# Why John Lithgow Why??!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732 "2006-01-12T23:16:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elmer\_MuD\_PhuD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2bfe46/32.png) [@Elmer\_MuD\_PhuD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_MuD_PhuD)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/21 "2006-01-13T03:39:46Z")
You’d be surprised how many respectable actors participate in ad campaigns in foreign countries. [Link](http://www.adrants.com/2005/02/russell-crowe-craps-on-celebrities-in.php) The only difference that I see is that John Lithgow doesn’t take himself as seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/22 "2006-01-13T03:47:48Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Indeed. He should stick to pedalling bicycles. I wouldn’t eat any soup that’s been pedalled by John Lithgow. That’s just gross. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/23 "2006-01-13T03:48:02Z")
Is his performance in the soup commercial not up to standard? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/24 "2006-01-13T03:55:52Z")
> [@Surbey](#): > > I’m just saying its sad for this great actor to be pedalling soup instead of doing movies. Again, why? It’s not as though he’s selling crack or clubbing baby seals. Doing soup commercials sounds like a pretty decent way to make a living, esp. if he’s being paid obscenely well (which is probably the case). ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/25 "2006-01-13T03:57:44Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Is his performance in the soup commercial not up to standard? Quite the contrary. He does a magnificent job. He manages to take such a mundane product as canned soup and sound positively orgasmic over it. There are few actors who could pull it off the way he does. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/26 "2006-01-13T04:16:48Z")
> [@Surbey](#): > > So why on earth has John Lithgow whored himself out to a soup company?? As John says on the soundtrack to _Dirty Rotten Scoundrels_ > [@](#): > > …because I have a mortgage. > > … and two kids in college. > > … and I’m a bit of a clothes horse. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/27 "2006-01-13T04:20:37Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Quite the contrary. He does a magnificent job. He manages to take such a mundane product as canned soup and sound positively orgasmic over it. > > There are few actors who could pull it off the way he does. Well, outside the porn industry. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/28 "2006-01-13T04:50:41Z")
Am I the only one whose heart leapt when he saw the title because he thought John Lithgow was dead? Ah, don’t scare me like that. My guess is he makes the commercials for the buttload of money they pay him. His acting merits are pretty well established (speaking of which I really like the songs I’ve heard from _Dirty Rotten Scoundrels_), he has young kids to educate and will be retiring in a few years- no harm no foul. Better than hawking penis enlargements or thighmasters. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/29 "2006-01-13T11:10:56Z")
Perhaps he really likes soup. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/30 "2006-01-13T14:14:16Z")
I was personally hoping a few years back he would be either Humbert or Quilty in the remake of LOLITA and Dr. Zachary Smith in the movie LOST IN SPACE. Nothing wrong with soup commercials. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/31 "2006-01-13T14:19:24Z")
I saw a bit with Sally Struthers, when someone asked why she did those Earn a College Degree from home ads, and mentioned everyone was laughing at her. She said she was laughing too…all the way to the bank. It keeps his face out there. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/32 "2006-01-13T14:24:05Z")
I went to a presentation by James Doohan back before the first shuttle flew, about the work being done on the shuttle program. During the Q&A period, somebody asked him why he did _Jason of Star Command,_ and his answer was, “Because I’m an actor and I have to work.” ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/33 "2006-01-13T14:25:09Z")
I would like to state for the record that I saw Mr. Lithgow in _Dirty Rotten Scoundrels_ on Broadway and he was superb. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/34 "2006-01-13T14:37:50Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Quite the contrary. He does a magnificent job. He manages to take such a mundane product as canned soup and sound positively orgasmic over it. > > There are few actors who could pull it off the way he does. I agree! John Lithgow does make me want to buy soup. I was pretty delighted by the commercial. He makes me smile. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/35 "2006-01-13T14:59:23Z")
No doubt about it, John does a magnificent job in the commercials. When he is singing and dancing, it really comes natural. I guess I just think his talent is being mismanaged. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/36 "2006-01-13T15:06:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Quite the contrary. He does a magnificent job. He manages to take such a mundane product as canned soup and sound positively orgasmic over it. Ecxept that he uses the word “creamery” as an adjective :smack: I would have done the commercial, as long as the writers allowed me to say “creamy butter” instead of _creamery butter_. I just can’t see the appeal of this actor. He has seemed mediocre at best in pretty much everything I’ve seen him in. So it only seemed natural that he should appear in soup commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/37 "2006-01-13T15:07:46Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I was personally hoping a few years back he would be either Humbert or Quilty in the remake of LOLITA and Dr. Zachary Smith in the movie LOST IN SPACE. My God, those are… PERFECT! Good call **FriarTed**! (I think Humbert more than Quilty though? Aah, could do either I guess) I see no-one has yet mentioned his role in 2010:The Year We Make Contact. I really loved that when I was a young 'un. (Then of course I discovered 2001) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/38 "2006-01-13T15:16:11Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I sat next to him in a restaurant. Uno’s. Harvard Square. In what was probably my closest brush with celebrity (other than being roommates with a future NFL player) I once was going _out_ a revolving door while John Lithgow was coming _in_. I could’ve planted myself and trapped him, but I didn’t think quickly enough. Plus, I didn’t really have any reason to. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/39 "2006-01-13T15:22:18Z")
It seems many more celebrities are doing commercials. Russell Crowe thinks it is disgraceful. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732/40 "2006-01-13T15:37:42Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#): > > My God, those are… PERFECT! Good call **FriarTed**! > > (I think Humbert more than Quilty though? Aah, could do either I guess) > > I see no-one has yet mentioned his role in 2010:The Year We Make Contact. I really loved that when I was a young 'un. (Then of course I discovered 2001) I forgot Lithgow was in 2010. Gonna have to view that again. And thank you. Now, to counter Lithgow (either H or Q) in LOLITA, I was thinking - Steve Martin (either Q or H)- and that was long before they decided to have Steve take another Peter Sellers role. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-john-lithgow-why/339732.md?page=3)