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Born on October 1, 1921, just outside NYC in White Plains, New York, character veteran James Whitmore, the stalwart actor particularly well known for his crime yarns and war action pics, was the son of James Allen Whitmore and wife Florence Crane. Educated at Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut, he received his BA from Yale University in 1944 before serving with the Marines in World War II. Following his discharge he prepared for the stage under the G.I. bill at the American Theatre Wing, where he met first wife Nancy Mygatt. They went on to have three children together, including actor James Whitmore Jr..Applause and subsequent kudos came short and quite swiftly for Whitmore under both the Broadway and film banners. After appearing with the Peterborough, New Hampshire Players in the summer of 1947 participating in the play "The Milky Way," Whitmore made an auspicious Broadway debut as Tech Sergeant Evans in "Command Decision" later that year. His gritty performance reaped the Tony, Donaldson and Theatre World awards in one fell swoop.While the attention he merited on Broadway had Hollywood's ears perking up, the film version of Command Decision (1948) starring Clark Gable was filmed the following year, but without Whitmore repeating his stage triumph. Song-and-dance star Van Johnson, who was looking for straight, serious roles after a vastly successful musical career, was given the coveted part. The disappointment didn't last long. Whitmore made his film bow with a prime role in the documentary-styled crime thriller The Undercover Man (1949) alongside Glenn Ford and Nina Foch, and made his second appearance in the war picture Battleground (1949). Following its release, Whitmore was the talk of the town once again at awards time--this time in Hollywood. Grabbing the Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for "support actor" for his efforts, he found solid footing in the cinematic firmament. Hardly the handsome, matinée lead type, he nevertheless primed himself for leading man success. Whitmore's talent, charisma and fortitude earned him a number of starring roles as well as top supports in quality pictures. Gruff on the edges with a softer inner core, he appeared opposite Nancy Davis [Reagan] in the inspirational drama The Next Voice You Hear... (1950) as a religious, morally-minded family man; showed off his saltier side alongside Marjorie Main in Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone (1950); ably portrayed a pathetic crook in The Asphalt Jungle (1950) and a level-minded security chief in the stoic military drama Above and Beyond (1952) with Robert Taylor; played it strictly for laughs as a Runyonesque gangster in the classic MGM musical Kiss Me Kate (1953) partnered with Keenan Wynn; and portrayed a valiant cop fighting off gigantic mutant ants in Them! (1954), one of the more intelligent sci-fiers of the 50s. He alternately demonstrated his gentle and crustier sides in a queue of roles that ranged from a social worker in Crime in the Streets (1956) to Tyrone Power's manager in The Eddy Duchin Story (1956).As Whitmore's film career began to wane in the late 1950s, he turned more and more to TV with memorable roles in "The Twilight Zone," "The Detectives" (again with Robert Taylor), "Ben Casey" and a host of live theater dramas. He also starred in his own series as attorney Abraham Lincoln Jones in "The Law and Mr. Jones" (1960) which lasted two seasons. Every so often a marvelous character turn would rear its head such as his white man passing for black in the controversial social drama Black Like Me (1964), his weary veteran cop in Madigan (1968), or his brash, authoritative simian in the classic sci-fi Planet of the Apes (1968).Divorced from wife Nancy after two decades, he married actress Audra Lindley, Mrs. Roper of "Three's Company" (1977) TV fame, in 1972. The couple became a formidable acting pair as well, particularly on stage, continuing their professional partnership long after their 1979 divorce. Whitmore and Lindley were lauded for their appearances together in such plays as "The Magnificent Yankee," "On Golden Pond," "The Visit," "Foxfire" and "Love Letters," among others.In the 70s Whitmore became a magnificent one-man acting machine on stage with such notables as Will Rogers, Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt mesmerizingly brought to life. He disappeared into these historical legends so efficiently that even the powers-that-be had the good sense to preserve them on film and TV in the form of Will Rogers' USA (1972) (TV); Give 'em Hell, Harry! (1975), which earned him his second Oscar nomination; and Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt (1978).Whitmore has continued to earn distinction across the boards -- on stage, film and TV. More recently, he showed worthy Oscar potential once again with his touching role as an aged, ill-fated prison parolee in The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and earned an Emmy for a recurring part on "The Practice" in the late 90s. One of his ultimate passions has been gardening and he became a commercial spokesman for many years for Miracle-Gro plant food. Currently Whitmore his enjoying his twilight years with his third wife, former actress-turned-author Noreen Nash, whom he married nearing age 80 in 2001. |
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