John Lithgow names three of his favourite movies: “It’s the perfect tearjerker”
One of the finest character actors in the business and an illustrious veteran of stage and screen, John Lithgow is comfortably among the most well-rounded performers the industry has at its disposal.
A student of Princeton, a graduate of Harvard, and the recipient of a scholarship to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, it’s ironic that one of the most popular roles of his career came playing an obliviously idiotic extra-terrestrial in comedy 3rd Rock from the Sun.
Lithgow has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a place in the American Theatre Hall of Fame in recognition of an incredible career that’s landed him two Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, a pair of Primetime Emmys, four Grammy nominations, and two ‘Best Supporting Actor’ nods from the Academy Awards. Rarely in the spotlight but always on top form, the star’s filmography is as impressive as it is eclectic.
From Brian De Palma’s Blow Out and Kevin Bacon’s breakthrough in Footloose to sci-fi reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar via his deliciously hammy turns as the villain in high-octane action flicks Ricochet and Cliffhanger opposite Denzel Washington and Sylvester Stallone, there’s not much he can’t – or won’t – do.
Lithgow has worked with some true heavyweights on either side of the camera, but when it came to settling on his favourite movies, there was a heavy element of bias at play. Not that there’s anything wrong with a performer listing their own work among the all-time greats, but two out of three is still leaning very heavily in his own direction.
When pressed on that very matter by Simon & Schuster, Lithgow was more than happy to pat himself on the pack. “I have to say, I’m in one of my favourite movies, and that’s Terms of Endearment,” he confessed. “I think that’s the best film I’ve ever been in. It’s the perfect tearjerker.”
He’s not wrong, at least, with his Oscar-nominated turn as Sam Burns coming under the weepiest of circumstances in James L. Brooks’ ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ winner. Lithgow wasn’t in his favourite comedy, though, with Dustin Hoffman’s Tootsie taking top honours in that regard.
Casting live-action out of the window, Lithgow once again stuck to what he knew, which was himself. “My favourite animated movie is probably Shrek,” he said. “And I’m in that, too.” Again, that’s fair enough when there’s an entire generation who’d wholeheartedly agree with the titular green ogre’s first adventure being a classic, so don’t let the fact he voiced the villainously diminutive Lord Farquaad – who may or may not have been based on Michael Eisner – detract from his worthy opinion.
