Born on October 1, 1921, just outside New York City in White Plains, New York, character veteran James Whitmore was well regarded in his early years for his award-winning dramatic capabilities on Broadway and in films. Later he conquered TV with the same trophy-winning results. Educated at Connecticut's Choate School after receiving a football scholarship, he later earned his BA from Yale University in 1944 before serving with the Marines in World War II. Following his discharge and study in the American Theatre Wing,he met first of four wives, Nancy Mygatt. In the summer of 1947, Whitmore's debuted on Broadway as Tech Sergeant Evans in "Command Decision". His gritty performance reaped the stage acting trifecta -- Tony, Donaldson and Theatre World awards --in one fell swoop. Following the release of the war picture Battleground (1949), earning himself both Golden Globe and an Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He went on to find a solid footing in films throughout the early part of the 1950s, before turning to television performances and only returning to film decades later. Earning distinction throughout his six-decade career, Whitmore showed worthy Oscar potential once again with his touching role as an aged, ill-fated prison parolee in The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and copped an Emmy for a recurring part on "The Practice" in the late 90s. A household face in commercials as well, one of his ultimate passions was gardening and he eventually became the commercial spokesman for Miracle-Gro plant food.
Movie | Arthur Miller: Writer | Self (archive footage) | 2017-12-08 |
Series | Mister Sterling | 2003-01-10 | |
Series | A Minute with Stan Hooper | Unknown | 2003-10-29 |
Movie | A Ring of Endless Light | Grandfather | 2002-07-04 |
Movie | The Majestic | Stan Keller | 2001-12-21 |
Series | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Unknown | 2000-10-06 |
Movie | Swing Vote | Daniel Morissey | 1999-04-19 |
Series | The Practice | Unknown | 1997-03-04 |
Movie | The Relic | Dr. Albert Frock | 1997-01-10 |
Movie | The Shawshank Redemption | Brooks Hatlen | 1994-09-23 |
Movie | Old Explorers | Leinen Roth | 1990-09-28 |
Movie | Glory! Glory! | Lester Babbitt | 1989-09-25 |
Series | Favorite Son | The President | 1988-10-30 |
Movie | Tricks of the Trade | 1988-12-06 | |
Movie | All My Sons | Joe Keller | 1987-01-19 |
Movie | Nuts | Judge Stanley Murdoch | 1987-11-20 |
Series | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Unknown | 1985-05-21 |
Movie | The Adventures of Mark Twain | Mark Twain (voice) | 1985-03-01 |
Series | George Burns Comedy Week | Unknown | 1985-09-18 |
Movie | Hail Columbia! | Narrator | 1982-06-15 |
Movie | The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America | Narrator | 1982-10-01 |
Movie | Rage! | Borski | 1980-09-25 |
Movie | The First Deadly Sin | Dr. Sanford Ferguson | 1980-10-03 |
Movie | The Horror Show | (archive footage) | 1979-02-06 |
Movie | Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt | Teddy Roosevelt | 1978-09-29 |
Series | The Word | George Wheeler | 1978-11-12 |
Series | The White Shadow | Unknown | 1978-11-27 |
Movie | The Serpent's Egg | Priester | 1977-10-28 |
Movie | The Flying Misfits | Capt. James 'Jim' Gutterman | 1976-09-21 |
Movie | I Will Fight No More Forever | General Oliver O. Howard | 1975-04-13 |
Movie | Give 'em Hell, Harry! | Harry S. Truman | 1975-09-17 |
Movie | Where the Red Fern Grows | Grandpa | 1974-06-21 |
Movie | The Canterville Ghost | Hyram B. Otis | 1974-12-31 |
Movie | The Balloon Vendor | Antonio | 1974-12-21 |
Movie | The Harrad Experiment | Philip Tenhausen | 1973-05-11 |
Movie | High Crime | Commissioner Aldo Scavino | 1973-08-12 |
Movie | Chato's Land | Joshua Everette | 1972-05-25 |
Series | Temperatures Rising | 1972-09-12 | |
Movie | If Tomorrow Comes | Frank Phillips | 1971-12-07 |
Movie | Tora! Tora! Tora! | Vice Admiral William F. 'Bull' Halsey Jr. | 1970-01-26 |
Movie | The Challenge | Overman | 1970-02-10 |
Series | Then Came Bronson | Unknown | 1969-09-17 |
Series | My Friend Tony | Prof. John Woodruff | 1969-01-05 |
Movie | Guns of the Magnificent Seven | Levi | 1969-07-14 |
Movie | Madigan | Chief Inspector Charles Kane | 1968-03-29 |
Movie | Nobody's Perfect | Capt. Mike Riley | 1968-01-12 |
Movie | Planet of the Apes | President of the Assembly | 1968-02-07 |
Series | The Name of the Game | Unknown | 1968-09-20 |
Movie | The Split | Herb Sutro | 1968-11-04 |
