We’ve lost another Hollywood legend as the Oscar-nominated veteran actor Stuart Whitmanhas sadly passed away. A charismatic performer who appeared in dozens of movie and television roles across several decades, Whitman died at his home in Montecito, California on Monday morning while surrounded by his family. According to a longtime friend of Whitman, the actor had been in the hospital recently due to complications from skin cancer seeping into his bloodstream, contributing to his passing. He was 92 years old.
Though Whitman had many fans who will always remember the actor fondly for his dozens of memorable performances on the big and small screens, his family and close friends will certainly be missing him the most of all. “Old Hollywood lost another one of its true stars. Stuart Whitman was known for his rugged roles and handsome charm,” says Whitman’s son, Justin, in a statement provided to TMZ. He adds: “We were proud of him for his TV, film roles and his Oscar nomination, but what we will really remember is his exuberant love of his family and friends.”
Whitman was born in 1928 and took a very early interest in acting, spending a lot of time watching live plays as a child. When he was 12, he began appearing in summer stock plays in New York, but it would be a while yet before he’d find his big break in movies. After graduating from Hollywood High School, Whitman enlisted in the United States Army and competed as a lightweight boxer during his time in the military, winning 31 of his 32 fights. Though he clearly had potential as a professional fighter, Whitman felt his calling was in acting, later joining the Ben Bard Drama School in Hollywood to pursue the craft.
In 1951, Whitman made his movie debut with a bit part in the movie When Worlds Collide. This launched a career with dozens of movie roles to follow in the coming decades, including roles in The Longest Day, The Comancheros, Johnny Trouble, and Those MagnificentMen in Their Flying Machines. For his acclaimed role as a convicted child molester in The Mark, Whitman was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards, losing out to Maximilian Schell for Judgment at Nuremberg. With the part making him a well-established actor, the roles came flowing in for Whitman after The Mark, leading to his final movie role in 2000 when he appeared in the TV movie The President’s Man alongside Chuck Norris.
Apart from his work on the big screen, Whitman is well known for his television work as well. This includes starring in the lead role of the classic western series Cimarron Strip from 1967 to 1972. In the following years, he’d appear on many other major television shows, which includes roles on The Streets of San Franciso, A-Team, Fantasy Island, and Murder, She Wrote. Whitman would also appear in the Superboy TV series from the late ’80s and early ’90s and had a recurring role in Knots Landing. He could also be seen in the Bruce Campbell series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and the Chuck Norris show Walker, Texas Ranger.
Whitman’s survivors include his wife, Yulia Whitman, with whom he’d been married to for 25 years. He also had four children from his first marriage to Patricia LaLonde: Tony, Michael, Linda, and Scott, along with another son, Justin, from his second marriage to Caroline Boubis. Whitman is also survived by seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America on behalf of Whitman. May he rest in peace. This news comes to us from TMZ.
