Biography
Paxton Whitehead was an English actor. Born Francis Edward Paxton Whitehead on 17 October 1937 in Kent, England, he trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London and began his professional career in 1956. He worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and later became artistic director of Canada's Shaw Festival from 1967 to 1977.
Whitehead appeared in numerous Broadway productions from 1962 onwards, including a Tony-nominated performance as Pellinore in the 1980 revival of Camelot. His film roles included Phillip Barbay in Back to School (1986). On television he appeared in series such as Friends as Mr Waltham, Frasier, The West Wing and Mad About You.
He died on 16 June 2023 in Arlington, Virginia, aged 85.
