John David Whalen
Born Baltimore, MD November 15
Alma Mater US Naval Academy
Occupation: Actor/Producer
Years Active: 2006–Present
John David Whalen is an ex-American naval lieutenant and film actor whose acting debut was in the feature film Casino Jack.
Early Life and Education
Whalen was born John David Woodmency Whalen in Baltimore, Maryland. His father was John Whalen, III, a veteran of the Vietnam War who died in 1989 as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. His mother, Linda Whalen, taught elementary school in the Baltimore County Public Schools school district and now owns Whalen Properties LLC.[1] Whalen's great- grandfather was Raymond Bond, an actor during the 1950s who appeared in films such as A Foreign Affair, (1948)[2] and A Man From Planet X, (1951).[3] Following his father's death, his mother enrolled him at the prestigious Boys' Latin School of Maryland.[4] There Whalen discovered lacrosse and acting. Later he played, and eventually served as an assistant coach, on the Navy lacrosse team prior to his commissioning in the US Navy. Whalen currently coaches lacrosse at Chaminade High Private School.[5]
US Navy
2000-2005
After high school. Whalen was awarded a Presidential Appointment to the United States Naval Academy.[6] Despite his desire for an acting career, he decided to uphold his commitment to the United States and complete his degree in Oceanography at Annapolis and accepted his commission as a Naval Officer in May 2000. His naval career spread across the globe from San Diego to London to the Middle East. Whalen served as a Surface Warfare Officer[7] on board the USS Ogden (LPD-5)[8][9] and later transferred laterlly to the METOC community and finished his career in Monterey, California. Whalen was an engineer and Anti-Terrorist Officer on board.[7] During his tour, he was recognized as an Officer of the Deck and Command Duty Officer.[7] He completed one nine month tour in the Middle East. His Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) was the first response deployment after September 11, 2001. During his career, Whalen was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for his service.[7] He is a Golden Shellback.[7] He resigned his commission as a Lieutenant in the US Navy in March 2005.
Acting career
2006-PRESENT In 2006, he began to perform in several plays and short films during the next few years. Later, he moved to Los Angeles to continue his career as an actor. After a short time in Los Angeles, he made his feature film debut in Casino Jack (2010) appearing opposite Kevin Spacey in which he plays real life ex-lobbyist Kevin Ring. In his first interview, Michael Sragow says "...Whalen was the ideal choice for Kevin Ring.[6] He has trained with veteran acting coach Cameron Thor. He has also begun producing projects focused on the human story, and more specifically the reemergence of the masculine and feminine archetypes. Most recently, he was a Consulting Producer on The Argument, 2011. Whalen also works in the theater community in Los Angeles. Upon first moving to Los Angeles, he accepted an acting apprenticeship following his performance in Our Town, at the Western Stage Theater, at the Theater West Theater in Studio City, CA. Whalen continues performing in plays in Los Angeles in Women are Crazy because Men are A**holes,[10] and traveling with that production to Chicago at the Mercury Theater. He appeared in the AFI film, Real Love. Whalen starred as an undercover DEA agent with a heroin addiction in the web pilot, Snitch.
Interviews
Baltimore Sun Article, Baltimore's John David Whalen plays a K Street lobbyist as a good soldier in "Casino Jack', Baltimore, January 06, 2011.
Interview with RealTVFilms
Publicity Photos
Casino Jack Premiere
The 2011 83rd Oscar Awards Red Carpet Report
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Man Left Behind | Higgins | Robert Matthews |
| 2008 | A Hard Day's Work | Chibrowski | Jeffery McLaughlin |
| 2010 | Darwin Fish | Starkey | James Cox |
| 2010 | Casino Jack | Kevin Ring | George Hickenlooper |
| 2011 | The Argument | Consulting Producer | Clara Aranovich |
| 2014 | Snitch | JD Archangel | Dave Fraunces |
References
- ↑ "Linda Whalen". Linkedin. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑ "A Foreign Affair (1948)". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑ Weaver, Tom. "Double Feature Creature Attack". Double Feature Creature Attack. Google Books / McFarland. p. 246. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑ "The Boys' Latin School of Maryland Snapshot of Recent Graduates". The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑ "Palisades Charter High School Lacrosse". Palisades Charter High School. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- 1 2 "Baltimore's John David Whalen plays a K Street lobbyist as a good soldier in Casino Jack". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 John David Whalen, DD214
- ↑ "USS Ogden LPD5". Military Advantage. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑
- ↑ Cyur Studios