61-598: Bradley Whitford (born October 10, 1959) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman in the NBC television political drama The West Wing (1999–2006), for which he was nominated for three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards from 2001 to 2003, winning in 2001. The role earned him three consecutive Golden Globe Award nominations. In addition to The West Wing , Whitford played Danny Tripp in Studio 60 on
122-632: A 13.2% overall decrease from the previous weekend— and moved to second place behind Ghost . In its third weekend, the film grossed an additional $ 7,901,866, for an overall domestic gross of $ 42,012,238. It grossed an additional $ 6,101,374 on its fourth weekend. The film returned to fourth place on its fifth week, grossing an additional $ 4,646,004, and returned to third place for the following two weeks. Presumed Innocent grossed $ 86,303,188 during its North American theatrical run. Coupled with its international take of $ 135 million, it accumulated $ 221,303,188 in worldwide box office totals. In North America, it
183-506: A Bachelor of Arts in 1981, where he was a roommate of producer Paul Schiff . Whitford then studied drama at the Juilliard School , where he was a member of "Group 14". The NBC series Who Do You Think You Are? explored Whitford's ancestry in an August 2022 episode, including ancestors who fought in a crucial American Civil War battle. Whitford first appeared on television in a 1985 episode of The Equalizer , followed by
244-740: A budget of $ 20 million. Filming took place on locations in Detroit , Windsor, Ontario , and New Jersey , and on soundstages at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York . Presumed Innocent premiered at the Fox Bruin Theater in Los Angeles , California , on July 25, 1990, before being released across North America on July 27, 1990. The film has an approval rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes , with critics praising its directing, acting, and writing. It grossed $ 221 million worldwide and became
305-632: A cross-dressing businessman during the first season of the Amazon Studios series Transparent . He went on to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance. He returned during the series' second season as Magnus Hirschfeld . In February 2014, it was announced that he was cast in Randall Miller 's Midnight Rider , a biopic of Gregg Allman . Starting in 2015, Whitford had
366-480: A guest appearance on ER in the Emmy Award-winning episode " Love's Labor Lost ". Whitford joined the cast of Sorkin's The West Wing as Josh Lyman with the show's premiere in 1999. For his role, he won an Emmy Award in 2001 for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Whitford also wrote two episodes of the series (" Faith Based Initiative " in the sixth season and " Internal Displacement " in
427-684: A nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series . In 2019, Whitford played Rick Stanton in the monster film Godzilla: King of the Monsters , and from 2019 to 2020, he starred in the musical comedy series Perfect Harmony , which ran for one season on NBC . In August 2023, he portrayed Francis in the Los Angeles production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong . Whitford married actress Jane Kaczmarek in August 1992. They have three children together. In June 2009,
488-483: A recurring role in Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Roger Peralta, father of lead character Jake Peralta ( Andy Samberg ). In 2017, Whitford played Dean Armitage, a father and neurosurgeon, in the racially themed horror film Get Out , and antagonist Arthur Parsons in the political thriller The Post . In 2018, Whitford played President Gray in the dystopian science fiction film The Darkest Minds , and joined
549-591: A series of "surprise virtual appearances" in support of Joe Biden 's 2020 presidential campaign . White House Deputy Chief of Staff The White House Deputy Chief of Staff is officially the top aide to the White House chief of staff , who is the senior aide to the president of the United States . The deputy chief of staff usually has an office in the West Wing and is responsible for ensuring
610-546: A two-year recurring role on the ABC daytime drama All My Children . His film debut was in the 1986 film Dead as a Doorman . He made his Broadway theatre debut in 1990 playing Lt. Jack Ross (followed a few months later in the lead role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee), in the Aaron Sorkin written play A Few Good Men . This was the beginning of a recurring working relationship between Whitford and Sorkin. Whitford film roles during
