Brian Dennehy | |
|---|---|
 Dennehy at theMajestic Theatre, New York, in 1988 | |
| Born | Brian Manion Dennehy (1938-07-09)July 9, 1938 Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | April 15, 2020(2020-04-15) (aged 81) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1965–2020 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5, includingElizabeth |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1958–1963 |
Brian Manion Dennehy (/ˈdɛnəhi/; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won twoTony Awards, anOlivier Award, and aGolden Globe, and received sixPrimetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in over 180 films and in many television and stage productions. His film roles includedFirst Blood (1982),Gorky Park (1983),Silverado (1985),Cocoon (1985),F/X (1986),Presumed Innocent (1990),Tommy Boy (1995),Romeo + Juliet (1996),Ratatouille (2007), andKnight of Cups (2015). Dennehy won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his role asWilly Loman in the television filmDeath of a Salesman (2000). Dennehy's final film wasDriveways (2019), in which he plays a veteran of theKorean War, living alone, who befriends a young, shy boy who has come with his mother to clean out his deceased aunt's hoarded home.
According toVariety, Dennehy was "perhaps the foremost living interpreter" of playwrightEugene O'Neill's works on stage and screen. He had a decades-long relationship with Chicago'sGoodman Theatre where much of his O'Neill work originated.[1] He also regularly played Canada'sStratford Festival, especially in works byWilliam Shakespeare andSamuel Beckett.[2] He once gave credit for his award-winning performances to the plays’ authors: "When you walk with giants, you learn how to take bigger steps."[3] Dennehy was inducted into theAmerican Theater Hall of Fame in 2010.
Brian Manion Dennehy[4] was born on July 9, 1938, inBridgeport, Connecticut, to Hannah (Manion), a nurse,[5] and Edward Dennehy, awire service editor for theAssociated Press.[5][6] He had two brothers, Michael and Edward.[7][8] He was ofIrish ancestry and was raisedCatholic.[9][10] The family relocated to Long Island, New York, where Dennehy attendedChaminade High School in the village ofMineola.[11]
He enteredColumbia University in New York City on a football scholarship in the fall of 1956. He paused his college education to serve five years in the U.S. Marines, stationed in the U.S., Japan, and Korea. He returned to Columbia in 1960 and graduated in 1965 with a B.A. in history.[12] While acting in regional theater he supported his family by working blue-collar jobs including driving a taxi and bartending. He hated his brief stint as a stockbroker forMerrill Lynch in their Manhattan office in the mid-1970s.[13] He later described how working odd hours allowed him to attend matinee theater performances that provided his acting education: "I never went to acting school—I was a truck driver and I used to go see everything I could see—Wednesday afternoons".[14][a] In the 1970s, stage performances in New York led to television and film work.[18]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Brian Dennehy" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Dennehy was primarily known as a dramatic actor. His breakthrough role was as the overzealous sheriff Will Teasle inFirst Blood (1982) oppositeSylvester Stallone asJohn Rambo.[19]
His earlier films included several comedies, likeSemi-Tough (1977) withBurt Reynolds (in which he portrayed a pro football player),Foul Play (1978) withChevy Chase, and10 (1979) withDudley Moore (as aManzanillo bartender). He appeared in the 1983 thrillerGorky Park as William Kirwill oppositeWilliam Hurt andLee Marvin. He later portrayed a corrupt sheriff in the westernSilverado and an alien inCocoon, both released in 1985.
Dennehy had memorable supporting parts in such films asSplit Image (1982),Never Cry Wolf (1983),Legal Eagles (1986),Cocoon: The Return (1988),F/X: Murder By Illusion (1986),Presumed Innocent (1990),F/X2: The Deadly Art of Illusion (1991) andProphet of Evil (1993).
Dennehy gradually became a valuablecharacter actor but also achieved leading-man status in the thrillerBest Seller (1987) co-starringJames Woods. That same year, he also starred in thePeter Greenaway filmThe Belly of an Architect, for which he won the Best Actor Award at the 1987Chicago International Film Festival. Commenting upon this unusual venture, Dennehy said, "I've been in a lot of movies but this is the first film I've made."
He went on to star as Harrison in the Australian filmThe Man from Snowy River II in 1988.
One of his most well-known roles came in the 1995Chris Farley-David Spade comedyTommy Boy as Big Tom Callahan. He also was reunited with his10 co-starBo Derek inTommy Boy, in which she played his wife. The following year, he played Romeo's father inRomeo + Juliet.
