James Whitmore, the veteran Tony- and Emmy-winning actor who delivered strong performances and brought American icons like Will Rogers, Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt to life with his popular one-man shows in the theaters, died today at his residence in Malibu.
He was 87 years old. His son Steve Whitmore a Los Angeles County sheriff officer said that James Whitmore was diagnosed with lung cancer a week before thanksgiving.
This extraordinary actor and performer came into Hollywood in 1949 and also nominated for the best actor for Harry Truman in 1975. He took home an Emmy in 2000 for a guest-starring role on The Practice. And his Tony Award came in the late 1940s for the play Command Decision. He was best known to the audiences as the wise old librarian in The Shawshank Redemption.