671-477: Is a 1990 American legal thriller film based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Scott Turow . Directed by Alan J. Pakula , and written by Pakula and Frank Pierson , it stars Harrison Ford , Brian Dennehy , Raúl Juliá , Bonnie Bedelia , Paul Winfield and Greta Scacchi . The film follows Rusty Sabich (Ford), a prosecutor who is charged with the murder of his colleague and mistress Carolyn Polhemus (Scacchi). Several studios and producers fought to secure
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#1732793313002732-413: Is actually concerned that reviewers will tip the solution to the murder mystery. It's that the studio wants to further the impression that the movie is full of surprises." Richard Schickel of Time magazine disregarded the request and revealed Rusty's innocence in his review. He wrote, "Carolyn's murderer has an excellent motive both for killing her ... But it is hard to accept the possibility that
793-489: Is convincing and seductive." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune praised the supporting cast, writing, "Raul Julia is excellent as Ford's sinister defense attorney. John Spencer , Joe Grifasi , Tom Mardirosian and Sab Shimono are each compelling as investigator, political lackey, prosecutor and coroner." Owen Gleiberman , writing for Entertainment Weekly , criticized Pakula's direction, stating, "Pakula
854-531: Is good at laying out an intricate, almost mathematical series of events (his best film remains All the President's Men ), but he's not big on atmosphere. The movie could have used some of the bowels-of-the-city grit Sidney Lumet brought to Q&A ." Dave Kehr, also writing for the Chicago Tribune , stated, "Though it's a handsome film, carefully staged and courageously low-key, the transition to
915-579: Is one of those rare films where all the players seem to be in a state of grace, where the working of the machinery never shows and after it's over, one runs and reruns its intricacies with a profound sense of satisfaction." Peter Travers , writing for Rolling Stone , called the film "a smart, passionate, steadily engrossing thriller". Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised Pakula's direction, writing, "Pakula has directed an intense, enveloping, gratifyingly thorough screen adaptation of Mr. Turow's story." Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote that film
976-513: Is the kind of effective courtroom thriller most others aspire to be." On Metacritic it has a score of 72% based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. Warner Bros. requested in press releases that critics not discuss the film's ending. Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel surmised, "It's not that Warner Bros.
1037-587: The 2012 United States elections , Whitford and Courage Campaign founder, Rick Jacobs, appeared together in a video that elaborated on California's Proposition 30 and Proposition 32 ; the video encouraged viewers to vote "yes" on the former and "no" on the latter. Leading up to the 2014 Wisconsin gubernatorial election , Whitford visited multiple University of Wisconsin System campuses in support of nominee Mary Burke , who went on to lose against incumbent Governor Scott Walker. Whitford supported Hillary Clinton in
1098-500: The 2016 United States presidential election . He has been a vocal critic of former US president Donald Trump . In 2019, he co-hosted a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg alongside actress Gwyneth Paltrow as well as donated to Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign . That same year, Whitford appeared in a public service announcement in support of abortion rights alongside other cast members of The Handmaid's Tale . The following year, he appeared as part of
1159-605: The Fox TV comedy The Good Guys opposite Colin Hanks . In 2011, Whitford guest-starred in In Plain Sight on USA Network as a man combatting paranoia. He appeared in the season three finale of The Mentalist as a minion of and decoy for " Red John ", the long-sought nemesis of the show's protagonist Patrick Jane . Whitford appeared on Law & Order: Los Angeles as a lawyer. On September 15, 2011, he starred in
