| John Lithgow | |
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 John Lithgow in 2007 |
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| Born | John Arthur Lithgow October 19, 1945 Rochester, New York, USA |
John Arthur Lithgow (pronounced "lith-go"; born October 19, 1945) is an American actor perhaps best-known for his starring role as Dr. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Dick Solomon in the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. Dr Richard Solomon, usually known as Dick Solomon, is a character played by John Lithgow in the late 90's NBC Sitcom 3rd Rock from The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's 3rd Rock from the Sun is an Emmy Award -winning American sitcom that aired from 1996 until 2001 on NBC. He has also achieved success on stage, film, and radio. He has earned multiple Emmy Awards and Tony Awards, as well as two Oscar nominations. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. He has also recorded music for children.
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Biography
Early life
Lithgow was born in Rochester, New York. Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. His mother, Sarah Jane (née Price), was a retired actress, and his father, Arthur Lithgow, was a theatrical producer and director who ran the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey. Arthur Washington Lithgow (1915 – March 24, 2004) was an American actor and director McCarter Theatre is a not-for-profit professional company on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton New Jersey. See also Princeton Township New Jersey, Borough of Princeton New Jersey Princeton Borough New Jersey Princeton Township New Jersey this [1][2] Because of his father's job, the family moved frequently during Lithgow's childhood.
Lithgow went to Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1967. Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an Academic degree was earned He was in the same dorm as former Vice President Al Gore and actor Tommy Lee Jones. Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an Academy Award - Golden Globe - Screen Actors Guild - and Emmy Award -winning Lithgow later served on its Board of Overseers. The Harvard Board of Overseers (more formally The Honorable and Reverend The Board of Overseers) is the second of Harvard University 's two governing boards Lithgow credits a performance at Harvard of Gilbert and Sullivan's Utopia Limited with helping him decide to become an actor. Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of Librettist W Rutland Barrington as Paramountjpg|right|frame|Barrington as King Paramount]] Utopia Limited, or The Flowers of Progress, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur [3] After graduation, Lithgow won a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of grants for international educational exchange for scholars educators graduate The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art ( LAMDA) founded 1861, is a leading British Drama school in west London.
Stage career
In 1973, Lithgow debuted on Broadway in David Storey's The Changing Room, for which he received both the Tony and Drama Desk Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play. Broadway, as the name implies is a wide avenue in New York City. The Changing Room is a play by David Storey. At its core is a semi-pro Northern England rugby team The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented The Drama Desk Award, created in 1955, is an award which recognizes shows produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-off-Broadway, and The following year he starred opposite Lynn Redgrave in My Fat Friend and in 1976 played opposite Meryl Streep in Arthur Miller's A Memory of Two Mondays. Lynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE (born 8 March, 1943) is two-time Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe -winning English My Fat Friend is a play by Charles Lawrence. The comedy is an Ugly duckling tale about an overweight young woman who attracts the attention of a potential Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an award-winning American Actress who has worked in Theatre, Arthur Asher Miller (October 17 1915 &ndash February 10 2005 was an American Playwright and Essayist. A Memory of Two Mondays is a play by Arthur Miller. The one-acter based on Miller's own experiences focuses on a group of desperate workers struggling to make He was nominated for two Best Actor Tonys for Requiem for a Heavyweight (1985) and M. Butterfly (1988). Requiem for a Heavyweight was originally a teleplay written by Rod Serling and produced for the Live television show Playhouse 90 M Butterfly is a 1988 play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei-Pu a male
In 2002, Lithgow won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of J. J. Hunsecker in the Broadway adaptation of the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success. Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American Film noir made by Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists In 2005, Lithgow was elected into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for his work on Broadway. The American Theatre Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1971 by Earl Blackwell, Gerard Oestreicher, James M He was also nominated for a Best Leading Actor in a Musical Tony for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane; it is based
Film career
In 1983 and 1984, Lithgow was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances as Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp and as Sam Burns in Terms of Endearment. Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts For the film see The World According to Garp (film. For other uses of 'GARP' see GARP. Both films were screen adaptations of popular novels. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Lithgow originated the character of Dr. Emilio Lizardo/Lord John Whorfin, a psychotic Italian physicist inhabited by an evil alien, which he played in the 1984 cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. A cult film is a Film that has acquired a highly devoted but relatively small group of fans. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension! (often shortened to Buckaroo Banzai) is an American Science fiction film In 1984, Lithgow also played the moralistic anti-dancing, anti-rock pastor in Footloose and later the role of American space engineer Walter Curnow in 2010, the sequel to the science fiction classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. For the musical see Footloose (musical. For the title song by Kenny Loggins from this movie see Footloose (song. Walter Curnow is a fictional Book character. He appears in the book and movie versions of 2010 Odyssey Two which is part of the 2010 is a Science fiction film released in 1984 directed by Peter Hyams. 2001 A Space Odyssey is a 1968 Science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Arthur C
In 1983, Lithgow played John Valentine in a remake of the classic Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" in the Twilight Zone: The Movie as the paranoid passenger once made famous on the television show by William Shatner. The Twilight Zone is an American Television series created by Rod Serling. "Nightmare at 20000 Feet" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. Twilight Zone The Movie is a 1983 film produced by Steven Spielberg as a theatrical version of The Twilight Zone, a 1950s and 60s William Alan Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian double Emmy - Golden Globe - and Saturn Award -winning (This was referenced in an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun in which William Shatner portrayed the Big Giant Head, the overseer of the Solomons' expedition to Earth. 3rd Rock from the Sun is an Emmy Award -winning American sitcom that aired from 1996 until 2001 on NBC. ) In 1992, he starred as the main role in Brian De Palma's film Raising Cain, and in 1993, starred as Eric Qualen in the Sylvester Stallone movie Cliffhanger. Brian De Palma (born Brian Russell DePalma on September 11 1940 in Newark New Jersey) is an American Film director. To see the restaurant chain with a similar name see Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers. Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (born July 6 1946 is an American Actor, director, producer and Screenwriter. Cliffhanger is a 1993 Action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow.
