ACTOR · BORN 1945
John Lithgow
- Born
- 19 October 1945, Rochester, New York, USA
- Known for
- Pet Sematary (2019), The Old Man (2022), 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996)
23 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
John Lithgow (born 19 October 1945) is an actor best known for Pet Sematary, The Old Man and 2010: The Year We Make Contact.
23 Interesting Facts About John Lithgow
Interesting Facts (8)
- #001
The character Frasier Crane, first in Cheers and then in his own spin-off, was initially written with John Lithgow in mind. Kelsey Grammer took the role instead, and years later Lithgow joked about it, saying Grammer did a wonderful job.
- #002
Lithgow is an ordained minister with Rose Ministries and officiated at his goddaughter's wedding ceremony.
- #003
Lithgow says the most difficult performance of his career was in Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), because he had to convincingly convey fear of a monster he could not actually see. The experience shows how far it pushed his acting discipline and imagination.
- #004
Lithgow trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
- #005
Lithgow voiced the character Yoda in NPR radio dramatizations of 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1983) and 'Return of the Jedi' (1996).
- #006
Lithgow's parents are Sarah Jane Price (1917-2012) and theater director and producer Arthur Lithgow (1915-2004). Raised in a family steeped in the arts, Lithgow carried that legacy into his own career.
- #007
Lithgow shares a distinction with veteran British character actor Robert Hardy: he has portrayed both U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on screen. Playing these two major historical figures demonstrates his command of historical characters.
- #008
John Lithgow was born on the same day as drag queen Divine. The coincidence is an interesting detail in that his birth date is shared with another pop culture icon.
Behind the Scenes (3)
- #009
His wife, Mary Yeager, was a professor of economics at the University of California, Los Angeles.
- #010
Lithgow appeared in two films selected by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry as 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant': All That Jazz (1979) and Shrek (2001).
- #011
Characters & Cast (1)
- #012
Called in to replace another actor in Terms of Endearment (1983), Lithgow completed his role during a three-day break from filming Footloose (1984).
Career & Awards (6)
- #013
On May 1, 2001, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Television category at 6666 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The award is regarded as a lasting mark of his success in television.
- #014
Lithgow appeared in four films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: All That Jazz (1979), Terms of Endearment (1983), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) and Conclave (2024). Of these, Terms of Endearment won the award in that category.
- #015
His meeting with his wife, Mary Yeager, came about through an odd twist of fate. In 1980, Lithgow turned down playing opposite Blythe Danner in the Broadway premiere of Harold Pinter's 'Betrayal' to prioritize a friend's Off-Broadway play. That play ran less than three weeks, leaving him free to begin rehearsals in Los Angeles for the TV film The Oldest Living Graduate (1980) with Henry Fonda, and it was during this period that he met Mary.
- #016
Lithgow made his Broadway debut on March 7, 1973, in David Storey's play 'The Changing Room,' and just 18 days later, on March 25, he won a Tony Award, setting a record for a Broadway acting debut. The extraordinary achievement demonstrates the strength of his stage talent.
- #017
In 1973, he was honored with a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance in 'The Changing Room' on Broadway in New York. The award was a major achievement early in his theater career.
- #018
Lithgow lives in Los Angeles, California. The city is known for its proximity to Hollywood, the center of his career.
Life & Family (5)
- #019
John Lithgow graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1967 with a degree in history and literature. He lived in Adams House during his undergraduate years, and later served on Harvard's Board of Overseers, showing that his contributions extended beyond stage and screen to educational institutions.
- #020
Although his parents came from a theater background, it was Peter Sellers who was the real inspiration for Lithgow's turn to acting. Sellers's unique comedic style and range of characters played a decisive role in the young Lithgow's decision to step onto the stage.
- #021
As a young man living in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Lithgow and his siblings were frequently cared for by Coretta Scott, later known as Coretta Scott King.
- #022
His father, Arthur Lithgow, ran a Shakespeare theater company in the 1950s that included David Carradine among its members. This theatrical environment introduced John to the performing arts at an early age.
- #023
Lithgow graduated from Princeton High School in Princeton, New Jersey. This education formed his academic foundation and paved the way for his later studies at Harvard.
Related pages
- Katharine Hepburn — John Lithgow comes up in the facts on that page
- Brian De Palma — John Lithgow comes up in the facts on that page
- Daddy's Home 2 — John Lithgow comes up in the facts on that page
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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