Dennehy had a voice role in the 2007 animated movieRatatouille as Django, father of the rat chef Remy. He appeared as the superior officer ofRobert De Niro andAl Pacino in the 2008 cop dramaRighteous Kill and as the father ofRussell Crowe in the 2010 suspense filmThe Next Three Days.
Dennehy starred asClarence Darrow inAlleged, a film based on theScopes Monkey Trial, the famous court battle over the teaching of evolution in American public schools.[20]
Dennehy's early professional acting career included small guest roles in such 1970s and 1980s series asKojak,M*A*S*H,Lou Grant,Dallas,Dynasty, andHunter. He also appeared in an episode ofMiami Vice during the 1987–88 season.
Dennehy portrayed Sergeant Ned T. "Frozen Chosen" Coleman in the television movieA Rumor of War (1980) oppositeBrad Davis. He continued to appear in such high-profile television films asSkokie (1981),Split Image (1982),Day One (1989), andA Killing in a Small Town (1990) oppositeBarbara Hershey. He also played the title role inHBO'sTeamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story.
Dennehy had a lead role asfire chief/celebrity dad Leslie "Buddy" Krebs in the short-lived 1982 seriesStar of the Family. Despite his star power, that show was cancelled after a half-season. He starred in the crime dramaJack Reed TV movies.
Dennehy was nominated forEmmy Awards six times for his television movies. In 1992, he was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie for his performance asJohn Wayne Gacy inTo Catch a Killer, and he was nominated that same year in a different category, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie, forThe Burden of Proof. Dennehy's other Emmy nominations were for his work inA Killing in a Small Town,Murder in the Heartland (1993) and his work in theShowtime cable TV movieOur Fathers (2005), which was about theRoman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. In 2000, Dennehy was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie for a television presentation for his performance asWilly Loman inArthur Miller'sDeath of a Salesman which he had performed onBroadway. While not gaining the actor an Emmy win, the performance did, however, win him aGolden Globe Award. He also appeared as a recurring character in theNBC sitcomJust Shoot Me!.
A cartoon version of Dennehy appeared in the 1999 filmSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut as well as in an episode ofThe Simpsons.[which?][citation needed]
In January 2007, he starred in the episode "Scheherazade" ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit as a retired criminal who wants to reconnect with his daughter and admit his crimes before dying of a terminal disease thus eventually clearing a wrongfully imprisoned inmate. In April 2008, Dennehy guest-starred as aTeamster boss in "Sandwich Day", an episode of the TV series30 Rock. He guest-starred in a 2009 episode ofRules of Engagement as the father of the main character, Jeff.[21]
Dennehy starred as Elizabeth Keen's grandfather on the NBC seriesThe Blacklist since the third season until his death from sepsis. He is replaced by actorRon Raines during the show's eighth season.
In 2015 Dennehy co-starred in theAmazon Studios pilotCocked withJason Lee,Dreama Walker,Diora Baird, andSam Trammell.
Dennehy also narrated many television programs[22] including the Canadian-Irish docudramaDeath or Canada.[23][24]
Dennehy won two Tony Awards, both times for Best Lead Actor in a Play. His first win was forDeath of a Salesman (for which he also won aLaurence Olivier Award for the production's London run), in 1999, and the second was for Eugene O'Neill'sLong Day's Journey into Night in 2003. Both productions were directed byRobert Falls and were originally produced at theGoodman Theatre company in Chicago, Illinois. His acting in the "Salesman" was called "the performance of Dennehy's career".
On stage, Dennehy frequently performed in the Chicago theater world, and made his Broadway debut in 1995 inBrian Friel'sTranslations. In 1999, he was the first male performer to be voted theSarah Siddons Award for his work inChicago theater. He made a return to Broadway in 2007 as Matthew Harrison Brady inInherit the Wind oppositeChristopher Plummer, then returned again oppositeCarla Gugino in a 2009 revival of Eugene O'Neill'sDesire Under the Elms.
