---
name: "Paxton Whitehead"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/paxton-whitehead"
fi1m_id: "paxton-whitehead"
imdb_id: "nm0925717"
tmdb_id: 129996
wikidata_id: "Q1942013"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "17 October 1937"
died: "16 June 2023"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-04T19:38:57.945931+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Paxton Whitehead

## Identity

Paxton Whitehead

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/paxton-whitehead
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** paxton-whitehead
- **IMDb ID:** nm0925717
- **TMDB ID:** 129996
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1942013
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxton_Whitehead, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1942013, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0925717/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/129996

Actor. Born 17 October 1937 in Kent, England, UK. Died 16 June 2023.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 17 October 1937, Kent, England, UK
- **Died:** 16 June 2023
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxton_Whitehead, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1942013, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0925717/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/129996

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Back to School*](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## 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.

*Sources: washingtonpost.com, hollywoodreporter.com, en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Back to School* (1986), Fi1m 72, as Phillip Barbay — [page](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md)

## Complete filmography (48)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Importance of Being Earnest* (2011), as Rev. Canon Chasuble
- *Desperate Housewives* (2004), series, as Graham Hainsworth — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md)
- *Kate & Leopold* (2001), as Uncle Millard
- *Animaniacs: Wakko's Wish* (1999), as King Salazar (voice)
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, as Bernard Thatch — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *The Duke* (1999), as Basil Rathwood
- *Liberty!* (1997), series, as Horace Walpole
- *RocketMan* (1997), as British Reporter
- *Early Edition* (1996), series, as Vesti
- *London Suite* (1996), as Dr. McMerlin
- *Lush Life* (1996), series, Actor
- *The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest* (1996), series, as Commander (voice)
- *3rd Rock from the Sun* (1996), series, as Dr. Menard
- *Caroline in the City* (1995), series, as Cats' Producer
- *The Drew Carey Show* (1995), series, as Helford
- *Simon* (1995), series, as Duke Stone
- *Goldilocks and the Three Bears* (1995), as McReady
- *Trick of the Eye* (1994), as Deane
- *Friends* (1994), series, as Mr. Waltham — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/friends.md)
- *Where Are My Children?* (1994), Actor
- *Ellen* (1994), series, as Dr. Whitcomb
- *12:01* (1993), as Dr. Tiberius Scott
- *Frasier* (1993), series, as Dr. Campbell — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *My Boyfriend's Back* (1993), as Judge In Heaven
- *The Adventures of Huck Finn* (1993), as Harvey Wilks
- *Monster in My Pocket: The Big Scream* (1992), as Dr. Henry Davenport, the Invisible Man (voice)
- *Mad About You* (1992), series, as Hal Conway
- *Boris and Natasha* (1992), as Anton / Kreeger Paulovitch
- *Nervous Ticks* (1992), as Cheshire
- *The Torkelsons* (1991), series, as Reginald Harrington
- *Rover Dangerfield* (1991), as Count (voice)
- *An Inconvenient Woman* (1991), series, as Hector Paradiso
- *Child of Darkness, Child of Light* (1991), as Father Rosetti
- *Dinosaurs* (1991), series, as Sir David Tushingham, Judge (voice)
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Fenwick — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Chips, the War Dog* (1990), as Smythe
- *Baby Boom* (1987), as "Center" Instructor
- *Marblehead Manor* (1987), series, as Albert Dudley
- *Jumpin' Jack Flash* (1986), as Malcolm Billings
- *Back to School* (1986), as Phillip Barbay — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md)
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Captain Oliver
- *Brothers* (1984), series, as Barnes
- *The A-Team* (1983), series, as Morgan
- *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), series, as William Troubshaw
- *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, as Patrick Burke, Gordon Chumley
- *Riel* (1979), as McDougall
- *The First Night of 'Pygmalion'* (1975), as Herbert Beerbohm Tree
- *Knight Errant Limited* (1959), series, as Mr. Sewell

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/paxton-whitehead