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John Lithgow

John Lithgow

Actor, also producer · Born October 19, 1945 (81) · Rochester, New York, USA

6 Primetime Emmys · 2 Golden Globes · 4 Screen Actors Guild Awards · 5 other major award bodies

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 transgender 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).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 19, 1945 (81)
From
Rochester, New York, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
99 on MovieCove · 155 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 19% in 30 days

What are John Lithgow's films like?

Across their 81 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy20 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Animation6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Documentary6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
21%
Bonds
21%
Morality
16%
Society
14%
Power
11%
Survival
9%
Ideas
8%
Family bonds22 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity15 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice15 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity14 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 74 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 30 · Serious 20 · Dark 24

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 42 · Stylized 19 · Heightened 13

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 20 · Charged 33 · Intense 21

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 34 · Shifting 29 · Whiplash 11

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 36 · Some laughs 22 · Funny 16

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 29 · Even-paced 39 · Relentless 6

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 27 · Engaged 38 · Full focus 9

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 33 · Affecting 18 · Heavy 23

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 49 · Open-ended 21 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

55 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 21 of 55 analyzed roles.

Shadow
21 of 55
Mentor
11 of 55
Hero
9 of 55
Threshold guardian
6 of 55
Trickster
3 of 55
Ally
2 of 55
Shapeshifter
2 of 55
Herald
1 of 55
Show the 55 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
45
Joyful
22
Melancholic
28
Warm
24
Contemplative
25
Other
78

How their films linger

Feel-good26 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful27 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking27 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 16 with a twist

  • Happy23
  • Bittersweet40
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous12

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John Lithgow's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 63 of their 99 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Lithgow's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

155 credits, 99 with a MovieCove page; 57 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Harry Potter(2026)

    Show 1 episode · as Albus Dumbledore

  • Giant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Roald Dahl

  • Jimpa(2025)

    as Jimpa

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Dexter: Resurrection(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • The Rule of Jenny Pen(2024)

    Executive Producer · as Dave Crealy

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Spellbound(2024)

    as Bolinar (voice)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Conclave(2024)

    as Tremblay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Art Happens Here with John Lithgow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer · as Self

  • Cabrini(2024)

    as Mayor Gould

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Killers of the Flower Moon(2023)

    as Prosecutor Peter Leaward

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Sharper(2023)

    as Richard Hobbes

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Chez Bob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • The Old Man(2022)

    Show 15 episodes · as Harold Harper

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Bubble(2022)

    as Tom the Studio Chairman

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Live in Front of a Studio Audience: 'The Facts of Life' and 'Diff'rent Strokes'(2021)

    as Philip Drummond

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Dexter: New Blood(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Show of Titles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as "There's No Business Like Show Business" Performer

  • Emily @ the Edge of Chaos(2021)

    as Sir Isaac Newton (voice)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Myths and Hymns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Perry Mason(2020)

    Show 8 episodes · as Elias Birchard 'E.B.' Jonathan

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Bombshell(2019)

    as Roger Ailes

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as President Donald J. Trump

  • The Tomorrow Man(2019)

    as Ed Hemsler

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Pet Sematary(2019)

    as Jud Crandall

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Late Night(2019)

    as Walter Lovell

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Pet Sematary: The Tale of Timmy Baterman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Jud Crandall

  • Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Pitch Perfect 3(2017)

    as Fergus

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Daddy's Home 2(2017)

    as Don

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Beatriz at Dinner(2017)

    as Doug Strutt

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Trial & Error(2017)

    Show 13 episodes · as Larry Henderson

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • They All Saw a Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Actor

  • Miss Sloane(2016)

    as Senator Ronald Sperling

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Crown(2016)

    Show 12 episodes · as Winston Churchill

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Accountant(2016)

    as Lamar Blackburn

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Ode to Joy: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Narrator

  • Best of Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal(2015)

    as Voice of Gore Vidal

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Lord John (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Actor

  • Interstellar(2014)

    as Donald

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Roosevelts: An Intimate History(2014)

    Show 7 episodes · as James Roosevelt (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Jungle Bunch 2: The Great Treasure Quest(2014)

    as Maurice (voice)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Love Is Strange(2014)

    as Ben

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Homesman(2014)

    as Reverend Alfred Dowd

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • 9 Kisses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Man in Club

