Friends star and theatre veteran has died

The English actor, who was a Broadway stalwart and regular guest star in a number of classic nineties sitcoms, died on Friday at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia. 

His son, Charles Whitehead, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter.

Fans of Friends will recognise Whitehead for playing Mr. Waltham, Rachel Green's boss at Bloomingdale's during season four of the hit series.

The actor also made appearances on shows such as Frasier, Caroline in the City, Ellen, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Drew Carey Show and Mad About You. 

Born in Kent on October 17 1938, Whitehead began his acting career in small touring companies before he was signed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1958.

He went on to appear in an array of Broadway productions, including starring as Sherlock Holmes in 1978-79’s The Crucifer of Blood, which ran for 236 performances on Broadway, co-starred Glenn Close and was nominated for four Tonys, winning one.

And Whitehead himself earned a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Pellinore in a 1980 revival of Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot.

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