John Lithgow almost starred opposite Blythe Danner in Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. Instead, he took an Off-Broadway job that lasted two and a half weeks, leaving him free to take a job in L.A., where he ended up meeting the love of his life.
“It’s like one of the best things that ever happened to me came from one of the worst professional mistakes I ever made,” Lithgow said when he stopped by Late Night With Seth Meyers to talk about his current Broadway play, Hillary and Clinton.
“It’s a funny play, it’s a very clever play, but ultimately it’s a melancholy play, because it’s about disappointment,” the actor said of the show, starring Laurie Metcalf.
Watch the clip above.
John Lithgow and Kathryn Walker in White House Happening at Loeb Drama Center, 1967
John Lithgow as Higgins, with George Emch and Holly Villaire in the McCarter Theatre production of Pygmalion, 1970
John Lithgow and cast in Of Mice and Men, McCarter Theatre, 1970
George Ede, John Lithgow and Alan Castner in The Changing Room, 1973
John Lithgow with George Rose and Lynn Redgrave in My Fat Friend, 1974
John Lithgow and Meryl Streep in Secret Service, 1976
John Lithgow directs Lenny Baker in Boy Meets Girl, 1976
David Margulies, Larry Lamb, Milo O'Shea and John Lithgow in Comedians, 1976
John Lithgow with Liv Ullmann and Robert Donley in Anna Christie, 1977
Liv Ullmann and John Lithgow in Anna Christie, 1977
Treat Williams, John Lithgow, and Deborah May in Once in a Lifetime, 1978
Virginia Vestoff and John Lithgow in Spokesong, 1979
John Lithgow and Judith Ivey in Bedroom Farce, 1979
John Lithgow in Division Street, 1980
Keene Curtis, John Lithgow and Joe Regalbuto in Division Street, 1980
Christine Lahti and John Lithgow in Division Street, 1980
David Hyde Pierce, Peter Michael Goetz, Kate McGregor-Stewart, Jack Gilpin, John Lithgow and Dianne Weist in Beyond Therapy, 1982
John Lithgow, Dianne Weist and Jack Gilpin in Beyond Therapy, 1982
John Lithgow and Dianne Weist in Beyond Therapy, 1982
John Lithgow and Maria Tucci in Requiem For a Heavyweight, 1985
John Lithgow and cast in Requiem for a Heavyweight, 1985
John Lithgow and Maria Tucci in Requiem for a Heavyweight, 1985
David Proval, Richard Dreyfuss, Daniel F. Keyes and John Lithgow in Requiem for a Heavyweight, 1985
John Lithgow in The Front Page, 1986.
B.D. Wong and John Lithgow in M. Butterfly, 1988
B.D. Wong and John Lithgow in M. Butterfly, 1988
John Lithgow and B.D. Wong in M. Butterfly, 1988
Joan Marcus
John Lithgow in M. Butterfly, 1988
Joan Marcus
John Lithgow and Brian d'Arcy James in Sweet Smell of Success, 2002
John Lithgow and Brian d'Arcy James in Sweet Smell of Success, 2002
John Lithgow in Sweet Smell of Success, 2002
John Lithgow, Eileen Atkins and Ben Chaplin starred in The Retreat From Moscow, 2003
Norbert Leo Butz, John Lithgow and Sherie Rene Scott in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 2005
Sherie Rene Scott and John Lithgow in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 2005
Norbert Leo Butz and John Lithgow in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 2005
John Lithgow in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 2005
John Lithgow and cast in All My Sons, 2008
John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson and Katie Holmes in All My Sons, 2008
Katie Holmes and John Lithgow in All My Sons, 2008
Katie Holmes and John Lithgow in All My Sons, 2008
John Lithgow and Brian J. Smith in The Columnist, 2012
John Lithgow in The Columnist, 2012
John Lithgow and Grace Gummer in The Columnist, 2012
John Lithgow and Boyd Gaines in The Columnist, 2012
John Lithgow and Margaret Colin in The Columnist, 2012
Glenn Close and John Lithgow in A Delicate Balance, 2014
John Lithgow and Glenn Close in A Delicate Balance, 2014
John Lithgow, Glenn Close and Lindsay Duncan in A Delicate Balance, 2014
Brigitte Lacombe
John Lithgow and Lindsay Duncan in A Delicate Balance, 2014
John Lithgow
John Lithgow
Joan Marcus
