‘The Old Man’s John Lithgow Says It’s A Rosy Time To Be An Old Man (In Hollywood, That Is)

There’s a lot of talk about what it means to be an old man these days, but for John Lithgow, it’s a “rosy time” in his career to play old men like former FBI assistant director in FX’s The Old Man.

“It’s interesting. Over the last 10 years I’ve entered my old man chapter,” Lithgow said Wednesday at the Television Critics Tour in Pasadena. “It’s been very exciting. It’s the rosiest time in my character. I’m old enough to play all these old roles because they are great roles — Winston Churchill, Roger Ailes, Harold Harper. I’ve been leaping from one great role to another. The whole story is about old men, a very unusual series featuring old men. The only paradigm I can think of is grumpy old men, but that’s not us. These men are haunted by old memories, old regrets they wish they did differently.”

More from Deadline

• Sundance Film 'War Game' Picked Up By Submarine Deluxe & Decal Releasing; Chilling Jan. 6 Redux Pic Set For August Big Screen Release

• Will.i.am, Warren Littlefield & 'Clarkson's Farm' Producer Andy Wilman Set For Edinburgh TV Festival

• Jeff Bridges, Dave Bautista, Bryan Cranston, Sam Elliott & More Set For Live-Action 'Grendel' Movie

Returning September 12, the second season of drama that also stars Jeff Bridges will have eight episodes. The Old Man follows Dan Chase (Bridges), who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.

Bridges was also asked about his health during the show’s TCA panel. Production on the first season of the FX thriller was halted so Bridges could undergo chemotherapy for lymphoma. His cancer is now in remission.

“I’m feeling great now. I’m coming back for more punishment,” Bridges told reporters. “It’s so bizarre to me. In season one, I was doing fight scenes with a 9 inch by 12 inch tumor in my stomach that didn’t hurt at all.”

In May, Deadline caught up with Bridges and Executive Producer Warren Littlefield to find out what to expect in season 2, and most importantly, whether Dan’s Rottweilers will make a comeback.

The Old Man is executive produced by Bridges, Littlefield, Steinberg, Dan Shotz, Levine, David Schiff and Jon Watts. It is produced by 20th Television in association with The Littlefield Company.

Best of Deadline

• All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Played On The Eras Tour So Far

• ‘Severance’ Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

• 2024 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.