James Whitmore
Known for
An American character actor from White Plains, New York, whose long and honored career reached new audiences late in life. He earned an Oscar nomination for his screen debut in 'Battleground' (1949) and a second for 'Give 'em Hell, Harry!', but modern viewers know him best as Brooks Hatlen, the institutionalized old librarian in 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994), whose quiet tragedy anchors the film. A veteran of stage and one-man shows, he brought weathered gravity to authority and elder figures until his death in 2009.
James Whitmore
56 Movies
36 Series
An American character actor from White Plains, New York, whose long and honored career reached new audiences late in life. He earned an Oscar nomination for his screen debut in 'Battleground' (1949) and a second for 'Give 'em Hell, Harry!', but modern viewers know him best as Brooks Hatlen, the institutionalized old librarian in 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994), whose quiet tragedy anchors the film. A veteran of stage and one-man shows, he brought weathered gravity to authority and elder figures until his death in 2009.
Movies
Plays Brooks Hatlen
The Shawshank Redemption
1994
Plays President of the Assembly
Planet of the Apes
1968
Plays Dr. Albert Frock
The Relic
1997
Plays Admiral William F. Halsey
Tora! Tora! Tora!
1970
Plays Stan Keller
The Majestic
2001
Plays Sgt. Ben Peterson
Them!
1954
Plays Joshua Everette
Chato's Land
1972
Plays Levi
Guns of the Magnificent Seven
1969
Plays Gus Minissi
The Asphalt Jungle
1950
Plays Mr. Carnes
Oklahoma!
1955
Plays Mark Twain (voice)
The Adventures of Mark Twain
1985
Plays Lou Trent
Chuka
1967
Plays Kinnie
Battleground
1949
Plays Slug
Kiss Me Kate
1953
Plays Gus
The Last Frontier
1955
Plays Fetcher
All the Brothers Were Valiant
1953
Plays MSgt. Mac
Battle Cry
1955
Plays Lou Sherwood
The Eddy Duchin Story
1956
Plays Dr. Sanford Ferguson
The First Deadly Sin
1980
Plays Chief Inspector Charles Kane
Madigan
1968
Plays Herb Sutro
The Split
1968
Plays Priester
The Serpent's Egg
1977
Plays George Pappas
The Undercover Man
1949
Plays Grandpa
Where the Red Fern Grows
1974
Plays Capt. Shipley
Waterhole #3
1967
Plays John Malone
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950
Plays Clint Priest
The Outriders
1950
Plays Capt. James 'Jim' Gutterman
The Flying Misfits
1976
Plays Mr. Stacey
It's a Big Country
1951
Plays Harry Powell
Who Was That Lady?
1960
Plays Maj. William M. Uanna
Above and Beyond
1953
Plays Commissioner Aldo Scavino
High Crime
1973
Plays Sergeant 'Bat' Batterson
Because You're Mine
1952
Plays SSgt. / Maj . / Col. Ty 'Dad' Whitman
The McConnell Story
1955
Plays Sgt. Elliott
The Command
1954
Plays Ben Wagner
Crime in the Streets
1956
Plays Capt. Mike Riley
Nobody's Perfect
1968
Plays Joe Smith
The Next Voice You Hear...
1950
Plays Cmdr. Warren Meredith
The Deep Six
1958
Plays John Finley Horton
Black Like Me
1964
Plays Rudy Krist
The Young Don't Cry
1957
Plays Philip Tenhausen
The Harrad Experiment
1973
Plays Lou Hopke
Shadow in the Sky
1952
Plays Antonio
The Balloon Vendor
1974
Plays Monk Johnson
Face of Fire
1959
Plays Charles "Chico" Menlow
The Girl Who Had Everything
1953
Plays Vincent Maran
Please Believe Me
1950
Plays Harry S. Truman
Give 'em Hell, Harry!
1975
TV Shows
Plays Abraham Lincoln Jones
The Law and Mr. Jones
1960
Plays Vincent Campanelli
Temperatures Rising
1972
Plays George Wheeler
The Word
1978
Plays William Sterling Sr.
