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'Friends' star Paxton Whitehead dead at 85

A representative for English actor Paxton Whitehead confirmed his death to Fox News Digital. The "Frasier" actor passed away at the age of 85.

Paxton Whitehead, an English actor who starred in television shows including, "Friends," "Mad About You" and "Frasier," has died. He was 85.

Whitehead’s rep confirmed the news to Fox News Digital in a heartfelt statement. 

"Sadly, Paxton passed away this past Friday at the age of 85," Whitehead’s rep said in part.

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"Paxton was loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him. He was a cherished client, a luminary in the acting world who is renowned for his extraordinary talent and dedication to his craft." 

Whitehead made his Broadway debut in 1962 in "The Affair." He went on to perform in several productions, including "My Fair Lady."

From 1978 to 1979, he played Sherlock Holmes in "The Crucifer of Blood" and co-starred alongside Glenn Close. 

"He was admired for his versatility and many roles he performed on stage, TV and film. His contributions to the world of entertainment will be cherished and remembered for years to come," Paxton's rep concluded in his statement. 

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Charles Whitehead, Paxton's son, additionally confirmed with Fox News Digital that his father passed away at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia.

"Dad lived a wonderful life…he is survived by myself and his daughter Alex, and four wonderful grandchildren. We all cherish him in his memory and in his passing," Charles remarked.

"We've seen so many people from so many different aspects of his life come forward and talk about how much he meant to them…how dear he was to them."

Charles confirmed that his father had suffered from a fall, a week prior to his death, that he didn't recover from. 

"He probably wasn't going to recover… I do…feel like he chose it was time to go. He went very comfortably…we lost him and we're going to miss him so much. But we're so grateful that he was in our lives," Charles said.

The Broadway star was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Pellinore in the 1980 revival of "Camelot."

Besides his time in the Broadway spotlight, Whitehead had several movie roles including the 1986 film, "Back to School" where he starred as Philip Barbay.

Fans may also recognize Whitehead from hit films such as, "Baby Boom" and "The Adventures of Huck Finn."

Whitehead was also spotted in dozens of hit shows throughout his successful career.

The English actor was best known for his memorable roles as Hal Conway on "Mad About You." He starred in the television series from 1992 to 1999.

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Whitehead additionally portrayed Mr. Waltham, Rachel Green's boss at Bloomingdale's, in "Friends."

Other roles included "Murder, She Wrote," "Magnum P.I.," "The West Wing," "The Drew Carey Show," "Ellen," "3rd Rock from the Sun" and more.

Whitehead is survived by his son, Charles, and daughter, Alex. 

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