John Lithgow bags Tony in another win for oldies

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John Lithgow, 80, has become the oldest male actor to win a Tony for his portrayal of the children’s writer Roald Dahl in Giant. Although June Squibb, 96, did not win in her category, her nomination and Lithgow’s victory shows that theatre is still a refuge for actors and actresses who feel as if they’ve aged out of film. Even behind the camera, though, things are changing. In 2023, for the first time since 1982, actors over 50 won all four of the main individual categories at the Oscars. The average age of a best actress nominee was 33 in the 1940s, whereas it has been 44 in the 2020s. Michael B Jordan and Jessie Buckley are spring chickens, but supporting gongs at this year’s Oscars went to 65-year-old Sean Penn and 75-year-old Amy Madigan.