In 1987, Lithgow starred in the Bigfoot-themed family comedy, Harry and the Hendersons. Bigfoot or Sasquatch is alleged to be an Ape -like creature inhabiting remote forests mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada Harry and the Hendersons, a 1987 American Film directed and produced by William Dear, and starring John Lithgow, In 2001, Lithgow provided the voice acting for the villainous Lord Farquaad in the hit animated movie Shrek. Lord Farquaad is the main antagonist from the 2001 Animated feature film Shrek. Shrek is a 2001 computer-animated American Comedy film, directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and In 2002, he narrated Life's Greatest Miracle, a sex education film, while in 2004, he portrayed the moralistic, rigid father of Alfred Kinsey in that year's biopic Kinsey. Sex education is a broad term used to describe Education about human sexual anatomy, Sexual reproduction, Sexual intercourse, Reproductive Kinsey is a 2004 Biographical film written and directed by Bill Condon. In 2006, Lithgow had a small role in the Academy Award-winning film, Dreamgirls, as Jerry Harris, a film producer offering Deena Jones (Beyoncé Knowles) a film role. Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4 1981 commonly known as Beyoncé (biːˈɑn
Television career
Lithgow is probably most widely known for his starring role as Dick Solomon in the 1996–2001 NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. Dr Richard Solomon, usually known as Dick Solomon, is a character played by John Lithgow in the late 90's NBC Sitcom 3rd Rock from 3rd Rock from the Sun is an Emmy Award -winning American sitcom that aired from 1996 until 2001 on NBC. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" in each of the program's six seasons and won three times, in 1996, 1997, and 1999. In 1986, Lithgow received a Primetime Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series" for his appearance in an episode of the Amazing Stories anthology show. Amazing Stories is a Television Anthology series created by Steven Spielberg. ANThology is the first Major label album by Alien Ant Farm released on March 6, 2001 in the USA and March 19
Additionally, Lithgow has been nominated for an "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special" Emmy for The Day After (1983), two "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special" Emmys for "Resting Place" (1986) and "My Brother's Keeper" (1995). The Day After is an American Television movie which aired on November 20 1983, on the ABC Television Network Lithgow was approached about playing Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers, but turned it down. Dr Frasier W Crane (b 1952 is a fictional character on American television Sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. Cheers is an American Situation comedy television series that ran eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993 Lithgow starred with Jeffrey Tambor in the NBC sitcom Twenty Good Years. Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American Actor, perhaps most known for his roles as George Bluth Sr Twenty Good Years is a short-lived NBC Situation comedy starring Jeffrey Tambor, John Lithgow, Heather Burns and Jake Sandvig
Since 2006 he has starred in Campbell Soup Company's commercials advertising their "Campbell's Select" premium soup brand. Campbell Soup Company ( (also known as Campbell's) is a well-known American producer of Canned soups and related products
Children's entertainment
Lithgow is also dedicated to his work for children, including several books and albums geared towards kids. Some of his book titles are Marsupial Sue, Marsupial Sue Presents "The Runaway Pancake", Lithgow Party Paloozas!: 52 Unexpected Ways to Make a Birthday, Holiday, or Any Day a Celebration for Kids, Carnival of the Animals, A Lithgow Palooza: 101 Ways to Entertain and Inspire Your Kids, I'm a Manatee, Micawber, The Remarkable Farkle McBride, and Mahalia Mouse Goes to College.