  • Timms Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Ol' Gregory Timms

  • Once Upon a Time in Wonderland(2013)

    Show 13 episodes · as The White Rabbit (voice)

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Shrek Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Lord Farquaad (voice)

  • National Theatre Live: The Magistrate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Posket

  • This Is 40(2012)

    as Oliver

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Campaign(2012)

    as Glen Motch

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Shrek's Thrilling Tales(2012)

    as Lord Farquad

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • New Year's Eve(2011)

    as Jonathan Cox (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Prohibition(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · as Reader / H.L. Mencken (voice)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Rise of the Planet of the Apes(2011)

    as Charles Rodman

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Leap Year(2010)

    as Jack Brady

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Miracle in a Box: A Piano Reborn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Narrator

  • The Macabre World of Lavender Williams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as God

  • Confessions of a Shopaholic(2009)

    as Edgar West

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Car of the Future (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Narrator

  • Dreamgirls(2006)

    as Jerry Harris

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • 30 Rock(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as John Lithgow

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Twenty Good Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 13 episodes · as John Mason

  • Dexter(2006)

    Show 12 episodes · as Arthur Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as René Gallimard (segment "M. Butterfly")

  • The Great Robot Race: The DARPA Grand Challenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Narrator

  • Sangre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Cafe chef and owner

  • The Colbert Report (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Einstein's Big Idea(2005)

    as Narrator (voice) U.S. edition

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Apprentice: Martha Stewart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • How I Met Your Mother(2005)

    Show 4 episodes · as Jerry Whittaker

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Life and Death of Peter Sellers(2004)

    as Blake Edwards

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Footloose: A Modern Musical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Thanks · as Self

  • Kinsey(2004)

    as Alfred Seguine Kinsey

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Shrek: The Ghost of Lord Farquaad(2003)

    as Ghost of Farquaad (voice)

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Dogs and More Dogs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Narrator

  • VH1 Goes Inside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • DreamWorks 6 Spooky Stories Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Ghost of Farquaad (voice)

  • Bark, George (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • Orange County(2002)

    as Bud Brumder

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party(2001)

    as Lord Farquaad (singing voice)

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Shrek(2001)

    as Lord Farquaad (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Rugrats in Paris(2000)

    as Jean-Claude (voice)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Don Quixote(2000)

    Executive Producer · as Don Quixote de La Mancha / Alonso Quixano

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • 95 Worlds and Counting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Narrator

  • Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as (archive footage)

  • Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Dr. Oscar Charles

  • A Civil Action(1998)

    as Judge Walter J. Skinner

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Homegrown(1998)

    as Malcolm / Robert Stockman

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Johnny Skidmarks(1998)

    as Sergeant Larry Skovik

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Officer Buckle and Gloria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Hollow Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Thomas Livingston

  • Cosby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as John Lithgow

  • Special Effects: Anything Can Happen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Narrator

  • 3rd Rock from the Sun(1996)

    Show 139 episodes · as Dick Solomon

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • The Tuskegee Airmen(1995)

    as Senator Conyers

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Redwood Curtain(1995)

    as Laird Riordan

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • My Brother's Keeper(1995)

    as Tom Bradley / Bob Bradley

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Silent Fall(1994)

    as Dr. Rene Harlinger

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Princess Caraboo(1994)

    as Professor Wilkinson

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • A Good Man in Africa(1994)

    as Arthur Fanshawe, British High Commissioner

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • World War II: When Lions Roared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 2 episodes · as Franklin Delano Roosevelt

  • The Country Mouse & the City Mouse: A Christmas Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Alexander (voice)

  • Love, Cheat & Steal(1993)

    as Paul Harrington

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Pelican Brief(1993)

    as Smith Keen

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Madman Martinez (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Wrong Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Phillip Mills

  • Cliffhanger(1993)

    as Qualen

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Narrator

  • Raising Cain(1992)

    as Carter Nix / Cain / Dr. Nix / Josh / Margo

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • At Play in the Fields of the Lord(1991)

    as Leslie Huben

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Ricochet(1991)

    as Earl Talbott Blake

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Artie Margulies

  • Amazing Stories: The Movie II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as John Walters

