John Lithgow on Finding Your Roots

Roberta!

Every episode is really interesting. When I read who is on I always think this episode will be a dud and it ends up being great. I think Mr. Gates must be gay, he seems to favor gay guests.

John Lithgow's autobiography (Drama; an Actor's Education) is a wonderful read. Besides his picaresque childhood with his father who was one of the last traveling "actor-managers" of the American theater, he frankly discusses his extra-marital affair with Liv Ullman when they co-starred on Broadway in ANNA CHRISTIE, as well as other juicy bits. I've worked with him a couple of times, he's the sweetest and smartest actor in the world.

i know wrong thread, but for the life of me , esp when John Lithgow was everywhere at his peak, i just couldn't stand him. Maybe because my 1st exposure was World According to Garp and couldn't shake the imagery.

I've liked him in almost everything but I never liked 3rd Rock. Everyone in it seemed to be paying their mortgage.

I tried 3rd Rock too and never laughed.

When he was on "The Crown" Sally called him "As good as it gets". I guess they are very distant cousins.

[quote] i know wrong thread, but for the life of me , esp when John Lithgow was everywhere at his peak, i just couldn't stand him. Maybe because my 1st exposure was World According to Garp and couldn't shake the imagery

I felt the same way. But after Garp, he played a bunch of asshole characters

He played a religious asshole in Not in Front of the Children (1982)

He played a religious asshole minister in Footloose (1984)

He played an evil criminal in Ricochet (1991)

He played a twisted evil Dr in Raising Cain (1992)

He played a psychotic terrorist in Cliffhanger (1993)

He played a super racist senator in The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

He played a crime lord in Hollow Point (1996)

He played a biased judge in A Civil Action (1996)

He got Third Rock from the Sun in 1996

He was brilliant in THE CROWN as Sir Winston Churchill. He really looks nothing like Churchill, especially his body, which is long and lean but his portrayal was masterful.

It was magnificent. I only "saw" Churchill.

Some of his scenes with Claire Foy were just breathtakingly wonderful.

I watched that one. Couldn't stand Hinojosa.

That is the second time Gates found a guest who was related to him.

Through his father's side, Gates is related to Norah O'Donnell (!)

The Norah O Donnell / Nancy Pelosi episode was really good (but lost in the shuffle as it aired right near the insurrection and inauguration....bitches were busy with other things!)

With that much hair loss I think he found them quite easily.

He was a poopy-face in Obsession, r7.

I enjoy watching "Finding Your Roots," but I wish Henry Louis Gates would pull some average person off the street and research that person's ancestry. A little tired of what celebrity descends from a person on the Mayflower; what celebrity's parent was born on the other side of the sheets, what celebrity's ancestor was a slave owner...

R15 Many people have said similar.

There is in fact a show called A New Leaf on NBC that does something along those lines, but it's terrible, because they take about 5 minutes of content and stretch it out to 30.

There was also a show on PBS that was like the Genealogy Detective or something and that was better. More interesting.

My ancestor was not a slave owner!

Fucking Ben Affleck. Almost ruined the show and Gates' reputation because he wanted that to be edited out.