Lithgow launched into a career as a recording artist with the 1999 album of children's music, Singin' in the Bathtub. Singing in the Bathtub is a song written in 1929 by Michael H In June 2002, Lithgow released his second children's album Farkle and Friends. It was the musical companion to his book The Remarkable Farkle McBride, which tells the story of a young musical genius. A genius is a person of great Intelligence or remarkable abilities in a specific subject who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect and/or ability especially Farkle and Friends features the vocal talents of Lithgow and Bebe Neuwirth backed by the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra. Beatrice “Bebe” Neuwirth (born December 31 1958 is an American actress, Singer and Dancer. In August 2006, Lithgow released The Sunny Side of the Street, his third children's album and first with Razor & Tie. Album facts The Sunny Side of the Street is an album recorded by John Lithgow, released in 2006 Razor & Tie is a New York based corporation founded in 1990 by Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam. This album features versions of classic songs from The Great American Songbook including “Getting to Know You” and “Ya Gotta Have Pep,” with decidedly animated performances geared towards children. Great American Songbook (sometimes abbreviated as "GAS" is a term referring to the interrelated music of Broadway musical theater Produced by JC Hopkins (Victoria Williams, JC Hopkins Biggish Band featuring Norah Jones), the album features guest appearances by Madeleine Peyroux, Wayne Knight (Seinfeld's Newman), Broadway's Sherie Rene Scott (Aida, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and cabaret star Maude Maggart. Victoria Williams (born December 23, 1958 in Shreveport Louisiana) is an American Singer / Songwriter and musician Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30 1979) is an American Singer-songwriter, Pianist, Keyboardist Madeleine Peyroux (born 1974 Athens Georgia) is an American Jazz singer Songwriter, and Guitarist Peyroux (pronounced 'Peru' Wayne Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American comedic Actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Newman in the Seinfeld is an American Situation comedy, or sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5 1989 to May 14 1998 lasting nine seasons Newman is a Recurring character on the Television show Seinfeld, played by Wayne Knight from 1991 until the show's finale in 1998 Sherie Rene Scott (born February 8, 1967) is an American Actress, Singer and Writer who is currently playing Ursula This article is about the marketing term AIDA For other uses of the term see Aida (disambiguation. Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring Comedy, Song, Dance, and Theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue &mdash a Restaurant Maude Maggart (born Amber McAfee Maggart) is an American Cabaret singer and recording artist who performs throughout the United States but most often in Lithgow also makes occasional appearances on stage and television singing children's songs and accompanying himself on guitar. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles
Other appearances
Lithgow voiced the character of Yoda in the National Public Radio adaptations of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Yoda is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in all of the franchise 's films except for Star Wars An expanded radio dramatization of the original Star Wars trilogy was produced in 1981, 1983, and 1996. Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 Space opera Film directed by Irvin Kershner. Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi is a 1983 Space opera Film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas He provided narration for the IMAX film Special Effects. IMAX (short for Image MAXimum is a Film format created by Canada 's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and Special Effects Anything Can Happen is an Academy Award -nominated 1996 documentary film in the IMAX format narrated by John Lithgow He hosts Paloozaville, a children's Video on Demand program on Mag Rack based on his best-selling children's books. Paloozaville is an animated/live-action series for children and their parents on the Video On Demand network Mag Rack. Video on demand ( VOD) or Audio video on demand ( AVOD) systems allow users to select and watch/listen Lifeskool (Formerly Mag Rack is a Video on Demand / VOD Television channel available only through Digital cable. He appeared in the most recent Campbell's SelectSoups commercials, portraying a restaurant waiter serving 'customers' in their own household. Campbell Soup Company ( (also known as Campbell's) is a well-known American producer of Canned soups and related products A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers. A customer is someone who makes use of the paid products of an individual or Organization. He often delivers commencement addresses at American universities.
Personal life
Lithgow currently resides in Los Angeles. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West He has been married twice, to Jean Taynton from 1966 to 1980, and Mary Yeager since 1981. He is the father of three children, Ian (born in 1972) from his marriage to Taynton and Phoebe McCurtain (born in 1982) and Nathan George (born in 1983) from his marriage to Yeager. Ian made regular appearances on Third Rock from the Sun as Leon, a particularly slow student in Prof. Solomon's class.
Lithgow is a registered pastor of Rose Ministries,[4] and has officiated the wedding of his goddaughter.
