Paxton Whitehead | |
---|---|
Born | Francis Edward Paxton Whitehead 17 October 1937 |
Education | Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art |
Occupation | Actor Theatre director Playwright |
Years active | 1956–present |
Spouse(s) | Katherine Jane Robertson
(m. 1987) |
Children | 2 |
Francis Edward Paxton Whitehead (born 17 October 1937) is an English actor, theatre director and playwright.[1] He was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Pellinore in the 1980 revival of Camelot.
Paxton was born in East Malling and Larkfield, Kent, the son of Louise (née Hunt) and Charles Parkin Whitehead. His father was a lawyer. He trained at London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art beginning when he was 17 years old.
Paxton worked in repertory, small touring companies that rehearsed and performed a new play each week. In 1958, he was signed by the Royal Shakespeare Company.[2]
In 1961, Whitehead directed Doric Wilson's first play to be performed, And He Made a Her, a comedy, was an off-off-Broadway production at the Caffe Cino.[3] He made his Broadway debut in The Affair (1962) after appearing in Canadian stage and TV productions.[4][5]
Whitehead replaced Jonathan Miller in the Broadway production of Beyond the Fringe in 1964 and appeared on the LP recording of the show, Beyond the Fringe '64.[4][6] He went on to appear with the American Shakespeare Company to direct in regional repertory.[5]
Whitehead succeeded Barry Morse as Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival, the only repertory company dedicated to the works of George Bernard Shaw. Under his leadership, it continued to develop into an international event. During his tenure he was able to push through a plan of building the purpose-built 869 seat state-of-the-art Festival Theatre to expand considerably the capacity for audiences at Niagara-on-the-Lake.[citation needed]
Queen Elizabeth II, Indira Gandhi and Pierre Trudeau were among those who attended performances at the Shaw Festival Theatre during its inaugural season in 1973. He served until 1977 and appeared in productions as actor. His notable appearances included The Apple Cart, Major Barbara, The Philanderer, Arms and the Man, Misalliance and Heartbreak House with Jessica Tandy. Whitehead and Suzanne Grossman adapted Georges Feydeau's plays There's One in Every Marriage for the Broadway stage in 1971, and Chemin de Fer in 1974.[7]
Whitehead received an honorary degree in arts from Trent University in 1978 and earned an Antoinette Perry "Tony" Award nomination for Camelot in 1980. He has appeared in numerous Broadway productions including My Fair Lady with Richard Chamberlain, The Harlequin Studies with Bill Irwin, Noël Coward's Suite in Two Keys, Peter Shaffer's Lettice and Lovage, London Suite by Neil Simon and as Sherlock Holmes in The Crucifer of Blood.[citation needed]
In recent years, Whitehead has continued to work in regional theatre and on Broadway. In 2007, he made a cameo in Desperate Housewives as the father of Susan Mayer's fiancée, Ian.[8] Whitehead appeared in the role of Phil at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut from 12–27 July 2007 in Relatively Speaking, a comedy.[9][10][11]
Whitehead began previews of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre on 17 December 2010 in the role of Reverend Canon Chasuble. The show opened on 13 January 2011 and was filmed live on 11/12 March 2011 for broadcast in June 2011.[12] He played the role of George Bernard Shaw in Anthony Wynn's Bernard and Bosie: A Most Unlikely Friendship in a benefit performance for the Episcopal Actors' Guild on 5 May 2011.
Whitehead is an Associate Artist of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. He performs on recordings of Shaw's The Doctor's Dilemma and Harley Granville-Barker's The Voysey Inheritance.[citation needed]
Tour History
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Riel | McDougall | |
1986 | Back to School | Dr. Phillip Barbay | |
1986 | The Alan King Show | John Emerson | (TV) |
1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | Lord Malcolm Billings | |
1987 | Baby Boom | Center Instructor | |
1988 | Tales from the Hollywood Hills: The Old Reliable | Phipps | (TV) |
1990 | Chips, the War Dog | Smythe | |
1991 | Child of Darkness, Child of Light | Father Rosetti | (TV) |
1991 | An Inconvenient Woman | Hector Paradiso | (TV) |
1991 | Rover Dangerfield | Count | Voice |
1992 | Hale the Hero | General Howe | (TV) |
1992 | Boris and Natasha: The Movie | Anton/Kreeger Paulovitch | |
1993 | The Adventures of Huck Finn | Harvey Wilks | |
1993 | 12:01 | Dr. Tiberius Scott | (TV) |
1993 | My Boyfriend's Back | Judge in Heaven | |
1994 | Trick of the Eye | Deane | (TV) |
1995 | Goldilocks and the Three Bears | McReady | |
1996 | London Suite | Dr. McMerlin | (TV) |
1997 | RocketMan | British Reporter | |
1999 | The Duke | Basil Rathwood | |
1999 | Wakko's Wish (animated) | Voice of King Salazar | Direct to video |
2001 | Kate & Leopold | Uncle Millard | |
2011 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Rev. Canon Chasuble |
Year | Title | Episode | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1974 | The National Dream: Building the Impossible Railway | "The Horrid B.C. Business" | Lord Dufferin | TV mini-series |
1974 | Performance | Village Wooing | ||
1982 | Magnum, P.I. | Foiled Again | William Troubshaw | |
1982 | Hart to Hart | Hart and Sole | Patrick Burke | |
1982 | Hart to Hart | Rich and Hartless | Gordon Chumley | |
1986 | The A-Team | Beneath the Surface | Morgan | |
1987 | Down and Out in Beverly Hills | Jerry Jumps Right In | Derek | |
1987–1988 | Marblehead Manor | Regular cast | Albert Dudley the Butler | |
1988 | Baby Boom | The Right School for Elizabeth | Dr. Whittaker | |
1989 | The Nutt House | My Man Tarkington | Alec Creed | |
1989 | Murder, She Wrote | The Grand Old Lady | Captain Oliver | |
1991 | Law & Order | The Troubles | Fenwick | |
1992 | Dinosaurs | The Clip Show and The Clip Show II | Sir David Tushingham | Voice |
1992 | Dinosaurs | Charlene's Flat World | Judge | Voice |
1992–1999 | Mad About You | Recurring character | Hal Conway | |
1993 | Almost Home | The Fox and the Hound | Sir Reginald Harrington | |
1995 | Simon | Regular cast | Duke Stone | |
1995–1996 | Ellen | Recurring character | Dr. Whitcomb | |
1996 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | The Darkest Fathoms | Commander | Voice |
1996 | Caroline in the City | Caroline and the Cat Dancer | Cats Producer | |
1996 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | World's Greatest Dick | Dr. Menard | |
1996 | Frasier | A Lilith Thanksgiving | Dr. Campbell | |
1997 | Liberty! The American Revolution | Recurring character | Horace Walpole | |
1998 | Early Edition | Romancing the Throne | Vesti | |
1998 | Friends | Recurring character | Mr. Waltham | |
2000 | The West Wing | Noël | Bernard Thatch | |
2001 | Dead Last | To Live and Amulet Die | Chancellor Johns | |
2002 | The Drew Carey Show | Rich Woman, Poor Man | Helford | |
2003 | Charlie Lawrence | It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother | British Ambassador[45] | |
2004 | The West Wing | A Change Is Gonna Come | Bernard Thatch | |
2007 | Desperate Housewives | Dress Big | Graham Hainsworth |