Dabney Coleman

Dabney Wharton Coleman (January 3, 1932 – May 16, 2024) was an American actor. He was recognized for his roles portraying egomaniacal and unlikeable characters in comedic performances. Throughout his career, he appeared in over 175 films and television programs and received awards for both comedic and dramatic performances.

Coleman's notable films include 9 to 5 (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Tootsie (1982), WarGames (1983), Cloak & Dagger (1984), and You've Got Mail (1998). His significant television roles included Merle Jeeter on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976–1977), the title characters in Buffalo Bill (1983–1984) and The Slap Maxwell Story (1987–1988), and Burton Fallin on The Guardian (2001–2004). Later in his career, he portrayed Louis "The Commodore" Kaestner on Boardwalk Empire (2010–2011). His final role was an appearance on Yellowstone (2019). As a voice actor, he provided the voice of Principal Peter Prickly on Recess (1997–2001) and in several movies based on the series.

Coleman won one Primetime Emmy Award from six nominations and one Golden Globe Award from three nominations.

Early life Coleman was born the youngest of four children in Austin, Texas, on January 3, 1932, to Randolph and Mary Johns Coleman. His father died from pneumonia when Dabney was four years old. He, his older brother, and two older sisters were then raised by his mother in Corpus Christi, Texas. He attended Corpus Christi High School, where he excelled at tennis and became nationally ranked as a junior tennis player.

In 1949, at the age of 17, he enrolled at Virginia Military Institute, where he studied for two years and competed on the school's tennis team. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin for two years, graduating in 1954 with a B.A. in drama. Coleman later recalled that he did not pass many courses and that he was "too busy playing Ping-Pong at the Phi Delta Theta house and calling girls". He was drafted into the United States Army in 1953 and served in West Germany in the Army's Special Services for two years. He later told an interviewer, "I spent my military service either playing or teaching tennis." After being discharged by the Army in 1955, he returned to the University of Texas at Austin to enroll in law school. Coleman recounted, "I'll never forget the way he stood and asked if my wife was at home. He had style. In that moment I knew I wanted to be an actor, to be like Zachary Scott. The next day I got on an airplane and flew to New York."

Soon after finishing his training under Meisner, Coleman made his Broadway debut in the short-lived A Call on Kuprin in 1961. He followed that with summer stock performances on the east coast.

In 1965, he landed his first movie role in The Slender Thread, which was also Pollack's directorial debut.

In his first recurring role on television, he played Dr. Leon Bessemer, a neighbor and friend of the protagonist, in the first season of That Girl (1966). Other early roles in his career included a U.S. Olympic skiing team coach in Downhill Racer (1969), a high-ranking fire chief in The Towering Inferno (1974), and a wealthy Westerner in Bite the Bullet (1975). He portrayed an FBI agent in Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975).

In the satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976–1977), Coleman was initially cast for six episodes as Merle Jeeter, the duplicitous father of a child preacher, but his performance secured him a regular role on the show. The part was also the first time he played an unsavory character for comedic effect, which would become a frequent theme in his career. He first grew the mustache that would be associated with many of his roles in 1973.

9 to 5 and leading roles

That opened up the movies for me. The girls were so supportive of me, and included me in everything. They were on a whole different level than I was at the time, but they were very sensitive about that, and made sure that I was included in every publicity shot and tour. All three of them insisted, "Where's Dabney? Get him in here!" They're all three unique and wonderful ladies, all three of them. — Coleman, discussing 9 to 5 with Vulture, November 2010 He also portrayed a con artist Broadway producer in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), played the nefarious raisin tycoon Tyler Cane in the satirical miniseries Fresno (1986), and evoked Hugh Hefner as a lisping magazine mogul in the comedy Dragnet (1987).

Coleman broke from type somewhat in other film roles. He appeared in the feature film On Golden Pond (1981), playing the sympathetic fiancé of Chelsea Thayer Wayne (Jane Fonda). He also played a military computer scientist in WarGames (1983), and he played a dual role as a loving but busy father, as well as his son's imaginary hero, in Cloak & Dagger (1984). Coleman played an aging cop who thinks he is terminally ill in the 1990 comedy Short Time.

