James Allen Whitmore Jr. was an American actor. He attended Yale University on a football scholarship but, after injuring his knees, quit and joined the dramatic society. After graduating with a degree in government, he served as a lieutenant in the US Marines during World War II. After the war, he appeared on Broadway followed by a number of film roles and then television.
Whitmore acted on stage, in film, and on TV for over 50 years. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award for his turn on the show "The Practice", a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award for "Command Decision", plus two Academy Award nominations. He was known to later audiences for his part in The Shawshank Redemption (1994), when he played Brooks Hatlen, a prison librarian released after 50 years who had a hard time adjusting to life on the outside. Whitmore died in February 2009, only a few months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
