Charles Durning

Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays. He received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and nine Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2008, Durning was awarded with Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. His best-known films include The Sting, Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Muppet Movie (1979), True Confessions (1981), Tootsie (1982), Dick Tracy (1990), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). Prior to his acting career, Durning served in World War II and was decorated for valor in combat.

Early life Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York. He was the son of Louise (née Leonard; 1894–1982), a laundress at West Point, and James E. Durning (1883 – c. 1935). and his mother was also of Irish descent. Durning was raised Catholic. Durning was the ninth of ten children. His three brothers – James (known as Roger, 1915–2000), Clifford (1916–1994), and Gerald (1926–2000) – and his sister Frances (1918–2006) survived to adulthood, but five sisters died from scarlet fever and smallpox as children.

Military service Durning served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was drafted at age 20. Durning landed in France as part of an artillery unit in one of the first waves of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. After being wounded by a German anti-personnel mine in the bocage, he spent six months recovering. Durning was reassigned to the 398th Infantry Regiment with the 100th Infantry Division, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. He was discharged at the rank of private first class on January 30, 1946. Additional awards included the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Arrowhead device and two bronze service stars, and the World War II Victory Medal. His badges included the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Badge with Rifle Bar and Honorable Service Lapel Pin.

Durning received the French National Order of the Legion of Honor from the French Consul in Los Angeles in April 2008.

Ribbons Silver Star Bronze Star Purple Heart with 2 Oak leaf clusters Good Conduct Medal American Campaign Medal EAME Campaign Medal (2x) World War II Victory Medal Legion of Honour (Chevalier)

Veteran groups and spokesman Durning participated in a variety of functions to honor American veterans, including serving as Chairman of the U.S. National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans. He was an honored guest speaker for 17 years at the National Memorial Day Concert televised by PBS every year on the Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend.

Durning was paid a special tribute at the May 26, 2013, National Memorial Day Concert when "Taps" was sounded in his honor.

Acting career

While pursuing an acting career, Durning, a professional ballroom dancer, taught at Fred Astaire Dance Studio in New York City.

Durning began his career in 1951. While working as an usher in a burlesque theatre, he was hired to replace a drunken actor on stage. In the Best Picture-winner, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, Durning won distinction as a crooked cop, Lt. Wm. Snyder, who polices and hustles professional con artists. He doggedly pursues the young grifter, Johnny Hooker (Redford), only to become the griftee in the end. Other film credits include Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino; When A Stranger Calls; The Final Countdown; The Hindenburg; Twilight's Last Gleaming with Burt Lancaster; True Confessions with Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall. Some television credits include The Connection; Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, the made-for-television musical in which he played the mailman who reaches out to Maureen Stapleton's lonely widow on the dance floor; Attica; PBS's Dancing Bear with Tyne Daly; the PBS production I Would Be Called John as Pope John XXIII; Hallmark Hall of Fame: Casey Stengel, in which Durning played the legendary baseball manager Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel; NBC's mini-series Studs Lonigan with Harry Hamlin and Colleen Dewhurst; The Best Little Girl in the World with Jennifer Jason Leigh. In 1976, he received both an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the television mini-series Captains and the Kings.

In 1979, he played Doc Hopper, a man who owns a frog leg restaurant and the main antagonist in The Muppet Movie. In Tootsie (1982), he played a suitor to Dustin Hoffman's cross-dressing lead character. The truth of the incident only becomes known when the guilt-stricken veteran goes through a cathartic reliving of the battlefield events.

For his numerous roles on television, he earned nine Emmy Award nominations. He also received Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982 and To Be or Not to Be in 1983. On July 31, 2008, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame adjacent to one of his idols, James Cagney.

"There are many secrets in us, in the depths of our souls, that we don't want anyone to know about," he told Parade. "There's terror and repulsion in us, the terrible spot that we don't talk about. That place that no one knows about — horrifying things we keep secret. A lot of that is released through acting."

The Charles Durning Collection is held at the Academy Film Archive. Along with films he appeared in, his collection consists mainly of films he admired as well as a small collection of family home movies.

Personal life

Durning married his first wife, Carole Doughty, in 1959. They had three children together before divorcing in 1972. Durning married his second wife, Mary Ann Amelio, in 1974. In 2010, the two filed an official Declaration of Separation.

He died of natural causes at his home in Manhattan on Christmas Eve December 24, 2012, aged 89. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

On December 27, 2012, Broadway theatres dimmed their lights in his honor. The New York Times referred to him and actor Jack Klugman, who died the same day, as "extraordinary actors ennobling the ordinary". The Huffington Post called them "character actor titans".