In fall 1992, he played the lead role of Hickey in Robert Falls's production ofEugene O'Neill'sThe Iceman Cometh at theAbbey Theatre in Dublin.[25]
In 2008, Dennehy appeared at theStratford Shakespeare Festival, in Stratford, Ontario, appearing inAll's Well That Ends Well as the King of France,[3] and a double bill of plays,Samuel Beckett'sKrapp's Last Tape and Eugene O'Neill'sHughie, where Dennehy reprised the role of Erie Smith.[26] In 2010, he was inducted into theAmerican Theatre Hall of Fame.[27] In December 2010, he returned to Ireland to play Bull McCabe in theOlympia Theatre ofDublin's stage version ofJohn B. Keane'sThe Field.[25][28][29]
In 2011, Dennehy returned to theStratford Shakespeare Festival in the role of Sir Toby Belch in Shakespeare'sTwelfth Night. He also played Max inHarold Pinter'sThe Homecoming, the first Pinter work to be produced there.[30]
In April through June 2012, he played the role of Larry Slade in the Eugene O'Neill playThe Iceman Cometh at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago,[31] which he reprised in 2015 when the production, with most of the Goodman Theater production cast, was revived at theBAM Harvey Theater in Brooklyn, New York, New York.[32]
Dennehy enlisted in theUnited States Marine Corps, serving from 1958 to 1963, including playing football onOkinawa. In several interviews, he described being wounded in combat and repeatedly claimed to have served in Vietnam.[33][34][35]
In 1999, he apologized for misrepresenting his military record, stating: "I lied about serving in Vietnam, and I'm sorry. I did not mean to take away from the actions and the sacrifices of the ones who did really serve there... I didsteal valor. That was very wrong of me. There is no real excuse for that."[36]
Dennehy married for the first time while in the Marines in 1959. Before he finished college he and his first wife had three daughters.[13] Two of them became actresses, includingElizabeth Dennehy.[37] After his first marriage ended in divorce in 1987, he married Jennifer Arnott, an Australian, in 1988, they had two children, a son and a daughter.[4]
Dennehy died on April 15, 2020, ofcardiac arrest due tosepsis[2][4][38] inNew Haven, Connecticut.[39] He was survived by his wife and his five children.[4]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Looking for Mr. Goodbar | Surgeon | |
| Semi-Tough | T.J. Lambert | ||
| 1978 | F.I.S.T. | Frank Vasko | |
| Foul Play | Inspector "Fergie" Ferguson | ||
| 1979 | Butch and Sundance: The Early Days | O.C. Hanks | |
| 10 | Don, The Bartender | ||
| 1980 | Little Miss Marker | Herbie | |
| 1982 | Split Image | Kevin Stetson | |
| First Blood | Sheriff Will Teasle | ||
| 1983 | Never Cry Wolf | Rosie Little | |
| Gorky Park | William Kirwill | ||
| 1984 | Finders Keepers | Mayor Frizzoli | |
| The River Rat | "Doc" Cole | ||
| 1985 | Cocoon | Walter | |
| Silverado | Sheriff Cobb | ||
| Twice in a Lifetime | Nick | ||
| 1986 | F/X | Leo McCarthy | |
| The Check Is in the Mail | Richard Jackson | ||
| Legal Eagles | C.J. Cavanaugh | ||
| 1987 | The Belly of an Architect | Stourley Kracklite | |
| Best Seller | Lieutenant Dennis Meechum | ||
| 1988 | The Man from Snowy River II | Harrison | |
| Miles from Home | Frank Roberts Sr. | ||
| Cocoon: The Return | Walter | Uncredited role | |
| 1989 | Indio | Whytaker | |
| Seven Minutes | Wagner | ||
| 1990 | Blue Heat | Detective Lieutenant Frank Daly | akaThe Last of the Finest |
| Presumed Innocent | Raymond Horgan | ||
| 1991 | F/X2 | Leo McCarthy | |
| 1992 | Gladiator | Jimmy Horn | |
| 1995 | Tommy Boy | Tom "Big Tom" Callahan II | |
| The Stars Fell on Henrietta | Dave "Big Dave" McDermot | ||
| 1996 | Romeo + Juliet | Ted Montague | |
| 1999 | Out of the Cold | David Bards | |
| Silicon Towers | Tom Warner | ||
