James Whitmore, Jr.

James Whitmore, Jr.
James Whitmore, Jr. (left), as Freddie Beamer in The Rockford Files, listening as Jim Rockford (James Garner) speaks to him.
Born	James Allen Whitmore III October 24, 1948 Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, television director

James Allen Whitmore III (born October 24, 1948), better known as James Whitmore, Jr., is an American actor best known for his role as Captain Jim Gutterman on the television program Baa Baa Black Sheep (later known as Black Sheep Squadron), and (since the 1980s) a television director. He is the son of actor James Whitmore.^[1]

Life and career

Born in Manhattan, New York, Whitmore has had recurring guest-starring roles on the TV series The Rockford Files and Hunter. He also appeared in two episodes of Magnum, P.I. and an episode of Battlestar Galactica before directing many episodes of series by Donald P. Bellisario, the creator of Magnum and a writer on Galactica.^[2]

Whitmore has the distinction of occasionally acting in the episodes he directs, such as two episodes of Quantum Leap ("8 1/2 Months," and "Trilogy, Pt. 1"). In that series as well as several others, he played different characters in each appearance, rather than recurring roles.^[2]

In addition to directing episodes of shows for Bellisario (Quantum Leap, Tequila and Bonetti, JAG, NCIS, and NCIS: Los Angeles), Whitmore directed episodes of more than one series for Joss Whedon. Whitmore directed the final episodes of two different series (Dawson's Creek and the aforementioned Quantum Leap). After Leap, Whitmore would again direct Scott Bakula in episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise, NCIS: New Orleans (including the Dean Stockwell reunion episode) and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. He would also direct David Boreanaz in both Angel and Bones. The Pretender reunited Whitmore with much of the same writing staff as Quantum Leap.

Director's filmography

• 21 Jump Street (8 episodes)
• 24 (6 episodes, all from Day 2)
• Angel (1 episode)
• Beverly Hills, 90210 (11 episodes)
• Bones (2 episodes)
• Brooklyn South (2 episodes)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (5 episodes)
• The Cleaner (2 episodes)
• Cold Case (6 episodes)
• The Commish (8 episodes)
• Dark Angel (2 episodes)
• Dawson's Creek (6 episodes)
• Dead Like Me (4 episodes)
• Ferris Bueller (1 episode)
• Get Real (3 episodes)
• The Good Wife (4 episodes)
• Hunter (23 episodes)
• JAG (2 episodes)
• Jericho (3 episodes)
• Las Vegas (2 episodes)
• Madam Secretary (1 episode)
• Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1 episode)
• NCIS (20 episodes)
• NCIS: Los Angeles (7 episodes)
• Nowhere Man (3 episodes)
• Person of Interest (1 episode)
• The Pretender (7 episodes)
• Profiler (2 episodes)
• Providence (3 episodes)
• Quantum Leap (15 episodes)
• Roswell (2 episodes)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (2 episodes)
• Tequila and Bonetti (4 episodes)
• The Unit (5 episodes)
• Witchblade (4 episodes)
• NCIS: New Orleans (first half of the NCIS backdoor pilot and 3 episodes)
• Young Americans (5 episodes)

Actor's filmography

• Airwolf (2 episodes: different characters)
• Baa Baa Black Sheep (regular character: Capt. James Gutterman)
• The Eddie Capra Mysteries (episode "Breakout to Murder" as Dr. Faulkner, 1978)
• The Greatest American Hero (3 episodes: different characters)
• Hardcastle & McCormick (2 episodes: different characters)
• Hunter (19 episodes: Sgt. Bernie Terwilliger)
• Lou Grant (2 episodes: different characters)
• Magnum, P.I. (2 episodes: different characters)
• Quantum Leap (3 episodes: different characters)
• The Rockford Files (2 episodes: Freddie Beamer)
• Simon & Simon (3 episodes: different characters)
• The Twilight Zone (1980s series) (2 episodes: different characters)
• The Boys in Company C (1978) as Lieutenant Archer

References

1. James Whitmore, Jr., Peterborough Players
2. James Whitmore, Jr. Biography (1948-), Film Reference

External links

• James Whitmore, Jr. at the Internet Movie Database