Dave Davies

We are speaking with John Lithgow.

He stars as writer Roald Dahl in the new Broadway play Giant.

We'll continue our conversation after this short break.

This is Fresh Air.

I also wanted to talk about The World According to Garp.

This is really taking us back.

1982.

You earned an Oscar nomination for playing Roberta Muldoon, a trans woman, who is your height, which was 6'4".

This is, of course, based on the novel by John Irving, and

We'll hear a clip here.

Robin Williams plays a writer named T.S.

Garp.

And in this scene, he's visiting a home that his mother, Jenny, operates for women who've been abused or traumatized.

Your character, Roberta, lives there.

I guess I mentioned you're a trans woman.

And in this scene, Garp, who is played by Robin Williams, has just had a tense encounter with one of the women at the home.

And you've intervened to break it up and you walk away and kind of get acquainted with Garp.

Let's listen.

And that is Robin Williams with our guest John Lithgow in The World According to Garp.

Got an Oscar nomination for that performance.