Here's Why John Lithgow Once Refused The Offer To Play Donald Trump On-Screen
It's not every day that an actor gets a chance to play the Former United States President Donald J. Trump; however, the veteran star John Lithgow let the opportunity pass. Lithgow was offered a role to play the 77-year-old politician, but the Footloose actor suggested the part was "almost too close" to play.
He also said it is 'unlikely for him to accept another one if it comes his way.' "They (producers) actually asked me to play Donald Trump in a project," Lithgow revealed on Sunday Today with Willie Geist in 2019, per AceShowbiz. He shared the reason for denying the iconic part as well.
Lithgow added, "I turned it down mainly because I was doing something else. I don't think I would do it (play Donald Trump); it's almost too close." The Cliffhanger actor has previously played several real-life characters and brought historical figures to life with his ace acting skills.
In the 2019 release Bombshell, Lithgow went deep into his character as late Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. To play the role with sincerity, he somewhat "lived" the part of the controversial public figure. Ailes resigned from his position at the media outlet after being accused of sexual harassment by anchors Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly.
He (Ailes) died in May 2017 at the age of 77. Lithgow has been a part of many other movies related to famous personalities like late wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the Netflix series The Crown and Bill Clinton in the Broadway play Hillary and Clinton. So now, he wants to break away from the image and no longer look out for political roles.
He continued, "It's what was offered to me. You get offered one, and they come after you for another." Bombshell also starred Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie as fictional Fox News employees, and the plot centered around Ailes' sexual harassment fallout.
John Lithgow en Bombshell (Jay Roach, 2019)https://t.co/n4Xf9s8lHq pic.twitter.com/y1zSTGSeAr
— Cine Por Hora 🍿 (@cineporhora) March 2, 2020
The movie was released in December 2020. The 77-year-old American actor has talents other than just acting. He frequently writes satirical poems on the 45th President Trump. He described himself as a "professional actor" and "amateur satirist," per The Guardian. He reveals his opinions on political figures through poems and satire.
View this post on Instagram
When the outlet's correspondent asked him his honest emotions on learning that Trump contracted Coronavirus, he said, "They (the emotions) were complicated and mixed. With so many of my friends, we've said: 'Oh, why doesn't he get the coronavirus?' Then when it happened, it was like a child's magical thinking. You immediately feel ashamed of yourself. But it is karmic."
Lithgow posted his satire on YouTube and published a book poking fun at the President titled: Dumpty- The Age of Trump in Verse- a collection of satirical poetry. In the book, Trump is the central figure presented as Dumpty. However, this was not Lithgow's initial plan.
‘If the kitchen is a mess, slam the press.
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 9, 2020
If the pastry comes unstuck, pass the buck.
When 100,000 die, bake your pie.
When, at last, the horror’s done, claim you won’
— John Lithgow's back with a new book of satirical poems about Trump pic.twitter.com/yNapbvbLCC
"My first impulse was to write a book only about the cast of characters in the Trump administration and leaving him out entirely, almost as a way of insulting him," he said. "Because it is the most amazing rogues gallery. But, you know, after I'd written four or five poems, I realized I was not really writing about them. I'm writing about Trump."
References:
https://www.today.com/video/john-lithgow-turned-down-a-role-playing-president-trump-75438149652
https://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00146364.html
