Interview: John Lithgow Discusses the Joys of Being a Part of the International Cast of ‘Conclave’

I’ve always found John Lithgow to be one of the most enjoyable actors to watch, whether it’s on the big or small screen. Growing up, I was a huge fan of 3rd Rock From the Sun. His leading turn there is the height of sitcom comedy to me, while in films, he’s a reliable presence no matter the picture. So, when I knew he was in Conclave, I knew the movie was off to a good start. Obviously, when I saw and loved it at the Telluride Film Festival, that thought was proven true. Lithgow is part of the wonderful cast, of course, and does real aces work. I recently spoke to Conclave director Edward Berger here. Today, it’s Lithgow’s turn.

In my rave four star review of Conclave out of the Telluride (here), I had the following to say about Lithgow and the ensemble cast:

Ralph Fiennes leads an impeccable cast. This is one of his best roles and best performances, which is saying something. Fiennes wears the weight of his job in every frame he appears in, keeping his cool until moments when his frustrations boil through. Stanley Tucci is also excellent as a good man who doesn’t want to be Pope, but even more so doesn’t want to see a hardcore conservative get elected. John Lithgow expertly plays the consummate politician, while Isabella Rossellini steals one third act sequence. Supporting players, in addition to the aforementioned Sergio Castellitto, Carlos Diehz, and Lucian Msamati, include Jacek Koman, Merab Ninidze, Brían F. O’Byrne, and more.

Below, you can hear my discussion with Lithgow. We have a very easy-going chat here, so we bounce back and forth between a number of topics. At the start, he was enamored with my Bruce Springsteen t-shirt, so I knew that was a good beginning. Lithgow has some fun stories from the set of Conclave, as well as just some wonderful insights overall. If you haven’t seen the flick yet, you really need to. Plus, if you listen carefully, you can hear Lithgow and I do the 3rd Rock from the Sun salute to each other at the end.

Here now is my interview with Conclave co-star John Lithgow. Enjoy:

Conclave is currently playing in theaters!