Actor John Lithgow has added another milestone to his celebrated career after becoming the oldest male performer to win a competitive acting Tony Award, securing the honour at the age of 80 for his performance in the play Giant.
At 80, John Lithgow sets Tony Awards record as oldest male acting winner
Lithgow received the award for Best Actor in a Play, earning widespread recognition for his portrayal in the production, which explores the controversy surrounding author Roald Dahl and allegations of antisemitism. The victory not only marked a personal achievement for the veteran actor but also rewrote the Tony Awards record books.
With the win, Lithgow surpassed the previous record held by the late Roy Dotrice, who was 77 when he won the Tony for Featured Actor in a Play for A Moon for the Misbegotten in 2000. Other veteran winners who had ranked among the oldest recipients include the late Dick Latessa, who won at age 73 for Hairspray in 2003, and André De Shields, who matched that age when he won for Hadestown in 2019.
The achievement was accompanied by another historic distinction. Lithgow's previous competitive acting Tony Award came in 1973 for his performance in The Changing Room. The 53-year gap between that win and his latest triumph in Giant is now the longest interval between acting Tony victories in the history of the awards.
The record eclipses a mark previously held by the late Angela Lansbury, whose acting Tony wins spanned 43 years between 1966 and 2009. Other notable performers with lengthy gaps between victories include Patti LuPone and the late Frank Langella.
Lithgow's latest success came in a competitive category featuring a strong field of nominees, including Nathan Lane for Death of a Salesman, Mark Strong for Oedipus, Daniel Radcliffe for Every Brilliant Thing and Will Harrison for Punch.
The award is Lithgow's third Tony overall. His previous victories came for The Changing Room in 1973 and Sweet Smell of Success in 2002. The latest win also places him in an exclusive group of performers who have won Tony Awards across three different acting categories.
Only three other performers have achieved the feat: Kevin Kline, Boyd Gaines and Audra McDonald, with McDonald remaining the only performer to have won in four separate acting categories.
