Stage actor and Friends guest star Paxton Whitehead has died aged 85.
The actor, as well as appearing alongside Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer in the beloved sitcom, also starred in Frasier and The Drew Carey Show in guest roles.
He also played recurring role Hal Conway in Mad About You, acting as the first and third husband of Judy Geeson’s Maggie in nine episodes of the Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt show.
Whitehead’s son Charles confirmed his death on Friday at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia, to The Hollywood Reporter.
The English actor was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his stage performance as Pellinore in 1980 revival of Camelot, and performed numerous times on Broadway.
He began his theatre career in 1958 when he was signed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, before making his Broadway debut in 1962 in The Affair.
In 1978, Whithead played Sherlock Holmes in The Crucifer of Blood, which co-starred Glenn Close and ran for 236 performances.
He also acted in Broadway productions My Fair Lady with Richard Chamberlain and The Importance of Being Earnest.
On television, he also made appearances on Murder, She Wrote, Law and Order, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and in 2007, played Susan Mayer’s fiancé Ian in Desperate Housewives.
In Friends, Whitehead played Rachel’s Bloomingdale’s boss, Mr Waltham in 1998.
In a 2017 interview with Someday Productions, Whitehead said he preferred to act in farces, saying: ‘Everybody says farces are difficult to do, but it depends.
‘You either have a knack for it or you don’t. I think it is hard for some people. I found it not so difficult. I don’t know. I just seemed to respond to it.’
He is survived by his son and daughter Alex.
