John Lithgow goes ‘ completely wacko’ for ‘ Trial & Error’
He’s back to his comic roots as a possible killer
Coming off his lauded turn as NEW YORK Winston Churchill in Netflix’s The Crown, John Lithgow has set his sights on amore polarizing political figure. “Oh, I’m dying to play Donald Trump someday, just because he’s an unbelievable character,” Lithgow says. “I’m a character actor, that’s what you look for: outsized human beings.” His latest role, in NBC sitcom Trial & Error ( Tuesday, 10 ET/ PT, then Tuesdays, 9), certainly fits that bill. In the quirky mockumentary — which spoofs 2004 true- crime series The Staircase, about the Michael Peterson murder trial — Lithgow steps into the roller skates of Larry Henderson, a nutty professor accused of killing his wife after she’s found dead at their home in a small Southern town. A bright- eyed New York lawyer, Josh ( Nicholas D’Agosto), steps in to defend him, igniting amedia circus as more suspects, and Larry’s harebrained antics, muddy the waters.
“He’s one of those impulsive people who goes through life completely unedited,” says Lithgow, 71, who won three Emmys in the ’ 90s for his role as a similarly clueless alien in NBC’s hit 3rd Rock From
the Sun. Larry “is kind of a distant relative from ( 3rd Rock’s) Dick Solomon. A tiny little thing like the cable man not showing up is just as appalling and urgent to him as the death of his wife. That, to me, is a hilarious comedy premise, but you have to make it real.”
By the end of Trial’s season, viewers will know if Larry is guilty or innocent, Lithgow promises. But either way, he’ll be gone.
The show is designed so that Josh and
his ragtag legal team — which includes a redneck lead investigator ( Steven Boyer) and “face- blind” secretary ( Sherri Shepherd) — can take on new cases in potential future seasons. “John set such a magnificent template of what that world will be in the future,” D’Agosto says. “It’ll be hard to lose John — we’ll see if we ever get to see Larry again.”
Lithgow also won’t return for another installment of The Crown, which earned him his third Screen Actors Guild Award. The historical drama tracks the rise of Queen Elizabeth II ( Claire Foy) in the 1950s and ended its first season with Churchill’s resignation as British prime minister due to his ailing health.
When he was approached to play the iconic diplomat, “I was astonished, thrilled and scared at once. It just seemed like such unlikely casting,” says Lithgow. He now considers the series one of his favorite acting experiences. “It’s a rumination on dignity and leadership in government. And look around ( at current politics)— we’re in serious trouble, because of a terrible lack of dignity and leadership. It turns out to be very timely.”
After Trial, Lithgow will continue tickling his funny bone, playing father to Will Ferrell in Daddy’s Home 2 ( in theaters Nov. 10) and Rebel Wilson ( Pitch
Perfect 3, out Dec. 22). “I’m the comedy- sequel dad of the year,” Lithgow laughs. “And with Trial &
Error, it’s my comedy hat trick. This is my year for being completely wacko.”