English actor Paxton Whitehead has passed away at the age of 85.
The star, who was a Broadway regular and once made a cameo on the TV show Friends, died on Friday at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia.
Whitehead's other credits include stints on Frasier, Caroline in the City, Ellen, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Drew Carey Show and Mad About You.
The late actor's son Charles Whitehead confirmed the sad news of his father's passing to The Hollywood Reporter.
Friends fans will recall Whitehead appearing alongside Jennifer Aniston during the fourth series of the American sitcom, when he played Rachel Green's Bloomingdales boss.
"R.I.P., Paxton Whitehead, who I'm sure was a delightful man in real life but as an actor found his niche by being exemplary at playing stiff British jerks and blowhards in projects like Back to School, Mad About You, and Friends," one fan wrote on Twitter as the news of Whitehead's death broke.
English actor Jim Piddock also paid tribute, tweeting: "Heartbroken to hear my dear friend and mentor Paxton Whitehead has passed away. He was an extraordinary actor, a brilliant friend, and truly wonderful human being.
"He meant so much to so many people and always brought a smile to the faces of everyone he encountered."
Dana Ivey added: "I've just heard that my beloved friend Paxton Whitehead has died, on Friday the 16th. We first worked together in "My Fair Lady" in 1964, and the last time was in "Importance of Being Earnest" in 2010 -- friends for 59 years. I loved him so. Heartbroken."
Whitehead was born in the English village of East Malling in 1937 and trained at London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art from the age of 17.
The late star made his Broadway debut in a short-lived production of Ronald Millar’s The Affair and went on to secure a Tony nomination for his performance as Pellinore in the 1980 revival of Camelot.
Over the years, Whitehead popped up in many Broadway productions, including; 1970’s Candida; There’s One in Every Marriage (1972); Chemin de Fer (1973); Habeas Corpus (1975); The Crucifer of Blood (1978), in which he played Sherlock Holmes opposite Glenn Close; Camelot (1980); Noises Off (1983); My Fair Lady starring Richard Chamberlain and Melissa Errico (1993); Absurd Person Singular (2005); The Importance of Being Earnest (2011).
His most recent theatre credit was in the 2018 production of Bernhardt/Hamlet starring Janet McTeer.
Alongside his Friends cameo, Whitehead also appeared on shows like Magnum, P.I., Hart to Hart, The A-Team, Silver Spoons, Caroline in the City, Ellen, 3rd Rock from the Sun and Frasier.
Over on the big screen, Whitehead starred alongside Diane Keaton in the 1987 movie Baby Boom and shared the screen with Whoopi Goldberg for Jumpin' Jack Flash in 1986.
Whitehead is survived by son Charles and daughter Alex.
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