Chemin de Fer in 1974. Whitehead received an honorary degree in arts from Trent University in 1978 and earned an Antoinette Perry "Tony" Award nomination for Camelot in 1980. He has appeared in numerous Broadway productions including My Fair Lady with Richard Chamberlain, The Harlequin Studies with Bill Irwin, Noël Coward's Suite in Two Keys, Peter Shaffer's Lettice and Lovage, London Suite by Neil Simon and as Sherlock Holmes in The Crucifer of Blood. He is also well known for his film roles and many guest and recurring appearances on television shows, especially many of the top 90's sitcoms such as Frasier, Caroline in the City, Ellen, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Drew Carry Show, Mad About You, and Friends. He has also appeared on Magnum, P.I., Murder, She Wrote, Law & Order, The West Wing, and many more. In 2007, he made a cameo in Desperate Housewives as the father of Susan Mayer's fiancée, Ian. In recent years, Whitehead has continued to work in regional theatre and on Broadway. Whitehead appeared in the role of Phil at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut from 12–27 July 2007 in Relatively Speaking, a comedy. Whitehead began previews of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre on 17 December 2010 in the role of Reverend Canon Chasuble. The show opened on 13 January 2011 and was filmed live on 11/12 March 2011 for broadcast in June 2011. He played the role of George Bernard Shaw in Anthony Wynn's Bernard and Bosie: A Most Unlikely Friendship in a benefit performance for the Episcopal Actors' Guild on 5 May 2011. Whitehead is an Associate Artist of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. He performs on recordings of Shaw's The Doctor's Dilemma and Harley Granville-Barker's The Voysey Inheritance. Work 12 November – 21 December 2014: Plays opposite Frances Barber and Charles Shaughnessy in What the Butler Saw (play) play by Joe Orton (Mark Taper Forum at the Los Angeles Music Center, Los Angeles, California) 27 July – 7 August 2011: Plays opposite Richard Easton in She Stoops to Conquer play by Oliver Goldsmith (Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Massachusetts) 7 June 2011: Plays Lord Champion-Cheney opposite Marsha Mason in The Circle play by W. Somerset Maugham (Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, Connecticut) 13 January 2011: Plays Reverend Canon Chasuble opposite Dana Ivey, Santino Fontana, Tim MacDonald,