Comedy character actor Dabney Coleman dies at 92
Memorable roles include Tootsie and 9 To 5
American comedy actor Dabney Coleman, who starred in the likes of Tootsie and 9 To 5, has died at 92.
His daughter told US media the the Texan-born actor died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on Thursday.
He began his career on Broadway in the 1960 and became for playing comedy villains, such as Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton’s obnoxious, sexist boss Franklin Hart Jr in the 1980 film 9 To 5
The soap opera director he played 1982's Tootsie was similarly arrogant.
He briefly starred in his own sitcom Buffalo Bill, playing a self-centred TV host, winning him an Emmy.
Other roles included The Muppets Take Manhattan, Short Time and the big-screen remakes of Dragnet and The Beverly Hillbillies
He also played serious roles, such as the fiancé of Jane Fonda’s character in On Golden Pond and a military computer scientist in WarGames.
His daughter, the 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.’
Among those paying tribute were Ben Stiller, who said: ‘The great Dabney Coleman literally created, or defined, really – in a uniquely singular way — an archetype as a character actor. He was so good at what he did it’s hard to imagine movies and television of the last 40 years without him.’
Published: 18 May 2024
