John Lithgow Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ

John Lithgow breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Shrek,' '3rd Rock From The Sun,' 'Dexter,' 'Harry & the Hendersons,' 'The Crown,' 'Footloose,' 'Cliffhanger,' 'The Changing Room,' 'Bombshell,' 'The Old Man,' 'M. Butterfly' and 'The World According to Garp.'

FX’s The Old Man airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and streams the next day on Hulu.

00:00 Intro
00:25 Shrek
02:27 3rd Rock From The Sun
04:59 Dexter
06:25 Harry & the Hendersons
08:27 The Crown
11:03 Footloose
12:35 Cliffhanger
14:50 The Changing Room
16:37 Bombshell
18:49 The Old Man
22:07 M. Butterfly
23:21 The World According to Garp


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[grahamkemp]

His role as a serial killer in Dexter was totally believable, shocking and scary. I had always thought him as a comedy actor, but his part in Dexter showed that he is a very versatile, talented actor.

[dwl]

John is among a dying breed of actor. He takes his craft seriously and you can see his love for the craft in the way he remembers and reminisces about his characters.

[ftuT]

He's a legend. He's done everything, dumb, evil, charming, and always excelled at it.

[GroovingPict]

Lithgow's hammy almost shatner-like overacting in 3rd Rock was so great and a huge part of what made that show fun to watch. His "oh my GOD! Im GORGEOUS!" reaction when first seeing his dyed hair in the mirror still cracks me up

[Norvo]

John Lithgow starts talking and before you know it, 27 minutes have gone by and you've had the best time. To capture an audience that effortlessly, what a talent.

[polter]

Nobody could have played the Trinity Killer like John Lithgow. I'm so glad he ended up accepting the role

[edallen]

I never realized how much i loved Lithgow until i became an adult. Saw him EVERYWHERE as a child, but now as an adult whos more aware of what a character actor is and the effort it takes. So much respect for this man.

[davelovesdrums]

He was fantastic in all of these. His Dexter 'Trinity Killer' role really shocked me considering I'd grown up seeing him in 3rd Rock and Harry and the Hendersons but he was absolutely phenomenal! I had seen Cliffhanger but he was a bit more cheesy, moustache-twirling villain in that. As Trinity he was truly horrifying. Man I need to watch that again!

[zackwilliams]

He should get the Kennedy center honors someday for his achievements in film, tv and broadway. He’s been flawless in every role he plays with conviction.

[kibble]

He's done so well in his career. The comparison between The Trinity Killer and Churchill really shows his broad range. I could listen to him talk for hours.

[chrisayers]

Absolutely loved him in 3rd Rock. His physical comedy was on par with Farley, or Cleese. Legend.

[JasonLdee]

Darn!! I was waiting for Buckaroo Bonsai. That is a typical 1980s science-fiction classic! 💚

[lufrall]

It can't be said enough how much Shrek has influenced kids that grew up in the early 2000s

[schwindsichtigaderechte]

I love how intricate Lithgow is in doing research for his characters. It just goes to show that acting is so much more than what you see in the final product, be it a play or a movie.

[gipsyundead]

I love listening to actors talk about their best roles and the stuff behind the scenes. You get so much more depth in the times behind the scenes than when they do press tours for those movies

[InfoGuyHalliwell]

I'm so excited to see him as Dumbledore!!

[MeleeTiger]

That gingerbread man tidbit was such a great story regardless of length.

[sepsism]

Can't believe what a great villain he was in Cliffhanger (for such a super nice guy). He's so extremely different it's impressive.

[TheDefeatest]

Man, his role in that season of Dexter was truly incredible. Truly heart wrenching.

[Zero_Point_Energy]

I just about burst a blood vessel when he had that “the same thing happened to ME!” line on 3rd Rock. He’s a great actor and seems like a good guy.