# In 1981, John Lithgow shot a scene that “sickened” him. Today, he knows he “would not play such a part”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1981-john-lithgow-shot-a-scene-that-sickened-him-today-he-knows-he-would-not-play-such-a-part/
- Published: 2026-10-21T19:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-22T04:54:12+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1981-john-lithgow-shot-a-scene-that-sickened-him-today-he-knows-he-would-not-play-such-a-part/
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- Lithgow regretted filming a violent scene in *Blow Out*.
- He said he would not play that part today.
- The thriller later earned acclaim and influenced *Pulp Fiction*’s casting.

## Summary

In Brian De Palma’s 1981 thriller *Blow Out*, John Lithgow played a hired killer who disguises his crimes by posing as a murderer of sex workers. Years later, Lithgow said filming an execution scene left him “sickened” and that he would not take on such a role today, reflecting his discomfort with the film’s violence against women.

The scene was shot overnight and involved Lithgow stabbing a Liberty Bell design into a woman’s abdomen. Despite its disturbing content, *Blow Out* is now regarded as a notable thriller; Quentin Tarantino has praised it, and John Travolta’s performance helped prompt Tarantino to cast him in *Pulp Fiction*. The film also preceded Lithgow’s Oscar-nominated role in *The World According to Garp*.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.