 He attended Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, and then transferred to the State University of New York at Purchase, New York, where he was part of a small acting program with only 31 students and a graduating class of eight seniors.After graduating, he co-founded New York City theatre troupe The Rorschach Group with his college roommate Kirk Acevedo, and served as an actor and artistic director with the troupe for three years.Whigham appeared in one 1997 episode of the television series "Ghost Stories" before he received a starring role in the 2000 film "Tigerland".