John Lithgow is one of television's greatest character actors. Whether he's playing Britain's most infamous prime minister, a deranged serial killer, or a jovial alien from a galaxy far away, Lithgow radiates talent and bravado. His performances are regularly enhanced with comedic elements, too.
Lithgow's acting prowess extends far beyond television. He's also an accomplished theatre and film actor who dabbles in musicals. That being said, it's through his iconic TV roles Lithgow has become a household name. With numerous awards, dozens of series, and many celebrated appearances under his belt, the 75-year-old Lithgow hasn't lost any momentum and is only getting better with age.
10 Amazing Stories (1985 - 1987): 7.4
Lithgow makes an appearance in Stephen Speilberg's anthology series Amazing Stories. He plays a lonely man who buys a strange doll for his niece in the first season's episode entitled "The Doll."
This special episode was written by horror icon Richard Matheson, known for penning novels like I Am Legend. When Lithgow's character's niece rejects the creepy gift, he goes in search of someone else who appreciates the spooky toy.
9 Perry Mason (2020 - Present): 7.6
Lithgow stars alongside Matthew Rhys and Juliet Rylance in the first season of HBO's Perry Mason revival. Lithgow plays Elias Birchard "E.B." Jonathan, an attorney in Depression-era Los Angeles who regularly hires Perry Mason for his cases.
The case at the center of the first season is the case of Charlie Dobson, a baby kidnapped and later found dead under mysterious circumstances. It doesn't take long for E.B. and Perry to discover there's a lot more to the case than meets the eye.
8 3rd Rock From The Sun (1996 - 2001): 7.7
One of Lithgow's most beloved, long-running roles is Dick Solomon in NBC's alien sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun. High Commander Solomon poses as a human physics professor in Rutherford, Ohio. His real mission, though, is to observe humanity and report back to his home planet.
Dick brings an extraterrestrial crew to Earth with him, who all maintain a disdain for homo sapiens while becoming enmeshed in the day-to-day trappings of the normal human existence. While Dick is the show's protagonist, he's supported by a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt, French Stewart, and Kristen Johnston.
7 Drunk History (2013 - 2019): 7.8
Lithgow's talent is put to use in a few episodes of Comedy Central's Drunk History. In the second season's "Hollywood" episode, he plays business and media mogul, William Randolph Hearst.
For the "Philadelphia" episode, Lithgow portrays America's first president: George Washington. Lithgow's stature and comedic talent shine in both episodes.
6 Tales From The Crypt (1989 - 1996): 8.0
No stranger to anthology series, especially ones with comedic edges, Lithgow appears in the season six finale of Tales From the Crypt entitled "You, Murderer." He plays a plastic surgeon caught up in a noirish tale of deceit, passion, and mystique.
The dastardly deeds that transpire in the episode are voiced by a corpse that, through archival footage, bears a sticking resemblance to classic Hollywood actor Humprey Bogart. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the episode from 1995 also stars Sherilyn Fenn and Isabella Rossellini - two of David Lynch's favorite female actors.
5 Trial & Error (2017 - 2018): 8.0
The NBC sitcom spoof Trial & Error lasted two seasons before it was canceled. Making fun of legal dramas, it follows the ups and downs of life in a law office in small-town South Carolina.
Lithgow is a regular for the first season, playing a poetry professor named Larry Henderson accused of killing his own wife. Nicholas D'Agosto plays Josh Segal, the NYC-based lawyer who travels down south to represent Larry - which proves to be a very difficult task.
4 How I Met Your Mother (2005 - 2014): 8.3
Lithgow pops up a few times over the seasons in How I Met Your Mother as Jerome Whittaker, the biological father of Barney. As a child, Barney was told Jerry is his uncle, but a paternity test revealed the truth.
Jerome, or Jerry for short, is a typical suburbanite - which doesn't live up to Barney's ideas about the true nature of his birth father, who he spent most of his childhood hoping was The Price is Right host Bob Barker. Barney struggles to let Jerry into his life.
3 Faerie Tale Theatre (1982 - 1987): 8.4
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre is a fantasy anthology series geared toward adults. Employing some of Hollywood's most talented actors, the show reimagines cherished fairy tales for HBO audiences.
Lithgow stars in the "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" episode, which digs much deeper into the extended original fairytale than other retellings of the story. Tatum O'Neal plays Goldilocks and Lithgow plays her father.
2 Dexter (2006 - 2012): 8.6
Lithgow switches between charming, goofy dad and demented serial killer in the blink of an eye in the fourth season of Showtime's Dexter. His portrayal of Arthur Miller, aka the Trinity Killer, is truly the stuff of nightmares.
As Dexter Morgan channels his murderous tendencies into finding and slaying Miller, the Trinity Killer manages to stay one step ahead of his pursuer. Lithgow earned both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his work on the show.
1 The Crown (2016 - Present): 8.7
Playing the distinctive and recognizable former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is no easy task, but Lithgow assumes the role very convincingly through gestures, body acting, and affectations.
Lithgow's Churchill plays a major role in The Crown's first season, guiding (and sometimes undermining) Queen Elizabeth II through the early years of her role as British monarch. Churchill had his second run as Prime Minister between 1951 and 1955 and he died in 1965 at the age of 90.
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