1220-403: The eighth-highest-grossing film of 1990 . The film was followed by a television miniseries, The Burden of Proof , in 1992, and a television film sequel, Innocent , in 2011. Rozat "Rusty" Sabich is a prosecutor and the right-hand man of district attorney Raymond Horgan. When his colleague Carolyn Polhemus is found raped and murdered in her apartment, Raymond insists that Rusty take charge of
1281-1566: The 1980s and 1990s included Elisabeth Shue 's boyfriend Mike Todwell in Adventures in Babysitting (1987), Roger Latimer in Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Jamie Kemp in Presumed Innocent (1990), Charles Phalen in Young Guns II (1990), Dr. Tyler in Awakenings (1990), Al Pacino 's brother-in-law Randy Slade in Scent of a Woman (1992), FBI sharpshooter Bobby Lee in A Perfect World (1993), lawyer Jamey Collins in Philadelphia (1993), Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Fink in The Client (1994), antagonist Eric Gordon in Billy Madison (1995), and Lloyd Charney in Bicentennial Man (1999). His television appearances during this time included Guiding Light , NYPD Blue , Ellen , The X-Files , Touched by an Angel , and
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#17327933130021342-684: The Recorder's Court in Detroit and viewed training footage from the Michigan Prosecutors' Association. Greta Scacchi , who plays Carolyn Polhemus, observed Linda Fairstein , head of the Manhattan District Attorney 's sex crimes unit. Raúl Juliá , who plays Sandy Stern, researched his role by meeting with criminal lawyer Michael Kennedy. Paul Winfield lobbied for the role of Judge Larren Lyttle upon reading
1403-474: The Sabich family home. The house's cellar was used to film a scene involving Rusty and his wife. The cast and crew then returned to Kaufman Astoria Studios to film the trial scenes. Principal photography concluded on October 24, 1989. Presumed Innocent held its world premiere at the Fox Bruin Theater in Los Angeles , California , on July 25, 1990, with an afterparty held at Chasen's restaurant. The film
1464-662: The Sunset Strip , Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys , Timothy Carter, a character who was believed to be Red John , in the CBS series The Mentalist , antagonist Eric Gordon in the film Billy Madison , Arthur Parsons in The Post , Dean Armitage in the horror film Get Out , Roger Peralta in Brooklyn Nine-Nine , President Gray in the dystopian science fiction film The Darkest Minds and Rick Stanton in
1525-409: The advisory board of Citizens' Climate Lobby , an international grassroots environmental group founded by Marshall L. Saunders that trains and supports volunteers to build relationships with their elected representatives in order to influence climate policy . In 2011, Whitford spoke at a protest in his native Madison, Wisconsin, in opposition to Governor Scott Walker 's budget repair bill. Prior to
1586-499: The book. Ford also suggested to Pakula that Rusty have a buzz cut . He explained, "There are many things I found I could express with that short haircut. Simplest of all, I wanted to tell the audience to leave their baggage at home — not to expect the Harrison Ford they've seen before." In preparing for their roles, the actors were granted access to lawyers who would act as advisors. Ford observed murder trials with Pakula at
1647-424: The cast of the web dystopian tragedy The Handmaid's Tale as Commander Joseph Lawrence, guest starring in the final two episodes of the second season. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2019 for his performance and became the first person to have won the guest acting Emmy Awards for both comedy and drama. He returned as a series regular for the third season and garnered
1708-446: The charges. Rusty confronts Stern for bringing up the bribery file in the case. Stern reveals that Lyttle had a brief sexual encounter with Carolyn and that he and Raymond knew that Lyttle was taking bribes, and although Lyttle had offered his resignation, Raymond felt that he was a brilliant judge and deserved another chance. Lipranzer meets with Rusty and reveals the missing beer glass, explaining that he never returned it to evidence when
1769-433: The coroner, it is revealed that Carolyn underwent a tubal ligation , thus having no reason to use the spermicidal contraceptive which was found on her. Stern asserts that the only explanation for this discrepancy is that the fluid sample was not actually taken from Carolyn's body. Based on the disappearance of the beer glass, the lack of motive, and the fact that the fluid sample was rendered meaningless, Judge Lyttle dismisses
