Just the other day, we were talking about Dabney Coleman as we discussed the 9 to 5 reboot. Now, today, comes the sad news that he has passed away.
The well-loved character actor and Emmy winner was 92. His daughter confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he passed away on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica.
Dabney Wharton Coleman was born in Austin, Texas on January 3, 1932. He attended the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Texas at Austin. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1953 and served in Europe.
His filmography is a thing of myth and legend. Famous for playing mustachioed patriarchs and tyrannical bosses, it is difficult to know where to start when looking at his works, they are that expansive!
Of course, his most famous roles were as the sexist boss whom three female office employees (Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin) kidnapped for their revenge in 9 to 5, or On Golden Pond, or possibly his soap director role in Tootsie.
He appeared in WarGames, The Towering Inferno, The Beverly Hillbilles, Muppets Take Manhattan, Short Time, Domino, and Meet The Applegates. A personal favorite of mine was his fun turn as sleazy pornographer and unwitting P.A.G.A.N. tool Jerry Caesar in Dragnet.
Most recently, he appeared on TV as the father of Kevin Costner’s character in Yellowstone.
In 1998, Coleman worked with fellow actor Bronson Pinchot at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, to help protect local forests and helped lead a campaign to educate others on how to care for and protect forests nationwide.
Coleman was an avid tennis player, winning celebrity and charity tournaments.
He was married and divorced twice. He was married to Ann Courtney Harrell from 1957 to 1959 and Jean Hale from 1961 to 1984. He had four children: daughter Kelly, son Randy, and daughter Quincy with Jean Hale, and daughter Meghan.
Rest in peace, Dabney.
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