He is a descendant of the poet Anne Bradstreet. Anne Bradstreet (c 1612 – September 16, 1672) was a writer and the first notable American poet and the first woman to be published in Colonial America
Work
Filmography
- 1972 Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues
- 1976 Obsession
- 1977 Secret Service
- 1978 The Big Fix
- 1979 All That Jazz | Rich Kids
- 1980 Big Blonde | Mom, the Wolfman and Me | The Oldest Living Graduate
- 1981 Blow Out
- 1982 I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can
- 1982 Not in Front of the Children | The World According to Garp (film)
- 1983 Terms of Endearment | The Day After | Twilight Zone: The Movie
- 1984 Footloose
- 1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
- 1984 2010 | The Glitter Dome
- 1985 Santa Claus: The Movie
- 1986 Mesmerized | The Manhattan Project | Resting Place
- 1987 Harry and the Hendersons | Baby Girl Scott
- 1988 Distant Thunder
- 1989 Traveling Man | Out Cold
- 1990 Memphis Belle | Ivory Hunters
- 1991 The Boys | L.A. Story
- 1991 At Play in the Fields of the Lord | Ricochet
- 1992 Raising Cain
- 1992 Yertle the Turtle (film)
- 1993 The Wrong Man (1993 film) | Cliffhanger
- 1993 The Country Mouse & the City Mouse: A Christmas Tale
- 1993 The Pelican Brief | Love, Cheat & Steal
- 1994 World War II - When Lions Roared
- 1994 Silent Fall | Princess Caraboo | A Good Man in Africa
- 1995 Redwood Curtain | My Brother's Keeper
- 1995 Hollow Point | The Tuskegee Airmen
- 1996 Special Effects: Anything Can Happen
- 1998 Homegrown | Johnny Skidmarks
- 1998 Officer Buckle and Gloria | A Civil Action
- 2000 Don Quixote
- 2000 Rugrats in Paris: The Movie - Rugrats II
- 2000 C-Scam
- 2001 Shrek
- 2001 Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party
- 2002 Orange County
- 2003 Shrek 4-D
- 2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
- 2004 Kinsey
- 2005 Einstein's Big Idea
- 2006 Dreamgirls
- 2007 Shrek the Third (Cameo)
- 2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic
Stage
- 1973 The Changing Room (Tony Award - Best Featured Actor in a Play)
- 1974 My Fat Friend
- 1975 Trelawny of the \"Wells\" (revival)
- 1976 A Memory of Two Mondays
- 1976 Boy Meets Girl (revival)(Director) and Secret Service (revival)
- 1976 Comedians
- 1977 Anna Christie (revival)
- 1978 Once in a Lifetime (revival)
- 1979 Spokesong
- 1980 Division Street
- 1982 Beyond Therapy
- 1985 Requiem for a Heavyweight (Tony Nomination - Best Actor in a Play)
- 1986 The Front Page (revival)
- 1988 M. Butterfly (Tony Nomination - Best Actor in a Play)
- 2002 Sweet Smell of Success (Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical)
- 2003 The Retreat From Moscow
- 2005 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony Nomination - Best Actor in a Musical)
- 2008 All My Sons(planned)
Discography
- Singin' in the Bathtub (1999, Sony Wonder)
- The Sunny Side of the Street (2006, Razor & Tie)
Bibliography
- Remarkable Farkle Mcbride (2000, Simon & Schuster)
- Marsupial Sue (2001, Simon & Schuster)
- Micawber (2002, Simon & Schuster)
- I'm a Manatee (2003, Simon & Schuster)
- A Lithgow Palooza (2004, Simon & Schuster)
- Carnival of the Animals, (2004, Simon & Schuster)
- Lithgow Party Paloozas!: 52 Unexpected Ways to Make a Birthday, Holiday, or Any Day a Celebration for Kids, (2005, Simon & Schuster)
- Marsupial Sue Presents "The Runaway Pancake", (2005,Simon & Schuster)
- Mahalia Mouse Goes to College, (2007,Simon & Schuster)
References
External links
- John Lithgow official website
- John Lithgow at the Internet Broadway Database
- John Lithgow at the Internet Movie Database
- John Lithgow at the TCM Movie Database
- John Lithgow at TV.com
- Profile of John Lithgow - Downstage Center
- American Theatre Wing - 2005 interview
- 2006 bio article on Lithgow
- Razor and Tie Artist Page
- Razor and Tie Media Page
- TonyAwards.com Interview with John Lithgow
- John Lithgow speaks at the Oxonian Society November 15, 2007
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dustin Hoffman for Death of a Salesman |
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play 1984–1985 for Requiem for a Heavyweight |
Succeeded by Ed Harris for Precious Sons |
| Preceded by David Hyde Pierce for Frasier |
Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor - Comedy Series 1996 for 3rd Rock from the Sun |
Succeeded by John Lithgow for 3rd Rock from the Sun |
| Preceded by John Lithgow for 3rd Rock from the Sun |
Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor - Comedy Series 1997 for 3rd Rock from the Sun |
Succeeded by Michael J. Fox for Spin City |
| Preceded by Kelsey Grammer for Frasier |
Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy 1997 for 3rd Rock from the Sun |
Succeeded by Michael J. Fox for Spin City |
| Preceded by Nathan Lane for The Producers |
Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical 2002 for Sweet Smell of Success |
Succeeded by Harvey Fierstein for Hairspray |
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