James Whitmore: Oscar-Nominated Actor of The Shawshank Redemption Dies a

James Whitmore was an American actor. Born on October 1, 1921, in White Plains, New York, he served in the Marines in World War II and studied at the Actors Studio.

He won a Tony Award in 1950 for Command Decision and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his one-man show Give 'em Hell, Harry! (1975), in which he played Harry Truman. He also starred in Them! and Battleground and played Brooks Hatlen in The Shawshank Redemption (1994).

He toured with his one-man shows about Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt. Whitmore died of lung cancer at his home in Malibu, California, on February 6, 2009, at age 87.

Achievements: Tony Award (1950), Academy Award nomination, Golden Globe winner.

Birth: October 1, 1921 - White Plains, New York.

Profession: Actor.

Interesting Facts: He played Truman in a one-man show.