Duane Whitaker, a native of Lubbock, Texas, has spent the last three decades as a multifaceted entertainer in Hollywood, with a career spanning over 30 years. As an actor, he is most recognized for his portrayal of Maynard, the sadistic pawn shop owner, in the groundbreaking film Pulp Fiction.
Before gaining recognition in Pulp Fiction, Whitaker had already paid his dues, appearing frequently on stage and small screens, including TV shows such as Sledge Hammer, Murder She Wrote, Highway to Heaven, L.A. Law, Rosanne, and Quantum Leap. He has also appeared in numerous feature films, with over 60 credits to his name, including Edge of Town, Natasha Hall, Broke Sky, Lionhead, Dead Letters, Sam Borowski's Night Club, and, of course, Pulp Fiction.
Whitaker has made a significant impact in the Horror genre, with appearances in eight Horror Franchises, including From Dusk Til Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Feast, Tales From The Hood, Rob Zombie's Devil's Rejects, Halloween 2, Children of the Corn: Genesis, Puppetmaster 5, and Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3. He has also appeared in other notable Horror films, such as American Nightmares, Albino Farm, Trailer Park of Terror, The Haunted Sea, and Deadly Dreams.
As a writer, director, and producer, Whitaker has worked on a range of projects, including Together & Alone, Stripteaser, Camp Utopia, Backroad Motel, and Eddie Presley. The latter, which stars Whitaker as a despondent Elvis Presley impersonator, was adapted from his successful stage play of the same title.
In recent years, Whitaker has branched out into Faith-Based Films, appearing in Daniel Roebuck's Getting Grace, Lucky Louie, The Hail Mary, and My Brother's Crossing. He has also received the honor of having his two most personal films, Eddie Presley and Together and Alone, screened at The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood by the American Cinematheque.
As a playwright, Whitaker's works have been produced in Los Angeles and New York, and he has been teaching a popular Film Acting class in Los Angeles for almost two decades.