| 2000 | Dish Dogs | Frost | |
| 2001 | Summer Catch | John Schiffner | |
| 2002 | Stolen Summer | Father Kelly | |
| Code Yellow: Hospital at Ground Zero | The Narrator | ||
| Drawing First Blood | Himself | Short | |
| 2004 | She Hate Me | Chairman Billy Church | |
| 2005 | Assault on Precinct 13 | Officer Jasper O'Shea | |
| Tommy Boy: Behind the Laughter | Himself | Short | |
| 10th and Wolf | FBI Agent Horvath | ||
| 2006 | Everyone's Hero | Babe Ruth | Voice |
| The Ultimate Gift | Gus Caldwell | ||
| 2007 | Ratatouille | Django | Voice |
| Welcome to Paradise | Bobby Brown | ||
| War Eagle, Arkansas | Pop | ||
| 2008 | Cat City | Harold Vogessor | |
| Righteous Kill | Lieutenant J.D. Hingus | ||
| 2010 | Every Day | Ernie Freed | |
| Meet Monica Velour | "Pop Pop" | ||
| The Next Three Days | George Brennan | ||
| Alleged | Clarence Darrow | ||
| 2011 | The Big Year | Raymond Harris | |
| 2012 | Twelfth Night | Sir Toby Belch | |
| 2015 | Knight of Cups | Joseph | |
| 2018 | The Seagull | Sorin Arkadin | |
| Tag | Mr. Cilliano, Randy's Father | Uncredited | |
| The Song of Sway Lake | Hal Sway | ||
| 2019 | Driveways | Del | |
| Master Maggie[40] | Himself | Short | |
| 3 Days with Dad | Bob Mills | ||
| 2020 | Son of the South | J.O. Zellner | Posthumous release |
| TBA | Long Day Journey | Post-production, Posthumous release; Final film role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Bumpers | Ernie Stapp | |
| Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye | Longshoreman | ||
| It Happened at Lakewood Manor | Fire Chief | ||
| 1978 | A Real American Hero | Buford Pusser | |
| Ruby and Oswald | George Paulsen | ||
| A Death in Canaan | Barney Parsons | ||
| 1979 | Dummy | Ragoti | |
| The Jericho Mile | Dr. D | ||
| Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story | Mr. O'Neil | ||
| 1980 | A Rumor of War | Sergeant Ned Coleman | Miniseries |
| The Seduction of Miss Leona | Bliss Dawson | ||
| 1981 | Skokie | Chief Arthur Buchanan | |
| Fly Away Home | Tim Arnold | ||
| 1983 | I Take These Men | Phil Zakarian | |
| Blood Feud | Edward Grady Partin | ||
| 1984 | Off Sides (Pigs vs. Freaks) | Sergeant Cheever | |
| 1986 | Acceptable Risks | Don Sheppard | |
| 1987 | The Lion of Africa | Sam Marsh | |
| 1988 | A Father's Revenge | Paul Hobart | |
| 1989 | Day One | GeneralLeslie Groves | |
| Perfect Witness | James Falcon | ||
| 1990 | A Killing in a Small Town | Ed Reivers | |
| Rising Son | Gus Robinson | ||
| Pride and Extreme Prejudice | Bruno Morenz | ||
| 1991 | In Broad Daylight | Len Rowan | |
| 1992 | The Diamond Fleece | Lieutenant Merritt Outlaw | |
| Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story | Jackie Presser | ||
| To Catch a Killer | John Wayne Gacy | ||
| The Burden of Proof | Dixon Hartnell | Miniseries | |
| Deadly Matrimony | SergeantJack Reed | ||
| 1993 | Foreign Affairs | Chuck Mumpson | |
| Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story | Ervil LeBaron | Film [Hearst Entertainment INC] | |
| Final Appeal | Perry Sundquist | ||
| Jack Reed: Badge of Honor | Sergeant Jack Reed | ||
| Murder in the Heartland | John McCarthur | Miniseries | |
| 1994 | Leave of Absence | Sam | |
| Midnight Movie | James Boyce | ||
| Jack Reed: A Search for Justice | Sergeant Jack Reed | ||
| 1995 | Jack Reed: One of Our Own | ||
| Shadow of a Doubt | Charlie Sloan | ||
| 1996 | Jack Reed: A Killer Among Us | Sergeant Jack Reed | |
| Jack Reed: Death and Vengeance | |||
| A Season in Purgatory | Gerald Bradley | ||
| Undue Influence | Paul Madriani | ||
| 1997 | Indefensible: The Truth About Edward Brannigan | Eddie Brannigan | |
| 1998 | Voyage of Terror | U.S. President | |
| Thanks of a Grateful Nation | Senator Riegle | ||
| 1999 | Netforce | Lowell Davidson | |
