John Lithgow wins Tony Award for portraying Roald Dahl in ‘Giant’

John Lithgow secured his third Tony Award on Sunday for his role as the writer Roald Dahl in the Broadway play "Giant." The production, which originated in London in 2024, centers on unsuccessful attempts to curb Dahl's antisemitic remarks, particularly concerning the 1982 Israel-Lebanon war.

Lithgow's award for best leading actor in a play recognized his effort to portray Dahl as a complex figure. The actor described Dahl as a man who endured significant losses and was kind to those close to him, yet openly antisemitic in his critiques of Israel. "Who knows where antisemitism or any bigotry comes from. In playing the role, I just looked for the damage," Lithgow said in March on a New Yorker podcast. "To me, a person who suffered injury or carries demons, it just manifests itself in hatred of the other."

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Who knows where antisemitism or any bigotry comes from. In playing the role, I just looked for the damage. To me, a person who suffered injury or carries demons, it just manifests itself in hatred of the other.

Accepting the award, Lithgow, at 80, became the oldest man to win a competitive Tony. He remarked that the play is "about cruelty in a cruel age" and acknowledged the play's Jewish author, Mark Rosenblatt. The ceremony also saw multiple awards presented to Jewish performers. Caissie Levy won best performance for a leading actress in "Ragtime," Alden Ehrenreich received best performance for a featured actor in "Becky Shaw," and Shoshana Bean won best performance for a featured actress in "The Lost Boys." Bess Wohl's play "Liberation" won best play.

The Tony Awards also featured a pro-Palestinian statement from Ali Louis Bourzgui, who won featured best actor in a musical for his performance in "The Lost Boys." Bourzgui suggested the play's vampires could serve as a metaphor for real-life dynamics.

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It’s a play about cruelty in a cruel age.