John Lithgow's On-Stage 'Education'

Though he was born into a theater family, John Lithgow never intended to become an actor. He dreamed of painting, instead. But he first took the stage as a toddler, and since then, the accolades have poured in.

Actor John Lithgow first took the stage as a toddler. Since then, he's gone on to win numerous awards for his work in television, theater and film.

In his memoir Drama: An Actor's Education, he focuses on the years before the fame — from his stage debut at the age of two and his college years at Harvard, right up to the moment when he moved out West and became a star.

Lithgow talks with NPR's Neal Conan about his early struggles and discoveries, and the people who helped shape his career.

Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.