The Wall Street Journal once called Lithgow "the film character actor of his generation." Indeed, he has created an extraordinary gallery of villains, nice guys, and genuine flakes. Born in Rochester, NY, Lithgow grew up around theater people (his father ran a theater in New Jersey and produced Shakespeare festivals in Ohio) and studied at Harvard, as well as at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts on a Fulbright scholarship. After performing with the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, he moved back to New York and won a Tony® for his Broadway debut in The Changing Room. He subsequently appeared in many other Broadway and off-Broadway plays, in addition to directing for regional companies. He made his film debut, as a bad guy, in DEALING (1972) and followed with supporting roles in OBSESSION (1976, another baddie, his first for Brian DePalma), THE BIG FIX (1978), ALL THAT JAZZ, RICH KIDS (both 1979) and BLOW OUT (1981, another wild-eyed villain for DePalma). He then captured the attention of critics and moviegoers alike with his remarkable performance as transexual Roberta Muldoon in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP (1982), which earned him an Oscar® nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Lithgow went on to prove that he could take on practically any kind of role: a terrified airline passenger in TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1983), Debra Winger's painfully shy lover in TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (1983, another Oscar nomination), the insane, electricity-eating Dr. Lizardo in THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BONZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION (1984), a dance-hating minister in FOOTLOOSE (1984), and a spacebound scientist in 2010 (1984). Lithgow has had his share of movie misfires: SANTA CLAUS (1985), THE MANHATTAN PROJECT (1986), HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS (1987), DISTANT THUNDER (1988), OUT COLD (1989), and MEMPHIS BELLE (1990) -but most recently has come to the fore again playing over-the-top villains, in RICOCHET (1991), Brian De Palma's RAISING CAIN (1992), and the smash hit CLIFFHANGER (1993). Lithgow has continued to work on stage between films, in a revival of Requiem for a Heavyweight and the acclaimed M. Butterfly. He won another Tony for his 2001-2 performance in The Sweet Smell of Success. He has also appeared in numerous TV movies like "The Day After," "The Tuskegee Airmen" and "A Resting Place" and earned an Emmy for an episode of "Amazing Stories." He starred in the popular TV series (1996-2001) "3rd Rock from the Sun." Other credits include THE PELICAN BRIEF (1993), PRINCESS CARABOO, "World War II: When Lions Roared" (1994 telefilm, as F.D.R.), SILENT FALL (also 1994), HOMEGROWN and A CIVIL ACTION (both 1998), C-SCAM (2000), SHREK & SHREK 2 (2001, 2004 - voice of Lord Farquaad of Duloc), ORANGE COUNTY (2002), THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS and KINSEY (both 2004), E=MC2 (2005, TV), DREAMGIRLS and "Twenty Good Years" (TV series) (both 2006), and THE SMURFS (announced for 2008). A father of three, Lithgow also entertains for children and released a videotape: "John Lithgow's Kid-Size Concert." His wife, Mary, is a professor of economics at UCLA. They have two children.  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1982: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1983: TERMS OF ENDEARMENT 2 nominations