10/5/2021
Performances and Artists
Few don’t recognize this three-time Emmy winner from his role as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman in iconic television series “West Wing,” followed by prominent roles in shows like “The Handmaid’s Tale,” as well as films like “Get Out” and Lin Manuel-Miranda’s upcoming “Tick Tick… Boom.”
While best known for his screen roles, Whitford — who earned a master’s degree in theater from the prestigious Julliard Theater Center — now returns to his roots on stage.
“Like so many of us, this time of enforced isolation has left me starving for the communal experience of the live theater,” Whitford says. “I can’t imagine a more thrilling moment than stepping onto the stage in this spectacular new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol.’”
In anticipation of watching Whitford perform live, The Smith Center offers facts below that many don’t know about this illustrious actor.
His Work with Aaron Sorkin Predates ‘The West Wing’
Whitford tread the boards as a theater actor long before pursuing television and film. This included costarring in the Broadway play “A Few Good Men,” written by “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin.
His masterful acting made an impression with Sorkin, later helping Whitford land the sarcastic but vulnerable role of Lyman in “West Wing,” as well as a lead role in another Sorkin TV series, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.”
“As the years go by, we have even more appreciation for our good fortune to be part of a creative and cultural experience like that,” Whitford says now of his work with the “West Wing” ensemble. “I would do yard work for (Sorkin). I would do anything.”
He’s Involved in Real-Life Politics, Inspired by a Quaker Background
Beyond acting in political-focused shows like “West Wing,” Whitford has demonstrated a strong political interest in real life, including traveling across Ohio and Wisconsin as a political surrogate for President Barack Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown.
This interest started at a young age. Growing up in a Quaker household, Whitford says every Sunday included attending a Quaker meeting and First Day School, a child-friendly alternative to silent worship.
“(That) is kind of where I got interested in politics,” he says. “It was all about public service.”
He Hails from a Strong Theater Career
Whitford built an impressive theater career from the start.
One of his first professional acting roles included performing in an off-Broadway production of "Curse of the Starving Class" with Kathy Bates.
Afterward, he continued to act on stage at every opportunity. This includes performing in “Measure for Measure” at Lincoln Center Theater, and costarring in the Broadway revival of “Boeing-Boeing.”
The latter production was helmed by Tony-winning director Matthew Warchus (“Matilda,” “Ghost: The Musical”), who first launched the new adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” in which Whitford now stars.
He’s Been in Four Films Nominated for Best Picture
Whitford has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. These include 1990 film “Awakenings,” 1992 hit “Scent of a Woman,” 2017 film “Get Out” and Steven Spielberg’s 2017 movie “The Post.”
Even with his daunting success, he emphasizes that no one can predict how well audiences or critics will respond to a film.
"People will say to me, 'Wow you've made really good choices,'" he says. "And it always makes me laugh because you just don't know if it's going to work.”
He Isn’t Just Generous On Stage
Scrooge’s transformation in “A Christmas Carol” leads him to embrace charity and selflessness – traits that characterize Whitford in real life, too.
He cofounded a charity with his now ex-wife Jane Kaczmarek, The Clothes Off Our Back Foundation, which auctioned off celebrity apparel to raise millions of dollars for children's charities.
SEE THE SHOW
“A Christmas Carol” runs November 23 to 28 at The Smith Center – click here for tickets.