J. Fred Shiffman is a three-time Helen Hayes Award-winning theatre actor. He received the Lead Actor Award for his portrayal of Cosme McMoon in Souvenir and Supporting Actor Award as Marvinin Falsettoland (Studio Theatre); and his second Supporting Actor Award as the Spanish Knight in Lovers and Executioners (Arena Stage).

Other theatre credits include Franklin Woolsey in Ghost-Writer (Florida Stage); Sheldrake in Sunset Boulevard (Signature Theatre); Felix Ungar in The Odd Couple and Yevgeny Sergeyevich Dorn in The Seagull on 16th Street (Theater J); Fabian in Twelfth Night, Petulant in The Way of the World, Gremio in The Taming of the Shrew, and Bindo in Lorenzaccio (Shakespeare Theatre); Jane Twisden/Lord Edgar Hillcrest in The Mystery of Irma Vep, Uncle Ben Loman in Death of a Salesman, Bob Jenkin in Tom Walker, Tony Cavendish in The Royal Family, and Horatio Jamison in Animal Crackers (Arena Stage).