''Film/ThisIs40'' (2012) as Oliver
* ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'' (2014) as Donald
* ''Film/{{The Accountant|2016}}'' (2016) as Lamar Blackburn
* ''Film/MissSloane'' (2016) as Sen. Ronald Sperling
* ''[[Film/DaddysHome Daddy's Home 2]]'' (2017) as Don
* ''Film/PitchPerfect3'' (2017) as Fergus
* ''Film/{{Late Night|2019}}'' (2019) as Walter Lovell
* ''Film/{{Pet Sematary|2019}}'' (2019) as Jud
* ''Film/{{Bombshell|2019}}'' (2019) as Roger Ailes
* ''Film/{{The Bubble|2022}}'' (2022) as Tom the Studio Chairman
* ''Film/KillersOfTheFlowerMoon'' (2023) as Prosecutor Peter Leaward
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Short film roles]]
* ''Literature/SylvesterAndTheMagicPebble'' (1992) as Narrator (voice)
* ''Literature/OfficerBuckleAndGloria'' (1997) as Narrator (voice)
* ''Literature/BarkGeorge'' (2003) as Narrator (voice)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Television roles]]
* ''Film/TheDayAfter'' (TV movie, 1983) as Joe Huxley
* ''Series/FaerieTaleTheatre'' (1 episode, 1984) as Goldilocks' Father
* ''Series/AmazingStories'' ([[Recap/AmazingStories1985S1E22TheDoll 1 episode]], 1986) as John Walters
* ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' ([[Recap/TalesFromTheCryptS6E15YouMurderer 1 episode]], 1995) as Dr. Oscar Charles
* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' ([[Recap/FrasierS02E19SomeoneToWatchOverMe 1 episode]], 1995) as Madman Martinez (voice)
* ''Film/TheTuskegeeAirmen'' (TV movie, 1995) as Sen. Conyers
* ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' (139 episodes, 1996–2001) as Dr. Dick Solomon
* ''Series/ThirtyRock'' (1 episode, 2009) {{as Himself}}
* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' (12 episodes, 2009) as Arthur Mitchell
** ''Series/DexterNewBlood'' (1 episode, 2021) as Arthur Mitchell
* ''[[WesternAnimation/TheJungleBunch The Jungle Bunch: The Movie]]'' (TV movie, 2011) as Maurice (voice)
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' (4 episodes, 2011–14) as Jerome Whittaker
* ''Series/OnceUponATimeInWonderland'' (13 episodes, 2013–14) as The White Rabbit (voice)
* ''Series/DrunkHistory'' (2 episodes, 2014) as William Randolph Hearst[=/=]UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington
* ''Series/{{Louie}}'' (1 episode, 2015) as Funny Man
* ''Series/TrialAndError'' (13 episodes, 2017) as Larry Henderson
* ''Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver'' (1 episode, 2018) as The Stinkbug (voice)
* ''Series/TheCrown'' (11 episodes, 2016–19) as UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill
* ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'' (1 episode, 2019) as Rudy Giuliani
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' (2 episodes, 2019–22) {{as Himself}}[=/=]Augustus Redfield (voice)
* ''Series/{{Perry Mason|2020}}'' (8 episodes, 2020) as Elias Birchard 'E.B.' Jonathan
* ''WesternAnimation/WolfboyAndTheEverythingFactory'' (2 episodes, 2021) (voice)
* ''Series/TheOldMan'' (7 episodes, 2022) as Harold Harper
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Radio roles]]
* ''[[Radio/StarWarsRadioDramas The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (2 episodes, 1983) as Yoda (voice)
** ''[[Radio/StarWarsRadioDramas Return of the Jedi]]'' (1 episode, 1996) as Yoda (voice)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre roles]]
* ''Theatre/SecretService'' (1977) as Captain Thorne
* ''Theatre/AnnaChristie'' (1977) as Mat Burke
* ''Theatre/OnceInALifetime'' (1978) as George Lewis
* ''Film/RequiemForAHeavyweight'' (1985) as Harlan 'Mountain' [=McClintock=]
* ''Theatre/MButterfly'' (1988–90) as Rene Gallimard
* ''Film/SweetSmellOfSuccess'' (2002) as J.J. Hunsecker
* ''Film/DirtyRottenScoundrels'' (2005–06) as Lawrence Jameson
* ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'' (2007) as Malvolio
* ''Theatre/AllMySons'' (2008–09) as Joe Keller
* ''Theatre/KingLear'' (2014) as Lear
* ''Theatre/{{A Delicate Balance|1967}}'' (2014–15) as Tobias
* ''Literature/{{Candide}}'' (2018) as Creator/{{Voltaire}}[=/=]Dr. Pangloss
[[/folder]]

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!!Tropes:
* AxCrazy: Many of his villainous roles certainly qualify as this.
