He was more recently known for playing Ted "Grandpa" West in the New Zealand television show Outrageous Fortune.
Two years later, he appeared as an exploitative guru of a commune in Trespasses, the movie spin off of police show Mortimer's Patch.
The same year, Whitten played the enigmatic farmer who strides into the isolated rural world of a young child in Vigil, the first feature directed by Vincent Ward.
On television, he made guest appearances on Erebus: The Aftermath, Gloss, The Chosen, Ray Bradbury Theatre and Mysterious Island, and a lead role in the award-winning miniseries The Leaving of Liverpool.
[4][5] The official media statement stated that "[he] died peacefully in his sleep"[6] following a short battle with cancer.