Veteran actor Dabney Coleman has passed away at the age of 92.
Actor Dabney Coleman, who played many film and TV roles while excelling at portraying villains, has died. His daughter, singer Quincy Coleman, confirmed that her father had died on Thursday at his Santa Monica home. He was 92 years old.
“My father crafted his time here on Earth with a curious mind, a generous heart and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity,” Quincy said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
Coleman can be recognized from a number of roles. Among his most well-known is as the chauvinistic boss in the iconic 1980 comedy movie 9 to 5, which also starred Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin as employees who’ve had enough of his treatment. Other memorable villain roles include playing a sexist director in 1982’s Tootsie and as the mayor Merle Jeeter in the 70s TV series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Coleman portrayed an egotistical talk show host in the 1980s series Buffalo Bill as the titular character.
Coleman also led three short-lived sitcoms, all of which concluded after one season each. That includes The Slap Maxwell Story on ABC, which earned the actor a Golden Globe Award, along with Drexell’s Class on Fox and Madman of the People on NBC. His other TV roles include voicing Principal Peter Prickly in the animated series Recess and playing Louis “The Commodore” Kaestner on Boardwalk Empire. More recently, he guest starred as John Dutton Jr. in an episode of Yellowstone.
The actor’s other notable film roles include Rolling Thunder, WarGrames, Cloak & Dagger, The Beverly Hillbillies, Clifford, Stuart Little, You’ve Got Mail, Where the Red Fern Grows, Domino, and Rules Don’t Apply. With dozens of TV credits, he’s also appeared in a wide variety of TV shows, including I Dream of Jeannie, The Fugitive, The Mod Squad, The Love Boat, Bonanza, Kojak, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Quincy, M.E., Barnaby Jones, Diff’rent Strokes, The Guardian, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Heartland, and Ray Donovan.
Coleman’s survivors include his children: Quincy, Randy, Kelly, and Meghan, along with his grandchildren: Hale, Gabe, Luie, Kai, and Coleman.
