Brian Dennehy, Iconic Character Actor, Dead at 81

The actor received numerous awards for his stage and screen work

Brian Dennehy in 2001
Brian Dennehy accepts the award For Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for his work in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman."
Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect

Throughout Brian Dennehy’s long career — which spanned movies, television and theater — the iconic actor played heroes and villains, embodying everyone from beloved family members to diabolically-minded murderers along the way. Dennehy died on Wednesday night at his home in New Haven, Connecticut. According to a statement from his family, his death came from natural causes.

For someone whose reputation was as an actor’s actor, Dennehy’s career began in an unexpected place. He attended Columbia University on a football scholarship, worked as a stockbroker in the 1970s and played rugby for a time. His acting work began in earnest in the late 1970s, and his first major role found him playing Sheriff Will Teasle in First Blood, opposite Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo.

The full breadth of Dennehy’s career is astonishing. He was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of serial killer John Wayne Gacy in the 1992 television film To Catch a Killer, but he’s also fondly remembered for his work in comedies like Tommy Boy, Cocoon and Ratatouille.

Some of Dennehy’s most acclaimed work came on the stage. He received Tony Awards for his work in productions of Death of a Salesman and Long Day’s Journey into Night. Many of his theatrical appearances came via productions originating at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. This included, in 2012 and 2015, performances in The Iceman Cometh in Chicago and New York.

Both on screen and on stage, Dennehy did his best work portraying complex characters who are at times overwhelmed by the burdens of daily life. Ask any 10 people for their favorite Dennehy performances and you’re likely to get 10 different answers; such was the strength of his long career.

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