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« Links: Lynskey, Castillo, Cho, and Missing 80s Movies | Main | Who will win the Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Drama? »
Wednesday
Aug222018

Will John Lithgow Triple Crown?

by Nathaniel R

John Lithgow to play Roger Ailes

I used to suspect that John Lithgow, who is quite an awards magnet, would join our growing Triple Crown Actors list. But then the big screen portion of his triple threaded career seemed to peter out, with less prominent roles and less frequent movies. This just in: he's been cast in that increasingly starry Fox News Scandal movie alongside Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie. He'll be playing the repulsive Roger Aisle, the main antagonist of the film. And you know how Oscar LOVES respected actors playing despicable men in the Supporting category. Perhaps he'll Triple Crown yet?

Lithgow was nominated for two consecutive Best Supporting Actor Oscars in the 1980s (The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment). Aside from that short round of movie hoopla he's mostly concentrated on racking up Emmys (12 noms, 5 wins to date) and Tonys (6 nominations, 2 wins to date).

What's your favorite performance from this 72 year-old showbiz giant?

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Reader Comments (22)

3rd Rock from the Sun

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterPeggy Sue

The Crown, he was wonderful and of the recent Churchill's easily the best. I have very few memories of 3rd Rock anymore but he was good on the show I remember and I believe he can triple crown.

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterEoin Daly

Wow, there's so many amazing performances from John Lithgow. I would say Raising Cain as I just think he's great in that film which I always feel is.... UNDERRATED!!!!!

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered Commenterthevoid99

If you guys haven't seen S1 of TRIAL & ERROR, you must. He's fantastically hilarious.

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterRyan T.

My favourite Lithgow performance that I've seen is Blow Out. Lithgow should absolutely get a Triple Crown, and he's not a bad choice for Ailes.

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterVolvagia

"Third Rock From the Sun"
"Dexter"
Brian de Palma's "Obsession"

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered Commenteradri

He's always fun to watch! My favorite film performance is probably Love Is Strange, and The Crown (S1) would probably be my favorite of his TV work.

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterBVR

He was very good in Kinsey.

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterTom G.

I knew him first as the father in Harry and the Hendersons. Imagine my confusion and horror he plays freaks for the bulk of his filmography.

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered Commenter/3rtful

Aside from his effective turn as Roberta in The World According to Garp which I saw much much later, I was taken by his comic/comedic role in the now-forgotten Princess Caraboo. Especially where he was (mis)pronouncing foreign words to hilarious effect.

He was also heartbreaking in Albee's A Delicate Balance on Broadway.

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterOwl

Jeff Sneider let slip that Allison Janey and Kate McKinnon have been offered roles in this too.

If this isn't the Big Short or American Hustle of next year....what a waste.

August 22, 2018 | Unregistered Commenterkk

Dick Solomon on 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN is masterful work. In lesser hands, he would have been nothing more than a manchild. Lithgow, aided especially by Jane Curtin, made us root for that character and understand his well-meaning, and in the realm of very broad, play-to-the-back-of-the-room comedy.

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterJakey

Will he do push-ups on stage when he wins?

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterWendy

He’s won SIX Emmys. The Crown, Dexter, 3 for 3rd Rock and his first Emmy win for Amazing Stories. He won for Guest Actor. He’s in a tie for most wins in this category (2).

He should’ve been nominated for Trial & Error too last year.

Kind of difficult to choose between his Dexter performance and Dick Solomon.

I’ll choose Dick Solomon since I’m still upset that he or Showtime or whoever decided to chicken out and go Guest when he could’ve/should’ve gone Supporting for Dexter. Alan Cumming or Gregory Itzin could’ve won instead.

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterBD (the real one)

roberta muldoon! former tight end for the philadelphia eagles! i wish lithgow and close had both won for ...garp

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered Commenterpar

I second RAISING CAIN as his finest hour.

His nomination for TERMS OF ENDEARMENT still stuns me - not that he isn't in fine form but it really is the epitome of a coattail Oscar nom.

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterAndrew Carden

Love is Strange

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterDJDeeJay

I totally see/am on board with Terms of Endearment or Blow Out as an answer to this, but I'm going with 3rd Rock for the reasons Jakey points out. That performance/that show could have gone so terribly wrong, but he managed to pull it off and consistently produce something delightful.

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterScottC

And it was a surprise that Lithgow got the nomination over the still never nominated Jeff Daniels for "Terms of Endearment", but no matter who, they weren't going to stop Nicholson's steam roll for his 3rd that year.

But he was really good in "Garp", "Bllow Out", insane in "Raising Cain" and even "Footloose". He's just good.

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered Commenterforever1267

but no matter who, they weren't going to stop Nicholson's steam roll for his 3rd that year

You mean his 2nd.

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered Commenter/3rtful

/3rtful is right. I got those wins backwards.

August 23, 2018 | Unregistered Commenterforever1267

Wow. This casting/movie is just bonkers in the best sort of way.

Havent posted in ages. omg.

August 24, 2018 | Unregistered CommenterDerreck.
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