‘The Crown’ Wanted an American to Play Winston Churchill for Several Reasons
John Lithgow’s portrayal of Winston Churchill on Netflix’s historical drama The Crown earned him high praise from fans and critics. He received a Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics Choice Award for the role.
The Crown, being set in England, features a cast of mostly British actors. So it came as a surprise to many when Lithgow, an American actor, took on the Churchill role in the series’ first two seasons. Lithgow recently opened up about his experience playing the famed politician. And he revealed the surprising reasons behind why an American was chosen for the part.
John Lithgow’s role as Winston Churchill on ‘The Crown’
From 2016 to 2017, Lithgow portrayed former Prime Minister Winston Churchill on The Crown. He appeared again in 2019 for Season 3 Episode 1, “Olding,” per IMDb. In total, Lithgow was in 11 episodes.
Churchill is one of Britain’s most recognizable politicians. He was prime minister from 1940 to 1945, during World War II, and from 1951 to 1955. On top of successfully leading the United Kingdom through World War II, Churchill was also famous for his rousing speeches and several written works.
On The Crown, Lithgow starred opposite Claire Foy, who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II for the show’s first two seasons.
Why ‘The Crown’ cast an American as Winston Churchill
During a recent interview with GQ, John Lithgow detailed his experience playing Winston Churchill on The Crown. And he explained why an American was selected to play the part.
“They just loved the idea,” Lithgow said. “They said, ‘We’ve seen all the sirs play Churchill. We’ve seen Burton do it and Albert Finney do it. And there was a whole raft of them that year — and all of them Englishmen.”
Lithgow went on to explain Churchill’s real-life ties to America, including the fact that Churchill’s mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, was born in the States.
“Churchill’s mother was an American, for one thing,” Lithgow said. “That’s the first thing [The Crown director/producer] Stephen [Daldry] told me when I asked him, ‘Why’d you cast me?’ And he had this affinity for America. I may be terrified of playing this role, but they think it’s a great idea. So I’ll go with that.”
John Lithgow’s connections to the U.S. and the U.K.
Lithgow, who was born in Rochester, New York, may have been an American playing a Brit. But the actor actually has one major connection to the United Kingdom: his alma mater.
“I went to drama school in London many years ago, so there’s this sort of English thread,” Lithgow told GQ. “So I’m about as English as an American actor can get.”
Lithgow studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1967.
Following John Lithgow’s run as Winston Churchill on The Crown, another American actor stepped up to play a famous British prime minister: Gillian Anderson, who played Margaret Thatcher in season 4.