Mister Sterling
2003
Plays Raymond Oz
The Practice
1997
Plays The President
Favorite Son
1988
Plays Clifford Casey
Celebrity
1984
Plays Captain Ewell
The Tenderfoot
1964
Plays Timothy Fitzpatrick
Gunsmoke
1955
Plays Jake Reeves
The White Shadow
1978
Plays Joe Piante
Burke's Law
1963
Plays Milton
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
Plays Ebenezer Scrooge
George Burns Comedy Week
1985
Plays J. Marvin Bean
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
Plays Foxy Smith
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
1963
Plays Sam
Studio One
1948
Plays Hertzbrun
Combat!
1962
Plays Craig Bennett Stiles
The Ray Bradbury Theater
1985
Plays Chief Jim Holland
Run for Your Life
1965
Plays Dr. Goldman
A Minute with Stan Hooper
2003
Plays Capt. Piper Pritican
The Virginian
1962
Plays Stash Prohaska
Climax!
1954
Plays Handy
The Big Valley
1965
Plays Jeb
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
Plays Henry Clay Kincaid
Dr. Kildare
1961
Plays Harry Himber
Shane
1966
Plays Tommy McDermott
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Plays Harry Roarke
The Name of the Game
1968
Plays Doc Fritchman
The Loner
1965
Plays John Postley
Bonanza
1959
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Majestic
Full Filmography
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Milton · 1 episode
2006–2007
TV
A Minute with Stan Hooper
Dr. Goldman · 1 episode
2003–2004
TV
Mister Sterling
William Sterling Sr. · 4 episodes
2003–
TV
The Majestic
Stan Keller
2001
Film
Here's to Life!
Gus Corley
2000
Film
The Practice
Raymond Oz · 3 episodes
1997–1999
TV
The Relic
Dr. Albert Frock
1997
Film
The Shawshank Redemption
Brooks Hatlen
1994
Film
The Ray Bradbury Theater
Craig Bennett Stiles · 1 episode
1990
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is James Whitmore still alive?
James Whitmore passed away on February 6, 2009 at age 87.
What are the most famous roles of James Whitmore?
James Whitmore is best known for roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Planet of the Apes, The Majestic.
How many movies has James Whitmore been in?
Over a 60-year career (since 1949), James Whitmore has appeared in 56 movies and 36 TV shows.
What was James Whitmore's first movie?
The career of James Whitmore began with The Undercover Man (1949).
What is James Whitmore's most recent movie or series?
James Whitmore's most recent release is Meet Mr. Miracle-Gro: The Horace Hagedorn Story, which premiered on July 18, 2005.
What TV shows has James Whitmore appeared in?
On television, James Whitmore has appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, Combat!.
James Whitmore
1921-10-01 · White Plains, New York, USA
James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American film, theatre, and television actor. During his career, Whitmore won three of the four EGOT honors; - a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy. Whitmore also won a Golden Globe and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Following World War II, Whitmore appeared on Broadway in the role of the sergeant in Command Decision. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave Whitmore a contract, but his role in the film adaptation was played by Van Johnson. His first major picture for MGM was Battleground, in a role that was turned down by Spencer Tracy, to whom Whitmore bore a noted physical resemblance. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role, and won the Golden Globe Award as Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role. Other major films included Angels in the Outfield, The Asphalt Jungle, The Next Voice You Hear, Above and Beyond, Kiss Me, Kate, Them!, Oklahoma!, Black Like Me, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Give 'em Hell, Harry!, a one-man show for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former U.S. President Harry S Truman. In the film Tora! Tora! Tora!, he played Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey.
Whitmore appeared during the 1950s on many television anthology series. He was cast as Father Emil Kapaun in the 1955 episode "The Good Thief" in the ABC religion anthology series Crossroads. Other roles followed on Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theater, Lux Video Theatre, Kraft Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Schlitz Playhouse, Matinee Theatre, and the Ford Television Theatre. In 1958, he carried the lead in "The Gabe Carswell Story" of NBC's Wagon Train, with Ward Bond. Whitmore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6611 Hollywood Boulevard. The ceremony was held on February 8, 1960.