Series | Custer | Unknown | 1967-09-06 |
Series | Judd for the Defense | Unknown | 1967-09-08 |
Movie | Chuka | Lou Trent | 1967-07-23 |
Series | Cowboy in Africa | Unknown | 1967-09-11 |
Movie | Waterhole #3 | Capt. Shipley | 1967-10-10 |
Series | The Danny Thomas Hour | Unknown | 1967-09-11 |
Series | Tarzan | Unknown | 1966-09-08 |
Series | The Monroes | Unknown | 1966-09-07 |
Series | T.H.E. Cat | Unknown | 1966-09-16 |
Series | For the People | Unknown | 1965-01-31 |
Series | Run for Your Life | Unknown | 1965-09-13 |
Series | The Big Valley | Unknown | 1965-09-15 |
Series | The Loner | Unknown | 1965-09-18 |
Series | 12 O'Clock High | Unknown | 1964-09-18 |
Movie | Black Like Me | John Finley Horton | 1964-01-01 |
Series | Slattery's People | Unknown | 1964-09-21 |
Movie | The Tenderfoot | Captain Ewell | 1964-11-08 |
Series | Arrest and Trial | Unknown | 1963-09-15 |
Series | The Greatest Show on Earth | Unknown | 1963-09-17 |
Series | Burke's Law | Unknown | 1963-09-20 |
Series | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Unknown | 1963-10-10 |
Series | The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters | 1963-09-29 | |
Movie | Icarus Montgolfier Wright | 1962-08-22 | |
Series | The Virginian | Unknown | 1962-09-19 |
Series | Combat! | Unknown | 1962-10-02 |
Series | Going My Way | Unknown | 1962-10-03 |
Series | The Wonderful World of Disney | Unknown | 1961-09-24 |
Series | Dr. Kildare | Unknown | 1961-09-27 |
Series | Bus Stop | Unknown | 1961-10-01 |
Series | Alcoa Premiere | Unknown | 1961-10-10 |
Series | Ben Casey | Unknown | 1961-10-02 |
Movie | Who Was That Lady? | Harry Powell | 1960-04-08 |
Series | Checkmate | Unknown | 1960-09-17 |
Series | Route 66 | Unknown | 1960-10-07 |
Series | The Law and Mr. Jones | Abraham Lincoln Jones | 1960-10-07 |
Series | Rawhide | Unknown | 1959-01-09 |
Movie | Face of Fire | Monk Johnson | 1959-08-09 |
Series | The Twilight Zone | Unknown | 1959-10-02 |
Series | The Detectives | Unknown | 1959-10-16 |
Series | Decision | Unknown | 1958-07-06 |
Movie | The Deep Six | Cmdr. Warren Meredith | 1958-01-15 |
Series | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | Unknown | 1958-10-06 |
Movie | The Restless Years | Ed Henderson | 1958-12-01 |
Series | Panic! | Unknown | 1957-03-05 |
Movie | The Young Don't Cry | Rudy Krist | 1957-07-26 |
Movie | The Eddy Duchin Story | Lou Sherwood | 1956-05-02 |
Movie | Crime in the Streets | Ben Wagner | 1956-06-10 |
Series | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Unknown | 1956-10-05 |
Movie | The McConnell Story | SSgt. / Maj . / Col. Ty 'Dad' Whitman | 1955-09-29 |
Series | Gunsmoke | Unknown | 1955-09-10 |
Movie | Battle Cry | MSgt. Mac | 1955-02-02 |
Series | Playwrights '56 | Unknown | 1955-10-04 |
Movie | The Last Frontier | Gus | 1955-12-07 |
Series | The 20th Century Fox Hour | Unknown | 1955-10-05 |
Movie | Oklahoma! | Mr. Carnes | 1955-10-10 |
Series | Crossroads | Unknown | 1955-10-07 |
Movie | The Command | Sgt. Elliott | 1954-02-13 |
Movie | The Great Diamond Robbery | Mr. Remlick, Lawyer | 1954-01-29 |
Movie | Them! | Sgt. Ben Peterson | 1954-06-16 |
Series | Climax! | Unknown | 1954-10-07 |
Series | The Oscars | Unknown | 1953-03-19 |
Movie | Above and Beyond | Maj. William M. Uanna | 1953-01-02 |
Movie | The Girl Who Had Everything | Charles "Chico" Menlow | 1953-03-27 |
Series | The United States Steel Hour | Unknown | 1953-10-27 |
Movie | All the Brothers Were Valiant | Fetcher | 1953-11-13 |
Movie | Kiss Me Kate | Slug | 1953-11-26 |
Movie | Shadow in the Sky | Lou Hopke | 1952-07-18 |
Movie | Because You're Mine | Sergeant 'Bat' Batterson | 1952-10-01 |
Movie | The Hoaxters | Narrator (voice) | 1952-12-05 |
Series | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Unknown | 1951-10-05 |
Movie | Across the Wide Missouri | Old Bill (uncredited) | 1951-10-12 |
Movie | It's a Big Country | Mr. Stacey | 1951-11-20 |
Movie | Angels in the Outfield | Angel (voice) (uncredited) | 1951-10-19 |
Movie | Please Believe Me | Vincent Maran | 1950-05-12 |
Movie | The Outriders | Clint Priest | 1950-03-01 |
Movie | The Asphalt Jungle | Gus Minissi | 1950-05-12 |
Series | Lux Video Theatre | Unknown | 1950-10-02 |
Movie | The Next Voice You Hear... | Joe Smith | 1950-06-29 |
Movie | Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone | John Malone | 1950-12-08 |
Movie | The Undercover Man | George Pappas | 1949-03-21 |
Movie | Battleground | Kinnie | 1949-11-09 |
Series | Studio One | Unknown | 1948-11-07 |