Did You Know John Lithgow Played … Yoda?!?
John Lithgow is one of Hollywood’s most multifaceted talents, known for appearing in everything from The World According to Garp to Dexter. And, as he revealed on a recent appearance on The View to promote his new animated film Spellbound, his wide-ranging talents have even led him to take on the role of the most famous tiny, green character in cinema history.
Though most think of Lithgow from his live-action films, he is also an accomplished voice actor. And on The View, the ladies mentioned that Lithgow is the voice of the villainous Lord Farquaad in Shrek. With the fifth Shrek film coming out in July 2026, they asked Lithgow if he would be reprising his role as the character.
Netflix/Everett Collection
While he would love to voice the character again, he said that it is unlikely since Lord Farquaad died in the original Shrek film when a dragon ate him. Lithgow joked, “I’ve been waiting for a reprise for like 20 years now. That’s what happens when you get eaten by a dragon. They just do not invite you back.”
DreamWorks/Everett Collection
However, the most surprising news was that Lithgow also voiced another very famous character: Yoda, from the Star Wars franchise, in an audio version of The Empire Strikes Back. How did he land the role? Legendary voice actor Frank Oz did not want voice Yoda without the puppet, so Lithgow threw his hat in the ring and got to voice the iconic character.
DreamWorks/Everett Collection
These days, Lithgow has been very busy: He appears as Roald Dahl in the play Giant, which is transferring to the West End in London after a run at London’s Royal Court Theatre. Lithgow said it is “extremely intense and serious,” following real events in Dahl’s life, when, caught in a scandal after the release of one of his children’s books, he was forced to decide between making a public apology or risking his reputation.
TV Villains
Volume 1, Issue 8
TV villains usually drive the plot, are the center of attention, can say and do anything and often have more charisma than the good guys. This issue is packed with puzzles, games and trivia all centered around your favorite TV villains.
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