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1962 The Password Is Courage American G.I. Uncredited 1965 Harvey Middleman, Fireman Dooley 1969 Stiletto Cop Uncredited 1970 Hi, Mom! Superintendent (as Charles Durnham) I Walk the Line Hunnicutt 1971 The Pursuit of Happiness 2nd Guard 1972 Doomsday Voyage Jason's First Mate Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-BostonForty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Murphy Sisters Joseph Larch 1973 Deadhead Miles Red Ball Rider The Sting Lieutenant Snyder 1974 The Front Page Murphy 1975 Dog Day Afternoon Sergeant Eugene Moretti National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor Breakheart Pass O'Brien The Hindenburg Captain Max Pruss 1976 Harry and Walter Go to New York Rufus T. Crisp 1977 Twilight's Last Gleaming President David Stevens The Choirboys Spermwhale Whalen 1978 The Fury Dr. Jim McKeever An Enemy of the People Peter Stockmann The Greek Tycoon Michael Russell 1979 Tilt Harold 'The Whale' Remmens The Muppet Movie 'Doc' Hopper North Dallas Forty Coach Johnson Starting Over Michael Potter When a Stranger Calls John Clifford 1980 Die Laughing Arnold The Final Countdown Senator Samuel Chapman 1981 True Confessions Jack Amsterdam Sharky's Machine Lieutenant Friscoe 1982 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Governor Tootsie Leslie 'Les' Nichols 1983 Scarface Immigration Officer Voice, Uncredited Two of a Kind Charlie To Be or Not to Be Colonel Erhardt 1984 Mister Roberts The Captain Mass Appeal Monsignor Thomas Burke 1985 Stick Chucky The Man with One Red Shoe Ross Stand Alone Louis Thibadeau 1986 Big Trouble O'Mara Where the River Runs Black Father O'Reilly Tough Guys Sergeant Deke Yablonski Meatballs III: Summer Job Pete Uncredited Solarbabies The Warden 1987 The Rosary Murders Father Ted Nabors Happy New Year Charlie A Tiger's Tale Charlie Drumm Hadley's Rebellion Sam Crawford 1988 Cop Detective Arthur 'Dutch' Peltz Far North Bertrum Case Closed Detective Les 1989 Etoile Uncle Joshua Brenda Starr Editor Francis I. Livright Cat Chaser 'Jiggs' Scully 1990 Dick Tracy Chief Brandon Fatal Sky Colonel Clancy 1991 V.I. Warshawski Lieutenant Bobby Mallory 1993 The Music of Chance Bill Flower When a Stranger Calls Back John Clifford 1994 The Hudsucker Proxy Waring Hudsucker I.Q. Louis Bamberger 1995 The Last Supper Reverend Gerald Hutchens The Grass Harp Reverend Buster Home for the Holidays Henry Larson 1996 Spy Hard The Director Recon Chief The Land Before Time IV:Journey Through the Mists Archie The Archelon Voice Mrs. Santa Claus Santa Claus One Fine Day Lew 1997 The Secret Life of Algernon Norbie Hess 1998 Shelter Captain Robert Landis Jerry and Tom Vic Hi-Life 'Fatty' Hard Time Detective Charlie Duffy 2000 Lakeboat 'Skippy' O Brother, Where Art Thou? Pappy O'Daniel Very Mean Men Paddy Mulroney The Last Producer Syd Wolf State and Main Mayor George Bailey Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best CastNational Board of Review Award for Best CastOnline Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Never Look Back Unknown 2001 L.A.P.D.: To Protect and to Serve Stuart Steele 2002 Turn of Faith Philly Russo Mother Ghost George Mr. St. Nick King Nicholas XX The Naked Run Congressman Davenport Short The Last Man Club John 'Eagle Eye' Pennell Pride & Loyalty Dylan Frier 2003 Dead Canaries Jimmy Kerrigan 2004 Death and Texas Marshall Ledger One Last Ride Mr. Orlick A Boyfriend for Christmas Santa Claus 2005 River's End Murray Blythe Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story Frank McNally The L.A. Riot Spectacular The Lawyer Dirty Deeds Victor Rasdale Jesus, Mary and Joey Teddy, The Bartender 2006 Descansos Innkeeper #2 Desperation Tom Billingsley Miracle Dogs Too Captain Pete Weaver Unbeatable Harold Mr. Clark Local Color Yammi Forget About It Eddie O'Brien 2007 Polycarp Alexander Hathaway aka Kinky Killers 2008 Good Dick Charlie Deal Charlie Adler The Drum Beats Twice Satan Break The Wise Man iMurders Dr. Seamus St. Martin The Golden Boys John Bartlett A Bunch of Amateurs Charlie Rosenberg 2009 Shannon's Rainbow Floyd 2010 Three Chris's Kris Kringle Chronicle of Purgatory: The Waiter Frank 'The Handler' Maro An Affirmative Act Man In The White Suit 2011 Naked Run Congressman Davenport The Great Fight Judge Frier The Life Zone James Wise 2012 Rogue Assassin Frank 'The Handler' Maro 2014 Scavenger Killers Dylan Frier Posthumous release 2015 Captured Hearts Santa Claus Posthumous release, (final film role)

Stage credits Year Title Role(s) Notes 1962 King Lear Ensemble, Messenger from Cornwall 1963 Antony and Cleopatra Clown The Winter's Tale Clown 1964 Fiddler on the Roof Priest Durning's role was cut during out-of-town tryouts Poor Bitos Understudy Broadway debut 1965 Drat! The Cat! Pincer 1966 All's Well That Ends Well Lavatch Measure for Measure Pompey Richard III 1st Murderer Pousse-Café Maurice / Dean Stewartunderstudy: Artie 1967 The Comedy of Errors Dromio of Ephesus King John James Gurney Titus Andronicus Narrator 1968 The Happy Time Louis Bonnard 1969 Twelfth Night Feste Indians Ned Buntline1970 Lemon Sky Douglas The Wars of the Roses Part 1: Mayor of LondonPart 2: Jack Cade 1972 That Championship Season George Sikowski Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance 1973 Boom Boom Room Harold The Au Pair Man Eugene Hartigan 1976 Knock Knock Cohn 1990 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 'Big Daddy' Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play 1992 Queen of the Stardust Ballroom Al O'Hara 1996 Inherit the Wind Matthew Harrison Brady 1997 The Gin Game Weller Martin Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance 2000 Gore Vidal's The Best Man Ex-President Arthur Hockstader Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play 2001 Brigadoon Mr. Lundie 2002 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Old Dogsborough / Ted Ragg / Ignatius Dullfeet 2003 Harvey Elwood P. Dowd 2004 Golf With Alan Shepard Ned 2005 Third Jack Jameson Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor

Television

Major awards and nominations

Narrations Normandy: The Great Crusade Discovery Channel Director-Christopher Koch – English (1994)