The Friends, Frasier and Broadway communities have lost a beloved member.
Paxton Whitehead—the English actor and playwright whose career spanned nearly 70 years and included countless roles in films and television sitcoms—has died at the age of 85.
Whitehead’s son Charles confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that his dad died at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia June 16.
After making his Broadway debut in the 1962 play The Affair, Whitehead went on to appear in numerous Broadway productions including The Harlequin Studies, My Fair Lady and The Crucifer of Blood, among others. He received an honorary degree in arts from Trent University in 1978 and was nominated for a Tony for his role in Camelot two years later.
Whitehead went on to appear in dozens of television shows and films throughout his tenured career, landing guest roles in Murder, She Wrote, Ellen, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Drew Carey Show, Mad About You, Frasier and Law & Order. He also appeared opposite Jennifer Aniston in two episodes on Friends as Rachel’s boss at Bloomingdale’s.
