# James Whitmore Jr.
**James Whitmore Jr.** (born James Allen Whitmore III, 1948, in New York City) is an American television actor turned director, the son of the character actor [James Whitmore](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-whitmore). He is known for playing Captain Jim Gutterman on the military drama *Black Sheep Squadron* (1976–1978) and Sergeant Bernie Terwilliger on the crime drama *Hunter* (1984), and for a directing career that has spanned series including *Quantum Leap*, *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, *24*, and *[NCIS](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncis-tv-series)*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/bio/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1948, New York City, New York, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/bio/) |
| Birth name | James Allen Whitmore III[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5137/james-whitmore-jr) |
| Signature acting roles | Capt. Jim Gutterman on *Black Sheep Squadron* (1976–1978); Sgt. Bernie Terwilliger on *Hunter* (1984)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr) |
| Directing debut | 1984, an episode of *Riptide*; he then directed 20 episodes of *Hunter* before leaving the show in 1990[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr) |
| Family | Son of actor James Whitmore and Nancy Richmond Mygatt; married to Salesha Ali since March 28, 1972, with four children[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/bio/) |
| Later directing work | Episodes of *NCIS* (53 episodes, 2004–2026), *NCIS: New Orleans*, *The Good Fight*, *The Resident*, and *Evil*[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5137/james-whitmore-jr) |
## Acting career
Whitmore Jr. made his television debut in 1976 with a guest appearance on *McMillan & Wife* before earning a starring role in the military drama series *Baa Baa Black Sheep*, later retitled *Black Sheep Squadron*. He played Captain Jim Gutterman from 1976 to 1978, appearing in 23 episodes, and continued as a guest character actor in series and made-for-TV movies during the early 1980s.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/)
His largest subsequent acting role came in 1984 as Sergeant Bernie Terwilliger on the crime drama *[Hunter](https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-1984-american-tv-series)*, appearing in 18 episodes. The show earned three Emmy Award nominations, but the part did not lead to more lead roles in television or film for Whitmore.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5137/james-whitmore-jr)
His film work includes *The Long Riders* (1980), in which he played Mr. Rixley, and *The Boys in Company C* (1978).[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr)
## Directing career
Whitmore made his directorial debut in 1984 with an episode of *Riptide* and directed a total of 20 episodes of *Hunter* before leaving the show in 1990. In the 1990s he directed episodes of *Quantum Leap*, *Melrose Place*, *Beverly Hills, 90210*, *The Commish*, and *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*. His experience acting and directing in crime dramas during the 1970s and 1980s led to more work in the genre in the 2000s and 2010s, including *NCIS* and *24*.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr)
His credits on *NCIS* alone total 53 episodes between 2004 and 2026, and he has also directed episodes of *NCIS: New Orleans* (12 episodes), *NCIS: Hawai'i*, *The Good Fight*, *The Resident*, *Evil*, *Quantico*, and *NCIS: Origins*.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5137/james-whitmore-jr)
He has directed [Scott Bakula](https://www.edgepedia.org/scott-bakula) in episodes of four different series: *Quantum Leap* (1989), *Mr. & Mrs. Smith* (1996), *Star Trek: Enterprise* (2001), and *NCIS: New Orleans* (2014).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/bio/)
## Family and personal life
Whitmore Jr. is the son of James Whitmore, the Oscar-nominated character actor, and Nancy Richmond Mygatt, Whitmore's first wife. He has two brothers, Steve and Dan Whitmore, and is the father of James Whitmore III.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/bio/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926235/bio/)
He has been married to Salesha Ali since March 28, 1972, and they have four children.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/bio/)
## Theater work
Whitmore Jr. has worked in theater alongside his family. He directed his father James Whitmore in *Home for Christmas* (1985).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/bio/) In 2006 he starred alongside his father in a live production of *Tuesdays with Morrie* at the Peterborough Players Theater in [New Hampshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-hampshire).[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr) He is also associated with the Whitmore Eclectic theater troupe at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles, which in 2013 was considering mounting [Martin McDonagh](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-mcdonagh)'s *[The Pillowman](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-pillowman)* and a revival of *Below the Belt*.[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-whitmore-family-proof20130508-story.html)
## References
1. [James Whitmore Jr. – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/bio/)
2. [James Whitmore Jr. – Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_whitmore_jr)
3. [James Whitmore, Jr. – TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5137/james-whitmore-jr)
4. [James Whitmore Jr. – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926215/)
5. [James Whitmore – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926235/bio/)
6. [The Whitmore family will never grow out of this stage, Los Angeles Times (2013)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-whitmore-family-proof20130508-story.html)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Wh to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license