James Whitmore Passes Away

2009-02-08 04:40:24 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Entertainment, News)

The critically acclaimed actor dies at the age of 87.

Wired PR News.com — Actor James Whitmore has died at age 87. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), Whitmore, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in November died on Friday.

The award winning actor’s career began in 1947. He received a Tony award that same year for outstanding performance by a newcomer. Two years later, Whitmore added an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe award to his accomplishments. In 1975, Whitmore’s one man play, “Give em Hell Harry,” a play about the life of President Harry Truman was made into a movie for which he received an Oscar nomination for best actor, making him the only person in movie history to receive an Oscar nomination for a movie with only one cast member.

As noted in the AP report, Whitmore’s long career included such films as Battleground, Kiss Me Kate, Oklahoma, Planet of The Apes, The Asphalt Jungle, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and numerous others. The actor cited “Black Like Me” as his favorite film. The movie, made in 1964, was the true story of a white reporter who darkened his face in order to see what it was like to live the life of a black man in the South. One of Whitmore’s more recent memorable performances is his portrayal of Brooks in the movie “Shawshank Redemption.”

Whitmore publicly gave his support to Barack Obama early in his campaign. During one rally, he is quoted to have stated to the crowd of supporters “Obama has the wisdom to deal with a very very confused and complex country and the world.”