Dabney Coleman, Emmy winner and 9 to 5 star, dies aged 92
The character actor shone in both comedic and dramatic roles across a near-60-year career.
Dabney Coleman, the prolific film and TV actor with a career spanning almost six decades, has died at the age of 92.
Largely known for his portrayal of antagonistic characters - in both comedic and dramatic roles - the Texan passed away in his home in Santa Monica, California, his daughter revealed.
After starting his career on Broadway in the 1960s, Coleman quickly made the switch to the small screen, appearing in the likes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Outer Limits and The Fugitive before the decade came to a close.
From there, the demand for his cranky performances hardly let up, with further appearances in Mannix, Police Story and Buffalo Bill, as well as an Emmy-winning guest spot in Columbo, all following in the decades after his breakthrough.
Coleman also became a series regular in more light-hearted shows such as soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and sitcom Forever Fernwood.
Younger generations may also recognise his voice from Disney’s Recess, in which he played the aptly-named Principal Prickly.
On the big screen, Coleman is perhaps best known for his turn as Ron Carlisle in the Dustin Hoffman-led Tootsie, as McKittrick in Matthew Broderick’s WarGames and as Franklin Hart Jr in 9 to 5, starring alongside Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton.
And more recently, TV fans will have spotted Coleman’s trademark moustache during his memorable appearance in Yellowstone, in which he played the father of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton in his final screen credit in 2019.
Tributes for the well-respected character actor have poured in on social media, with publicist Danny Deraney describing him as "a legend".
He continued: "Dabney Coleman was one of those actors that no matter what he was in, he was simply brilliant.
"He made being a jerk an art form and often times, carried the movies he was in."
American actor Craig Bierko added: "He was a funny, infuriating, titanically talented, impossible not to love man."
And finally, his daughter, singer Quincy Coleman, told The Hollywood Reporter: "My father crafted his time here on Earth with a curious mind, a generous heart and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humour that tickled the funny bone of humanity.
"As he lived, he moved through this final act of his life with elegance, excellence and mastery.
"A teacher, a hero and a king, Dabney Coleman is a gift and blessing in life and in death as his spirit will shine through his work, his loved ones and his legacy … eternally."
Authors
George White is a Sub-Editor for Radio Times. He was previously a reporter for the Derby Telegraph and was the editor of LeftLion magazine. As well as receiving an MA in Magazine Journalism, he completed a BA in Politics and International Relations.
