Stage Career and Early Roles

Whitford made his professional stage debut in Sam Shepard’s “Curse of the Starving Class,” performing alongside Kathy Bates in an Off-Broadway production at the Promenade Theater, which ran from July 30, 1985, to February 16, 1986. His notable theatrical credits also include “Three Days of Rain” at the Manhattan Theatre Club, “Measure for Measure” at Lincoln Center, and the title role in “Coriolanus” at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Film and Television Breakthrough

Whitford’s screen debut came with the television series “The Equalizer” in 1985, followed by his first film role in “Doorman” in 1986. His career accelerated with roles across both mediums. He is best recognized for playing White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman in Aaron Sorkin’s critically acclaimed political drama “The West Wing” (1999–2006). The collaboration between Whitford and Sorkin began when Whitford joined the Broadway cast of “A Few Good Men” in 1990 as a replacement actor.

Award-Winning Performances

Whitford won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2001 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in “The West Wing.” He received further Emmy nominations as well as Golden Globe nominations for the same role from 2001 to 2003. In 2015, he earned his second Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in “Transparent” (2014). That same year, he also received the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series and the OFTA Television Award from the Online Film & Television Association for his work on “Transparent.”