From the Vault: John Lithgow's Time at Pacifica

In 1970, a young, talented actor and comedy writer named John Lithgow ventured into WBAI in New York City at the behest of a friend. And he kept coming back for well over a year, using the station’s unique ability to encourage and welcome creativity and experimentation on the airwaves to create some incredible programming for public radio.

Needless to say, John’s talent eventually took him to bigger venues and larger audiences, but his time at WBAI is fondly remembered by he and Pacifica listeners. After leaving Pacifica, John Lithgow went on to be a major star on Broadway, in cinema, on television, and even as an author and musician for children’s programming. He won multiple Tony’s and Emmy’s, and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1983 and 1984 for his roles as Roberta Muldoon in “The World According” to Garp and as Sam Burns in “Terms of Endearment.”

This week, on “From the Vault” - the Pacifica Radio Archives’ weekly program that brings our history out of the vault and onto the radio - we talk to John Lithgow about his time at Pacifica, and listen to some of the highlights of his time here.