1830-522: The couple announced that they were divorcing after 18 years of marriage, and the divorce was finalized in October 2010. Whitford began dating his Transparent co-star Amy Landecker in 2015. They announced their engagement in March 2018. Whitford and Landecker eloped on July 17, 2019. In May 2007, Whitford was honored by Alliance for Justice , a nonprofit organization, as the 2007 Champion of Justice. He
1891-415: The election, he and Molto accuse Rusty of the murder and push to get evidence against him. Lipranzer is removed from the case, and Greer's inquiries uncover the affair. Rusty hires Sandy Stern, a top defense attorney. At trial, it is revealed that an important piece of evidence, a beer glass with Rusty’s fingerprints, is missing. Raymond testifies and perjures himself, claiming that Rusty insisted on handling
Bradley Whitford - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-485: The film adaptation as being "a movie full of sex and blood". Pakula felt that the concept of justice was more central to the story. He also wanted to present the film in a visual style that echoed the novel's narrative. In making various changes from the novel, Pakula and Pierson added new dialogue and rewrote the ending. Pakula signed on to direct the film in January 1989. Several established actors were considered for
2013-604: The film rights one year before the novel was published. Producers Sydney Pollack and Mark Rosenberg acquired the rights in December 1986 and hired Pierson to write the script. After an unsuccessful pre-production development at United Artists , the project moved to Warner Bros. , and Pakula was brought in to rewrite the script with Pierson before signing on as the film's director in January 1989. Principal photography commenced in July 1989 and concluded in October of that year, with
2074-420: The film was released on Blu-ray as a "Thriller Double Feature" alongside Frantic (1988). The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 86% based on 56 reviews, with an average rating of 7.30/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Thanks to an outstanding script, focused direction by Alan Pakula, and a riveting performance from Harrison Ford, Presumed Innocent
2135-473: The investigation was turned over to Della Guardia and Molto. Rusty throws it into a river. Shortly after, at home, Rusty discovers a small hatchet with blood and hair on it. Barbara admits that she murdered Carolyn because of the affair. She expresses that she had left enough evidence for Rusty to know that she committed the crime but did not anticipate him being charged. In a voice-over, Rusty explains that Carolyn's murder remains unsolved as trying two people for
2196-414: The investigation. Rusty discovers that Carolyn had acquired a file for a bribery case involving a man named Leon Wells. Upon being confronted by Rusty and Lipranzer, Wells confesses that he paid Judge Lyttle $ 1,500 to have criminal charges against him dropped, with Carolyn acting as a facilitator. The thrust of Stern's defense is that Della Guardia and Molto have framed Rusty. During the cross-examination of
2257-421: The investigation. With the election for District Attorney approaching, Tommy Molto, the acting head of the homicide division, has left to join the rival campaign of Nico Della Guardia. Rusty, a married man, faces a conflict of interest since he had a brief sexual affair with Carolyn. Rusty has since reconciled with his wife Barbara but is still obsessed with Carolyn. Detective Harold Greer is initially in charge of
2318-466: The leading role of Rusty Sabich. Kevin Costner turned down the role, and Robert Redford was vetoed by Pollack due to his age. When he was hired to direct the film, Pakula only offered the role to Harrison Ford , believing that the actor possessed an " Everyman quality" that best suited the character. Ford's casting was confirmed in March 1989. He received a $ 7 million salary for the role. Turow
2379-516: The miniseries aired on the ABC network on February 9, 1992, with the second part airing the following night on February 10. A television sequel, Innocent (2011), was based on Turow's 2010 sequel novel to Presumed Innocent . Set twenty years after the events of the 1990 film, the story follows Rusty Sabich ( Bill Pullman ), who is charged with the murder of his wife Barbara ( Marcia Gay Harden ). Innocent aired on TNT on November 30, 2011, as part of
