Actor Sam Waterston of “Gatsby” and “Law & Order”

to Kick Off Preservation Society’s Summer Lecture Series

Acclaimed actor Sam Waterston will return to Rosecliff on Wednesday, July 9, revisiting the setting where he appeared in the 1974 film “The Great Gatsby.” The evening will be moderated by NBC News correspondent Anne Thompson and is the first in The Preservation Society of Newport County’s Summer Lecture Series.

The annual David B. Ford Family Lecture, entitled ““The Great Gatsby” Revisited: An Evening with Sam Waterston,” will delve into Waterston’s role as the story’s narrator, Nick Carraway, in the movie filmed partially at Rosecliff, Marble House and other Newport properties.

Harkening back to “The Great Gatsby” filming, where Rosecliff was the setting for Jay Gatsby’s raucous parties, the event will begin with a cocktail reception on the Rosecliff lawn, followed by a conversation in the ballroom with Waterston and Thompson.

Familiar to generations of television viewers as prosecutor Jack McCoy in the “Law & Order” franchise, and more recently as Sol Bergstein on the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie," Waterston originally catapulted to fame as Nick Carraway in the 1974 “Gatsby” film alongside Robert Redford and Mia Farrow.

“I cannot wait to hear Sam and Anne talk about the creative process that brought such an interesting character to life,” Preservation Society CEO Trudy Coxe said. “Nick Carraway is the moral compass in ‘The Great Gatsby.’ He is captivated by the flamboyant lifestyles of those around him but provides a grounded perspective compared to their moral ambiguity.”

Waterston has embodied more than 100 roles in his six-decade career in film, Broadway and television, including King Lear, Hamlet and President Abraham Lincoln, and has taken home Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG awards. He received an Oscar nomination for his lead role in the 1984 film “The Killing Fields,” along with Tony and BAFTA award nominations, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Veteran journalist Anne Thompson currently serves as the Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent for NBC News. Since joining NBC News in 1997, she has reported on natural disasters, presidential campaigns, and financial and economic news. Her incisive reporting and commitment to storytelling have earned her numerous prestigious honors, including multiple Emmy Awards, the Gerald Loeb Award, and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.

Tickets for this special evening are $250 per person for the reception and conversation; tickets for the dinner after the main program are almost sold out. Attendance is in-person only. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit the event webpage, "The Great Gatsby" Revisited: An Evening with Sam Waterston.”

For the full summer lecture series schedule, see www.newportmansions.org/events/2025-summer-lecture-series.

About The Preservation Society of Newport County

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area's historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties – seven of them National Historic Landmarks – span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development. For more information, please visit www.NewportMansions.org.