American leading man in generally rugged roles. The son of a realtor, he graduated from high school in Los Angeles and spent three post-war years with the Army Corps of Engineers. In the army he won 32 fights as a light-heavyweight boxer. Upon his discharge from service, he attended Los Angeles City College, where his interest in acting emerged. He studied at the Los Angeles Academy of Dramatic Art and with Michael Chekhov and Ben Bard. He toured the U.S. in a stage company of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and began to get small roles in television and film. Eventually his athleticism, his handsome features, and his talent for portraying either tough or vulnerable characters led him to a level of stardom. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his leading role of a child molester in The Mark, and starred in the television series Cimarron Strip. A shrewd investor, he amassed a substantial fortune while continuing his career even after its peak in the mid-Sixties.
Brother of actor Kipp Whitman Sons, Anthony Whitman (b. 1953), Michael Whitman (b. 1954) and Scott Whitman (b. 1958) Daughter, Linda Whitman (b. 1956) Alfred Hitchcock considered him, along with Cliff Robertson, Robert Loggia(who played the part in Psycho II) and Tom Tryon, for the "Sam Loomis" role in Psycho, but the part went to John Gavin. Thanks to good financial investing, he had amassed a personal fortune of $100 million as of 1998. He and his French-born second wife Caroline Boubis have a son, James. Was a light-heavyweight boxer while serving the Army. Ironically, it was his role as a prizefighter in the play "Dr. Christian" that brought him his first leading role in a movie, playing Johnny in Johnny Trouble opposite Ethel Barrymore. Initially studied both law and drama at Los Angeles City College after he was discharged from the Army in 1948.