2440-551: The monster film Godzilla: King of the Monsters . In 2015, he won a second Primetime Emmy Award for his role as Marcy in Transparent and later garnered a fifth Primetime Emmy Award nomination for portraying Magnus Hirschfeld in the same series. Since 2018, Whitford has portrayed Commander Joseph Lawrence in Hulu dystopian drama The Handmaid's Tale , for which he won his third Primetime Emmy Award in 2019. Whitford
2501-407: The murder investigation, but Rusty has him replaced with his friend Detective Dan Lipranzer, whom he persuades to narrow the inquiry so that his relationship with Carolyn is left out. Raymond grows furious with Rusty's handling of the case, but admits that he had also been romantically involved with Carolyn at one time. Rusty soon discovers that Molto is making his own inquiries. When Della Guardia wins
Bradley Whitford - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-442: The novel and learning that the adaptation was to be directed by Pakula. Winfield met with New York Supreme Court judge Bruce M. Wright , who insisted that he wear a judiciary robe and observe several cases. This is the first film role for Jeffrey Wright . Pakula spent three weeks rehearsing with the actors before principal photography commenced on July 31, 1989, with a budget of $ 20 million. Filming began in Detroit, where
2623-425: The novel by Turow. Presumed Innocent was followed by a two-part television miniseries, The Burden of Proof (1992). Based on Turow's 1990 novel , the miniseries focuses on defense attorney Sandy Stern (played by Héctor Elizondo ), who investigates his wife's past following her apparent suicide. Presumed Innocent co-star Brian Dennehy appeared in a separate role as Stern's brother-in-law. The first chapter of
2684-459: The one-night-only staged reading of 8 , a play that chronicles the trial surrounding California's Proposition 8 , written by Dustin Lance Black . In 2013, Whitford played Pete Harrison in the ABC comedy Trophy Wife , which was canceled after one season, and also that same year played Don DaGradi in the drama film Saving Mr. Banks . In 2014, Whitford appeared in a recurring role as
2745-779: The production first filmed exterior scenes. Locations included the Renaissance Center 's Westin Hotel, Philip A. Hart Plaza , the Woodbridge Tavern, Eastern Market , Jackie's Bar and Restaurant, St. Aubin Marina , and the International Plaza garage rooftop. On August 3, 1989, the production moved to Reaume Park in Windsor, Ontario for a 13-hour shoot. After filming in Detroit ended on August 9, 1989,
2806-618: The production moved to Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens . The filmmakers constructed a courtroom modeled after one in Cleveland, Ohio, that was unavailable for filming. The production then moved to Newark, New Jersey . For two days, the North Reformed Church was used to depict the funeral of Carolyn Polhemus. From August 14 to August 15, the filmmakers shot scenes at Newark City Hall . The Essex County Veterans Courthouse
2867-475: The project moved to Warner Bros. Pollack and Rosenberg sent the script to Alan J. Pakula , who felt that it needed improvement and spent a year rewriting it with Pierson. Regarding the screenwriting process, Turow said, "There were three large narrative problems to solve. Point of view; getting around the first person narrative; time sequence; it's all flashback and Hollywood doesn't like that; and then just an awful lot of plot." Pierson originally envisioned
2928-432: The project. After Pollack and Rosenberg acquired the rights in December 1986, United Artists negotiated with the producers to finance and distribute the film. In May 1987, Pollack hired Frank Pierson to write the script. Shortly after, United Artists backed out as a distributor. Roger Birnbaum , head of worldwide production for United Artists, claimed that the studio found the project "just too expensive". In July 1988,
2989-575: The real perpetrator would leave his escape from the trap entirely to chance." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times stated, "Even if you think you know what the solution is, the performances are so clever and the screenplay ... is so subtle that it could well turn out that your expectations are wrong." Sheila Benson, writing for the Los Angeles Times , stated, "Intelligent, complex and enthralling, Presumed Innocent ...
