John Lithgow returns to TV as Winston Churchill in Netflix series, The Crown

By Christine Persaud June 18, 2015

john lithgow winston churchill netflix series the crown — Jaguar PS/Shutterstock

Veteran actor John Lithgow will be making a return to the small screen — this time in streaming form — as Deadline reports he’s been cast to play Sir Winston Churchill in the upcoming Netflix original series The Crown.

The Crown will look at the tumultuous events that shaped the 20th Century following World War II, focusing on both Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street (The Prime Minister’s office) in the post-war period in Britain. English actress Claire Foy (Little Dorrit) has been tapped to play Queen Elizabeth II and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) will play the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip Mountbatten.

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Lithgow has a resume spanning more than 40 years. He is best known in recent years for his role in the popular ‘90s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, as the voice of Lord Farquaad in Shrek (2001), and as Barney Stinson’s estranged father in How I Met Your Mother. But perhaps one of his most poignant roles in recent years was his turn as twisted serial killer Trinity in the Showtime series Dexter, for which he won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy.

Lithgow claimed three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his role on 3rd Rock as well, and has received numerous other accolades over his storied career. The actor has also appeared in a number of Broadway productions, as well as his own one-man show.

Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) will serve as writer for The Crown, and Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours) Philip Martin, and Julian Jarrold will direct. Andy Harries (The Queen) will produce, along with Andrew Eaton, and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television. All but Jarrold and Eaton will also hold the title of executive producers, along with Suzanne Mackie, Tanya Seghatchian, Robert Fox, and Matthew Byam Shaw.

The series, which will span across 10 episodes, will premiere in 2016.

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Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…

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