  • Memphis Belle(1990)

    as Bruce Derringer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Ivory Hunters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Robert Carter

  • John Lithgow's Kid-Sized Concert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Gus (voice) · as John Lithgow (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Traveling Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Ben Cluett

  • Tales from the Crypt(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Oscar Charles

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Out Cold(1989)

    as Dave

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Distant Thunder(1988)

    as Mark Lambert

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Harry and the Hendersons(1987)

    as George Henderson

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Bone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Narrator

  • Baby Girl Scott (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Neil Scott

  • The Manhattan Project(1986)

    as John Mathewson

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Resting Place(1986)

    as Maj. Kendall Laird

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Mesmerized(1985)

    as Oliver Thompson

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Santa Claus(1985)

    as B.Z.

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Amazing Stories(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as John Walters

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • 2010: The Year We Make Contact(1984)

    as Dr. Walter Curnow

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Glitter Dome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Sgt. Marty Wellborn

  • The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension(1984)

    as Lord John Whorfin

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Footloose(1984)

    as Rev. Shaw Moore

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Goldilocks' Father

  • The Day After(1983)

    as Joe Huxley

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Terms of Endearment(1983)

    as Sam Burns

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Twilight Zone: The Movie(1983)

    as Valentine

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Not in Front of the Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Richard Carruthers

  • Faerie Tale Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Goldilocks' Father

  • The World According to Garp(1982)

    as Roberta Muldoon

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can(1982)

    as Mr. Brunner

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Blow Out(1981)

    as Burke

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Big Blonde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Herbie Morse

  • Mom, the Wolfman and Me(1980)

    as Wally

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Oldest Living Graduate(1980)

    as Clarence

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • All That Jazz(1979)

    as Lucas Sergeant

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Rich Kids(1979)

    as Paul Philips

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Big Fix(1978)

    as Sam Sebastian

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Secret Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Capt. Thorne

  • Obsession(1976)

    as Robert Lasalle

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Nova(1974)

    Show 6 episodes · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Country Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Paul Unger

  • Dealing: Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues(1972)

    as John

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Capt. Thorne

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Laird Riordan · as Major Kendall Laird · as Paul Unger

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 155 titles, 153 of them dated from 1951 to 2026; peak year 2018.

Biggest box office

Interstellar (2014)

$783M worldwide

Highest rated

Interstellar (2014)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19512026

Peak 2018 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 33 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 7 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting153 of 155: 151 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thProducing3 of 155: 1 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 155: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1950s1 · acting1970s9 · acting1980s29 · acting1990s32 · acting2000s29 · 28 acting · 2 crew2010s35 · acting2020s18 · 17 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 14% of 63 roles
76869601061621

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

6 Primetime Emmys, 2 Golden Globes and 4 Screen Actors Guild Awards from 42 major nominations, 1983–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
  2. 2024
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  3. 2023
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical-Comedy or Drama Television Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
  4. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
  5. 2020
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  6. 2017
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  7. 2015
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Male Lead
  8. 2010
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Show 13 earlier years
  1. 2006
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Musical Album for Children
  2. 2005
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Spoken Word Album
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Spoken Word Album for Children
  3. 2003
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Spoken Word Album for Children
  4. 2001
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
  5. 2000
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
  6. 1999
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  7. 1998
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  8. 1997
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  9. 1996
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
  10. 1995
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special
  11. 1986
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special
  12. 1984
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actor in a Supporting Role
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special
  13. 1983
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do John Lithgow's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 80; across their 74 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 74

Approval · how many liked their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 74

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 74

Midcredits score across 98 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up34
  • 50th to 74th29
  • 25th to 49th29
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

46 of their 98 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved17
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser46
  • Broadly Agreed13
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · actor

Emily @ the Edge of Chaos (2021)

96th percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Interstellar (2014)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 63 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 53. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is John Lithgow's work okay for kids?

Across up to 41 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore35 titles13–82 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity41 titles11–65 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity36 titles32–77 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs33 titles17–46 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense34 titles7–77 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does John Lithgow work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Lithgow's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William Steig shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles