John Lithgow Makes Tony Awards History as Oldest Best Actor Winner

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

Eastern

Central

Western

West End

WEST END

UK Regional

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

TV/Movies

Music

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

Previous oldest acting winners include Frank Langella and Roy Dotrice.

POPULAR

At 80 years old, John Lithgow has added another Tony to his prestigious collection of awards. For his performance as Roald Dahl in Giant , the stage and screen performer has broken records with his third Tony Award, making him the oldest man to ever receive an award in a competitive acting category.

Previous oldest acting winners include Frank Langella , who won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for The Father at 78 and Roy Dotrice , who, at 77, won for A Moon for the Misbegotten in 2000. In musical categories, Dick Latessa received the award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Hairspray, with André De Shields winning for Hadestown in the same category. Both were 73 at the time of their wins.

Lithgow originated the role of the children's author at London’s Royal Court Theatre and in the West End transfer at the Harold Pinter Theatre, earning the Olivier Award for Best Actor, while the production won Best New Play.

Lithgow previously won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Sweet Smell of Success and Best Featured Actor in a Play in The Changing Room in 1973, a significant gap of 53 years between his first and third wins. Lithgow was also nominated for roles in Requiem for a Heavyweight, M. Butterfly, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and The Columnist.

John Lithgow is one of America’s most celebrated stage actors, with a career spanning more than five decades and 25 Broadway productions.

Beyond the stage, Lithgow has received six Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Academy Award nominations. His notable screen credits include The World According to Garp, Conclave, The Rule of Jenny Pen, JIMPA, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, The Crown, and The Old Man. He will next appear as Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series.

A bestselling author and advocate for arts education, Lithgow has written numerous children’s books, earned four Grammy nominations for his recordings for young audiences, and appeared with major orchestras across the United States. He is also the author of the memoir Drama: An Actor’s Education and the bestselling political satire series known as the “Dumpty Trilogy.”

Photo: Michele Crowe/CBS

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

John Lithgow took home a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for GIANT. After leaving the stage at Radio City Music Hall, he checked in with BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge to share his initial reaction!

The Drama Bookshop is partnering with the Broadway production of GIANT to give students a free copy of Mark Rosenblatt's Tony-nominated play with a valid student ID, while supplies last.

John Lithgow has won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for GIANT.

The Authors Guild Foundation (AGF) will launch “Page to Stage”, an intimate salon series on bringing literary works and the figures behind them to the stage with bestselling author Harlan Coben in conversation with playwright Mark Rosenblatt.

Get an Alert Each Time Josh Sharpe Writes

Videos

Recommended For You

Sign up for announcements, and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/John-Lithgow-Becomes-Oldest-Man-to-Win-Tony-Award-in-an-Acting-Category-20260607)._