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John Lithgow
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John Lithgow smiling in a suit and tie against a dark background. Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly stands with arms crossed beside John Lithgow as Roger Ailes, who uses a walker, in a street scene from the film Bombshell.
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John Lithgow smiling in a suit and tie against a dark background.
John Lithgow American actor John Lithgow, 2011.

John Lithgow

American actor
Also known as: John Arthur Lithgow
Written by
Alison Eldridge
Alison Eldridge was Managing Editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Alison Eldridge
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

John Lithgow (born October 19, 1945, Rochester, New York, U.S.) is an American stage and screen character actor known for his extreme versatility, earning acclaim in roles ranging from mild-mannered everymen to cold-blooded killers. Lithgow’s notable credits included the TV shows 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001) and the movies The World According to Garp (1982), Terms of Endearment (1983), and Footloose (1984). Lithgow was born into a theatrical family; his mother was an actress,...

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