Bradley Whitford is a charismatic American actor best known for his sharp and compelling roles, particularly in the political drama The West Wing. Born on October 10, 1959, in Madison, Wisconsin, he grew up in a Quaker family that instilled strong humanitarian values, later reflected in his social activism.

Early Life and Education

The son of poet Genevieve Louie and George Whitford, Bradley moved to Pennsylvania as a child and graduated from Madison East High School in 1977. He pursued higher education at Wesleyan University, earning a bachelor’s degree in English and theater in 1981, before studying drama at the Juilliard School.

Illustrious Career

Whitford’s career began on television in 1985 with minor roles in The Equalizer and All My Children. His breakthrough came as Josh Lyman, the president’s right-hand man in The West Wing (1999–2006), appearing in 155 episodes and even writing two scripts. This role catapulted him to global fame.

On the big screen, he debuted in Dead as a Doorman (1986) and shone in films like Adventures in Babysitting (1987), Get Out (2017) as the iconic Dean Armitage, The Post (2017), and Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021) as Stephen Sondheim. More recently, he appeared in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and has upcoming projects like Reminders of Him (2026).

In theater, Broadway called him in 1990 with A Few Good Men, followed by Boeing-Boeing (2008) and a Los Angeles production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong (2023).

Recent television roles include Commander Joseph Lawrence in The Handmaid's Tale (2018–2025), as well as appearances in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Transparent, and upcoming projects like The Diplomat (2025) and Death by Lightning.

Awards and Recognition

Whitford has won three Primetime Emmy Awards: two for The West Wing (2001) and The Handmaid's Tale (2019), and one for Transparent (2015)—making history as a guest actor Emmy winner in both comedy and drama. He also earned three consecutive Golden Globe nominations for The West Wing.

Personal Life and Activism

Married to actress Jane Kaczmarek in 1992, they had three children before divorcing in 2010. In 2019, he wed his Transparent co-star Amy Landecker. As an activist, Whitford supports causes like abortion rights, climate action, and fair elections. He campaigned for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2024 and recently signed an ACLU open letter supporting Jimmy Kimmel in September 2025. He also serves on the board of trustees at Wesleyan University.