Tootsie and 9 to 5 actor Dabney Coleman dies aged 92
Dabney Coleman was renowned for playing cantankerous characters (Picture: AP)
Legendary comic actor Dabney Coleman, who starred in movies including 9 to 5 and Tootsie, has died aged 92.
Coleman starred alongside Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5, while in Tootsie he appeared opposite Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray and Jessica Lange.
His numerous credits also included Nora Ephron’s romcom classic You’ve Got Mail, as well as TV shows such as Columbo, Yellowstone and Boardwalk Empire.
Coleman’s death was confirmed by his daughter, singer Quincy Coleman, to the Hollywood Reporter. She said he died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California.
Ben Stiller was among the Hollywood stars who paid tribute to Coleman on social media, describing his acting as ‘uniquely singular.’
He wrote on X: ‘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. Xxx.’
Coleman starred alongside greats including Dolly and Jane in 9 to 5 (Picture: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterst)
Coleman’s most recent TV credit was in the Western hit Yellowstone (Picture: Danno Nell/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock)
Legendary Oscar-nominated actor James Woods remembered fondly having regular steak meals with Coleman.
He said on social media: ‘I’ve gone to Dan Tana’s restaurant regularly all my adult life. Dabney Coleman was always there, sitting in booth number one (appropriately), having his trademark steak. I had always loved him as an actor, and loved him more as we became friends. ##RIPDabneyColeman.’
The Nutty Professor actor John Ales penned: ‘As a kid I don’t think I found any villain more likable than mean Dabney Coleman. We shared a birthday. Months after my dad passed away, Dabney played my dad for the 1st time. We had countless dinners together. He was a complicated, hilarious genius who was so sweet to my mom.’
Many Hollywood stars remembered Coleman’s prowess as a character actor (Picture: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock)
Dabney began his career as a Broadway actor (Picture: Nbc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock)
Born in Austin, Texas in 1932, Coleman began his career as a Broadway actor after acting training in New York.
He soon began appearing in film and TV before landing the role of the sexist boss on whom the three female office employees exact their revenge in 1980 film 9 to 5.
Coleman followed the film with Tootsie, where he played an arrogant, sexist soap opera director, solidifying the character type he was most renowned for playing – a comic relief villain.
Coleman was best known for playing comic relief villains (Picture: Triton Pictures/Everett/Shutters)
Dabney also appeared in dozens of TV shows including Boardwalk Empire and Columbo (Picture: David Livingston/Getty Images)
His other film credits include The Beverly Hillbillies, The Muppets Take Manhattan, and Inspector Gadget.
Over on TV, Coleman received his first Emmy nomination for his role as the self-centered TV host in Buffalo Bill.
He also starred in two episodes of crime drama Columbo, playing a detective, and in medical series Quincy ME.
More recently, Coleman appeared in the hit Steve Buscemi show Boardwalk Empire and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
As a kid I don’t think I found any villain more likable than mean Dabney Coleman.We shared a birthday.Months after my dad passed away, Dabney played my dad for the 1st time. We had countless dinners together.He was a complicated, hilarious genius who was so sweet to my mom.â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/P6sWeUPWBt— John Ales AFâ„¢ï¸ (@IAmJohnAles) May 17, 2024
I’ve gone to Dan Tana’s restaurant regularly all my adult life. Dabney Coleman was always there, sitting in booth number one (appropriately), having his trademark steak. I had always loved him as an actor, and loved him more as we became friends. ##RIPDabneyColeman— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) May 17, 2024
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. Xxx— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) May 17, 2024
His last TV credit before his death was a 2019 episode of the Western drama Yellowstone, which stars Kevin Costner.
Paying tribute to her father, Quincy 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 humor 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.’
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