Ian Lithgow: John Lithgow’s Son, Everything About Him

Ian Lithgow is an American actor who is best known for his work as Leon in the NBC series 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001). He is also known as the son of American actor John Lithgow. Ian’s father John Lithgow is known for his work on the stage and screen. He has received numerous accolades for his work in the film industry.

Ian Lithgow: Bio Summary

Early Life & Education

Ian Lithgow was born Ian David Lithgow on February 3, 1972, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. He is 50 years old as of 2022. He is the son and only child from the marriage of John Lithgow and his ex-wife, Jean Taynton. His father is an actor and his mother is a teacher.

Ian Lithgow’s parents got married in 1966 but they divorced in 1980 after his father John Lithgow had extramarital affair with Norwegian actress and film director Liv Ullmann. Ian’s parents were married for 13 years before their union dissolved.

Ian Lithgow’s father John Lithgow married UCLA history professor Mary Yeager. They have been married since 12th December 1981. They have a son and a daughter who are Ian’s half-siblings. Ian’s half-siblings are Phoebe Lithgow (born in 1982) and Nathan Lithgow (born in 1983).

Ian Lithgow’s paternal grandparents are Sarah Jane Lithgow (née Price) (1917-2012), a retired actress, and Arthur Washington Lithgow III (1915-2004), a theatrical producer and director who ran McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey.

Speaking of Ian Lithgow’s education, he got his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. He currently runs a practice in Lower Manhattan specializing in marriage and family therapy.

Career

Ian Lithgow is an actor who is known for his performance in film and television. He has also worked in regional theatres across the country, including the Goodman Theatre, the American Repertory Theatre, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Ahmanson Theatre, and the Pasadena Playhouse.

Ian Lithgow brought up the role of Tony in Boy Gets Girl, which he performed at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In the 1990s NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, he played the recurring role of Leon, a purportedly dim-witted student who attends the physics class of Dick Solomon (portrayed by real-life father John Lithgow).

Also Read: Jean Taynton: Facts about John Lithgow’s ex-wife

Ian Lithgow portrayed the son of his father’s character in the 2020 HBO television series Perry Mason. Some of his other film credits include A Pound of Flesh (1993), Far from Bismarck (1999), Puppet, Love and Mertz (1999), Rice Girl (2003), Fellini’s Donut (2005), The Blacklist (2020) and Tesla (2020).

As a therapist, Ian Lithgow has worked with people and couples who are struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, trauma, and relationship issues. He belongs to the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. He was trained at the Southern California Counseling Center, in different therapies, including Psychodynamic, Gestalt, and Narrative Therapy.

Ian Lithgow has also been tutored at the Lionheart Institute of Transpersonal Energy Healing and has worked as a Multi-Systemic Therapist for Catholic Charities. Meanwhile, Ian’s father John Lithgow made his Broadway debut in The Changing Room. He acted alongside Meryl Streep in the plays 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, A Memory of Two Mondays, and Secret Service at The Public Theatre.

John Lithgow is also known for his film roles. He is known for All That Jazz (1979) and Brian De Palma’s Blow Out (1981). He starred in the films Footloose (1984), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), The Pelican Brief and Cliffhanger (1993), A Civil Action (1998), Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000), Shrek (2001), Kinsey (2004), Dreamgirls (2006), Love Is Strange (2014), Miss Sloane (2016), Beatriz at Dinner (2017), Late Night, and Bombshell (both 2019), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2022).

ALSO, READ; Nathan Lithgow: Facts About The Son Of John Lithgow

John Lithgow has received accolades including two Golden Globe Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Tony Awards. He has also received nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. He has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Ian Lithgow is a happily married man. He has been married to Rachel Lithgow for more than two decades. The couple got married in a lavish ceremony on the 1st December 2001, in the presence of their close and dear ones. They have welcomed two children Ava Lithgow, born in 2004, and Archie Lithgow, born in 2008. The couple is still married and there is no sign of issues or a breakup.