John Lithgow makes Tony Awards history with record breaking win at 80

The veteran actor’s Broadway success placed him among a select group of performers with wins in three categories

John Lithgow has added another remarkable achievement to his celebrated career after making Tony Awards history with his latest victory for Giant. The 80 year old actor became the oldest man ever to win a competitive acting Tony Award, breaking a record that had stood for more than two decades.

Lithgow won Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Giant, a production centred on author Roald Dahl and the controversy surrounding his antisemitic remarks. The honour marked the third Tony Award of Lithgow’s career and established a new benchmark for longevity in Broadway acting.

The previous record for oldest male acting winner belonged to Roy Dotrice, who was 77 when he received the Tony Award for Featured Actor in a Play for A Moon for the Misbegotten in 2000. Other veteran winners included Dick Latessa, who was 73 when he won for Hairspray in 2003, and André De Shields, who captured a Tony for Hadestown at age 73 in 2019.

Lithgow’s victory also created another historic milestone. His first Tony Award arrived in 1973 for Featured Actor in a Play for The Changing Room. With his latest triumph coming 53 years later, he now holds the record for the longest gap between competitive acting Tony wins. The achievement surpassed the previous mark held by Angela Lansbury, whose Tony victories were separated by 43 years.

During his acceptance speech, Lithgow reflected on the unusual symmetry between his first and most recent wins. He noted that both productions originated from London’s Royal Court Theatre and described the awards as bookends to an extraordinary stage career.

“I’m such a lucky actor,” Lithgow told the audience. “This is my third Tony Award. My first one was 53 years ago at my Broadway debut.”

He added that after working alongside hundreds of theatre artists and experiencing countless memorable moments on stage, this latest recognition ranked among the finest experiences of his career.

The win also places Lithgow in a rare category of performers. He has now claimed acting Tony Awards in three different categories, joining Kevin Kline, Boyd Gaines and Audra McDonald in that exclusive group. Audra McDonald remains the only performer to have won acting honours in four separate categories.

Lithgow secured the award over a strong field that included Nathan Lane for Death of a Salesman, Mark Strong for Oedipus, Daniel Radcliffe for Every Brilliant Thing and Will Harrison for Punch.