* TheBigGuy: At 6'4", he towers over most of his castmates.
* TheCastShowoff: Frequently finds an excuse to play piano on-screen.
* CoolOldGuy: Many of his later roles have him playing these and he's also very much one in real life.
* EvilIsBigger: He's played a lot of villains and at 6'4, he's usually noticeably taller than the actors playing the heroes.
* EvilIsHammy: He's very dramatic and plays a lot of villains so this trope shows up a lot in his career. Though it often doesn't make them any less intimidating.
* EvilOldFolks: He can still play reprehensible villains well into his seventies.
* FakeBrit: Even if not fully, he usually uses a [[UsefulNotes/BritishAccents Received Pronunciation accent]] in varying degrees in most of his roles and he is so well-respected that he could be mistaken for a British actor anyway. Lithgow spent two years in England on a Fulbright scholarship in his youth and [[GotMeDoingIt picked up the accent without even realizing he was doing it]]. Played completely straight when he played no less a Briton than Winston Churchill in ''The Crown''.
* FamilyBusiness: His mother was an actress and his father was a theatre producer and director.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Many of his villainous characters are polite on the surface but pure evil underneath.
* FriendToAllChildren: He's a talented children's entertainer, having authored many children's books and music [=CDs=] for children.
* LargeHam: When it's called for.
** ''Film/{{Cliffhanger}}'', in particular, isn't just being a LargeHam; it's a pig farm the size of Nebraska.
** Which is nothing compared to the Ham Planet that is Doctor Emilio Lizardo/Lord John Whorfin in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossTheEighthDimension''. Lithgow himself considers this [[WordOfGod his hammiest role]].
** Not to mention his role as Dick Solomon on ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun''.
** Appears again in a big way when he [[http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/7qmvog/john-lithgow-performs-gingrich-press-release appeared]] on ''Series/TheColbertReport'' to [[ItMakesSenseInContext read Newt Gingrich's hilariously overwritten press report]].
** Lampshaded with a HamToHamCombat with ''Creator/JonLovitz'' on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' between Lovitz's Master Thespian and Lithgow's [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The]] Great Baudelaire, each actor trying to upstage the other.
* RealLifeRelative: His son Ian had a recurring role on ''3rd Rock From The Sun'' as Leon, one of the students in Dick's class.
* SelfDeprecation: Lithgow titled his autobiography ''Drama''.
* StarMakingRole: He'd been acting in films for about a decade at that point, but his turn as transsexual former NFL player Roberta Muldoon in ''Literature/TheWorldAccordingToGarp'' kicked his career into high gear, to the extent that some people incorrectly think it was his film debut.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** He was originally chosen for [[BigBad Hades]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' before the casting of Creator/JamesWoods. However, even after he recorded all of his dialogue for the film, Creator/{{Disney}} found that he didn't have the right balance of menace and comedic timing they were looking for.
** He was the first choice for the role of Doc Brown in ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' before Creator/ChristopherLloyd was cast, but turned down the offer due to filming conflicts with ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie''.
** He auditioned for [[Comicbook/TheJoker Jack Napier]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}'' before the casting of Creator/JackNicholson. However, he believed that he wasn't right for the part and tried to convince Creator/TimBurton to ''not'' cast him as the iconic comic book character.
** He was the runner-up for the role of Hannibal Lecter in ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' before Creator/AnthonyHopkins was cast.
** He was considered for the part of Egon Spengler in ''Film/{{Ghostbusters|1984}}'' before the casting of Creator/HaroldRamis.
** He was the original choice to play Frasier Crane in ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' but turned it down to focus on his film career.
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Despite being American, his voice noticeably blurs the line between that dialect and one of a Brit.
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