3050-418: The same crime is "a practical impossibility" and he could never take the mother away from his son even if it were possible to prosecute her. Rusty states that there is a culprit and a punishment in this case, meaning he feels guilty because his actions led to Carolyn's death. Scott Turow 's 1987 novel Presumed Innocent had first attracted film producers a year before it was published. The film rights were
3111-430: The screen only exaggerates the disposable nature of the material while depriving it of the novel's one stylistic strength, its unreliable narrator." Presumed Innocent received several nominations, with particular recognition for its screenplay by Alan J. Pakula and Frank Pierson. The film received an Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination for Best Motion Picture, and a USC Scripter Award nomination for Pakula, Pierson and
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#17327933130023172-819: The seventh). After The West Wing ended in May 2006, Whitford appeared in Sorkin's later series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip playing the role of Danny Tripp . He appeared in the British drama Burn Up on the BBC in July 2008. He starred in the play Boeing-Boeing which opened on Broadway on May 4, 2008. He co-starred in the Joss Whedon / Drew Goddard horror film The Cabin in the Woods , filmed in 2009 but not released until April 2012. In 2010, Whitford starred as Dan Stark in
3233-602: The smooth running of the White House bureaucracy, as well as such other duties as the chief of staff assigns to them. In all recent administrations, there have been multiple deputy chiefs with different duties. In the Biden administration , there are three current deputy chiefs of staff: At least six deputy chiefs of staff were subsequently promoted to become chief of staff: Dick Cheney , Ken Duberstein , Andrew Card , Erskine Bowles , John Podesta , and Joshua Bolten . Presumed Innocent (film) Presumed Innocent
3294-586: The subject of a bidding war among a host of established studios and producers. David Brown and Richard D. Zanuck made the first bid of $ 75,000. Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer initially offered $ 300,000, financed by Paramount Pictures , but backed down when bids climbed to $ 750,000. Peter Guber and Jon Peters , and Sydney Pollack and Mark Rosenberg of Mirage Enterprises made $ 1 million bids of their own money. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Irwin Winkler also made bids, while Universal Pictures passed on
3355-406: Was "a top-notch courtroom drama that will keep you guessing if you haven't read the book; even if you have, it is still a very well crafted story." Variety magazine praised the performances, writing, "Ford, in a very mature, subtle, lowkey performance, pulls off the difficult feat of making it impossible to be sure. Bedelia is wondrously controlled, and Scacchi, sans any hint of a European accent,
3416-662: Was born in Madison, Wisconsin , the son of Genevieve Louie (née Smith; 1915–2011) and George Van Norman Whitford (1915–1999). Between the ages of three and fourteen, he lived in Wayne, Pennsylvania . His mother, a poet, later resided in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia . He grew up in a Quaker household. Whitford graduated from Madison East High School in 1977. He majored in English and theatre at Wesleyan University , graduating with
3477-404: Was initially uncertain of Ford portraying Rusty but relented after seeing a few of the actor's films. Ford said, "Friends warned me this was a tough role because Rusty is such a passive, interior character. Though Rusty's in every scene, all the action takes place around him. Things happen to him." Upon being cast, Ford read the novel to avoid arguments over events and details that were left out in
3538-415: Was released on July 27, 1990, distributed by Warner Bros. A soundtrack album featuring the score by John Williams was released by the record label Varèse Sarabande on August 7, 1990. Released to a total of 1,349 theaters in the United States and Canada, the film grossed $ 11,718,981 on its first weekend, securing the number one position at the box office. The film earned an additional $ 10,176,663—only
3599-576: Was the keynote speaker for Class Day at Princeton University in June 2007. As of 2012, Whitford serves on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Wesleyan University. Whitford has been described as having "liberal views". He contributed to The Huffington Post as a columnist. He serves on the Board of Advisors of Let America Vote , an organization founded by former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander that aims to end voter suppression . He serves on
3660-400: Was the twelfth highest-grossing film of 1990, and the fourth highest-grossing R-rated film released that year. Worldwide, it was the eighth highest-grossing film of 1990 , as well as Warner Bros.' highest-grossing film that year. The film was released on VHS and LaserDisc on March 27, 1991, by Warner Home Video . It was released on DVD on December 17, 1997. On February 23, 2010,
3721-412: Was used for a brief courtroom sequence, and Newark's city morgue was used to depict the medical office of Dr. Kumagai. A housing project scheduled for demolition was used for a scene depicting Rusty and Detective Lipranzer's interrogation of a suspect. In late August, the crew relocated to Allendale, New Jersey . A suburban house on East Orchard Street was used to film exterior and interior scenes set in
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