John Lithgow, 80, becomes the oldest man ever to win a Tony
Lithgow's win for Giant made him one of only four performers to triumph in three Tony categories
- Lithgow, 80, is now the oldest man to win a competitive acting Tony
- His 53-year gap between wins is the longest in Tony Awards history
- Giant is a drama about Roald Dahl's antisemitism
John Lithgow has proven that age is no barrier to greatness on Broadway. His Tony Award win for actor in a play for Giant has made Lithgow, 80, the oldest man in history to claim a competitive acting Tony — surpassing the record set by Roy Dotrice, who was 77 when he won featured actor in a play for A Moon for the Misbegotten in 2000.
Two other veteran performers had also held notable positions in the record books. The late Dick Latessa won featured actor in a musical for Hairspray in 2003 at the age of 73, a mark that André De Shields equalled in 2019 for his acclaimed performance in Hadestown.
De Shields, who also turns 80 this year, was nominated again at this year's ceremony in the featured actor in a musical category for his portrayal of Old Deuteronomy in the revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball, but the prize went to Ali Louis Bourzgui from The Lost Boys.
A 53-year gap between wins
Lithgow's victory for Giant — a drama that explores Roald Dahl's antisemitism — also established the longest interval between competitive acting Tony wins in the ceremony's history.
His debut Tony came in 1973 for featured actor in a play in The Changing Room, meaning the two awards are separated by 53 years.
That eclipses the previous record of 43 years held by Angela Lansbury, who won in 1966 and again in 2009, by a full decade. Patti LuPone sits third on that list with a 42-year gap, followed by Frank Langella at 41 years.
Lithgow beats Lane to claim third career Tony
The win was Lithgow's third career Tony Award and came at the expense of Nathan Lane, who had been bidding for a fourth of his own for his performance in Death of a Salesman. The other nominees in the category were Mark Strong for Oedipus, Daniel Radcliffe for Every Brilliant Thing, and Will Harrison for Punch.
An elite club of four
The victory also places Lithgow in exceptionally rare company. Having now won for a featured play role (The Changing Room), a leading musical performance (Sweet Smell of Success, 2002), and a leading play role (Giant), he becomes one of only four performers ever to have won in three distinct acting categories.
He joins Kevin Kline and Boyd Gaines as three-category winners, with Audra McDonald standing alone as the only performer to have triumphed across four.
Lithgow's acceptance speech
On stage to collect the award, Lithgow reflected on the remarkable arc of his Tony-winning career.
"I'm such a lucky actor. This is my third Tony Award. My first one was 53 years ago at my Broadway debut in the American premiere of an English play, which by an amazing coincidence originated at London's Royal Court Theatre, just like 'Giant.'
"Two Tony bookends with 53 years between them. In those years, I have worked with hundreds of just fantastic theatre artists. I've had dozens and dozens of ecstatic moments on the stage, but I have to tell you right now, this moment has got to be one of the best."