| Sirens | Lieutenant Denby | ||
| Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke | Louis Bromfield | ||
| 2000 | Fail Safe | General Bogan | |
| Death of a Salesman | Willy Loman | ||
| 2001 | Warden of Red Rock | Sheriff Church | |
| Three Blind Mice | Matthew Hope | ||
| 2002 | A Season on the Brink | Bobby Knight | |
| 2003 | The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron | Mr. Blue | |
| The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone | Tom Stone | ||
| 2004 | Category 6: Day of Destruction | Andy Goodman | Miniseries |
| 2005 | Our Fathers | Father Dominic Spagnolia | |
| The Exonerated | Gary Gauger | ||
| 2007 | Marco Polo | Kublai Khan | |
| 2013 | The Challenger Disaster | Chairman William Rogers | |
| 2015 | The Ultimate Legacy | Gus Caldwell | Hallmark movie |
| 2017 | A Very Merry Toy Store | Joe Haggarty |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Kojak | Peter Connor | Episode: "The Godson" |
| Serpico | Jody | Episode: "Sanctuary" | |
| Lanigan's Rabbi | Burton Tree | Episode: "Corpse of the Year" | |
| Police Woman | Burrows | Episode: "Shadow of Doubt" | |
| Lou Grant | Wilson | Episode: "Nazi" | |
| M*A*S*H | M.P. Sergeant Ernie Connors | Episode: "Souvenirs" | |
| Lucan | Fisher | Episode: "Listen to the Heart Beat" | |
| The Fitzpatricks | Coach Hatfield | Episode: "Superman" | |
| 1978 | Pearl | Sergeant Otto Chain | 3 episodes |
| Dallas | Luther Frick | Episode: "Winds of Vengeance" | |
| The Tony Randall Show | Brian Sr. | Episode: "Bobby and Brian" | |
| 1979 | Big Shamus, Little Shamus | Arnie Sutter | 2 episodes |
| Knots Landing | James Cargill | Episode: "Chance of a Lifetime" | |
| 1981 | Dynasty | District AttorneyJake Dunham | 5 episodes |
| Darkroom | Roland | Episode: "Make-Up" | |
| 1982 | Star of the Family | Leslie Krebs | 10 episodes |
| 1984 | Cagney & Lacey | Michael MacGruder | Episode: "The Bounty Hunter" |
| Hunter | Dr. Bolin | Episode: "Hunter" | |
| 1985 | Evergreen | Matthew Malone | 3 episodes |
| The Last Place on Earth | Frederick Cook | 2 episodes | |
| Tall Tales & Legends | Buffalo Bill | Episode: "Annie Oakley" | |
| 1987 | Miami Vice | Reverend Billy Bob Proverb | Episode: "Amen...Send Money" |
| Faerie Tale Theatre | King Neptune (Narrator) | Voice, Episode: "The Little Mermaid" | |
| 1994 | Birdland | Dr. Brian McKenzie | 4 episodes |
| 1996 | Dead Man's Walk | Major Chvallie | 2 episodes |
| Nostromo | Joshua C. Holyrod | 4 episodes | |
| 1998–2003 | Just Shoot Me | 'Red' Finch | |
| 2001 | The Fighting Fitzgeralds | Fitzgerald | 10 episodes |
| 2005 | The West Wing | Senator Rafe Framhagen | Episode: "Ninety Miles Away" |
| 2006 | The 4400 | Mitch Baldwin | Episode: "Blink" |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Judson Tierney | Episode: "Scheherezade" |
| Masters of Science Fiction | Bedzyk | Episode: "The Discarded" | |
| 2008 | 30 Rock | Mickey J. | Episode: "Sandwich Day" |
| 2009 | Rules of Engagement | Roy | Episode: "Dad's Visit" |
| 2010 | Rizzoli & Isles | Detective Kenny Leahy | Episode: "Boston Strangler Redux" |
| 2012 | The Good Wife | 'Bucky' Stabler | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Big C | Mr. Tolkey | Episode: "The Finale" |
| 2015 | Public Morals | Joe Patton | 8 episodes |
| 2016–2020 | The Blacklist | Dominic Wilkinson | 9 episodes(dedicated to Dennehy's memory in his 9th episode) |
| 2017 | Hap and Leonard | Sheriff Valentine Otis | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Penny Dreadful: City of Angels | Jerome Townsend | Episode: "Sing, Sing, Sing"(dedicated to Dennehy's memory) |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Ratatouille | Django |
| 2012 | Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure | Django |
I come from an Irish Catholic family,...