While Coleman frequently transitioned between roles in film and television, it was his television performances that earned him the most formal recognition and awards. He received his first Emmy Award nomination for his lead role as a skilled but self-centered TV host in Buffalo Bill. In 1987, he received an Emmy Award for his role in the television film Sworn to Silence. Later that year, Coleman starred in The Slap Maxwell Story (1987–1988), playing a cantankerous sportswriter. Although the show was short-lived, Coleman won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for the role in 1988.

Despite these accolades, many of Coleman's television shows, including award-winning shows like Buffalo Bill and The Slap Maxwell Story, were noted for struggles with low ratings and brief runs. Other series he appeared in, like Drexell's Class (1991–1992) and Madman of the People (1994–1995), faced similar challenges. He also played a philandering father in You've Got Mail (1998), and a police chief in Inspector Gadget (which reunited him with his WarGames co-star Matthew Broderick).

Later career

I think he reached out and said he would be really interested in doing something. I had worked with Dabney many, many years ago, almost 20 years ago, as one of the young pups. He's a Texas guy and was such a gifted, giving actor and I was really struck by how good he was, and how kind he was, to this kid who was guest starring on his deal. It's funny; I've employed a lot of people who were good to me when I was a young actor. — Taylor Sheridan, discussing casting Coleman in Yellowstone with Deadline, August 2019 For two seasons, from 2010 to 2011, Coleman was a series regular on HBO's Boardwalk Empire, sharing two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

His final roles included a small part in Warren Beatty's comedy Rules Don't Apply in 2016, and a guest role in 2019 as Kevin Costner's dying father in Yellowstone, which would be his final role.

Personal life Coleman was married to Ann Courtney Harrell from 1957 to 1959 and Jean Hale from 1961 to 1983.

Coleman was a tennis player, winning celebrity and charity tournaments. He played mainly at the Riviera Country Club as well as in local tournaments. He was also known for being a regular at the Dan Tana's restaurant in West Hollywood, where a large New York Steak is named after him. His favorite sports team was the St. Louis Browns, which are now the Baltimore Orioles.

In the 1980s and 1990s, it was noted by several journalists that Coleman chain-smoked cigarettes during his interviews. He was described as a "lean and impossibly fit-looking 62 years old" by The New York Times in 1994. In 2011, Coleman started treatment for throat cancer, which sometimes affected his ability to speak. The diagnosis led to a rapid rewrite and early filming of his scenes for the second season of Boardwalk Empire. In a 2012 interview, he discussed his experience filming the series while dealing with cancer, lighting up a cigarette at one point during the interview, and mentioned that he no longer had cancer.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1965 The Slender Thread Charlie Movie debut 1973 Cinderella Liberty Executive Officer 1974 The Dove Charles Huntley The Towering Inferno SFFD Deputy Chief 1 The Other Side of the Mountain Dave McCoy 1976 Midway Captain Murray Arnold 1977 Viva Knievel! Ralph Thompson Rolling Thunder Maxwell 1979 North Dallas Forty Emmett Hunter Melvin and Howard Judge Keith Hayes 9 to 5 Franklin M. Hart Jr. 1981 On Golden Pond Dr. Bill Ray Tootsie Ron Carlisle 1987 Dragnet Jerry Caesar Short Time Burt Simpson 1992 There Goes the Neighborhood Jeffrey Babitt 1993 Amos & Andrew Police Chief Cecil Tolliver The Beverly Hillbillies Milburn Drysdale 1997 Witch Way Love Joel 1998 You've Got Mail Nelson Fox 1999 Inspector Gadget Police Chief Quimby 2001 Recess: School's Out Principal Peter Prickly Voice Moonlight Mile Mike Mulcahey 2003 Where the Red Fern Grows Grandpa Recess: All Growed Down Principal Peter Prickly Voice 2022 Still Working 9 to 5 Himself

Television Year Title Role Notes 1964 Kraft Suspense Theatre William Gunther Episode: "The Threatening Eye" 1972 Mannix Episode: "Portrait of a Hero" 1973–1991 Columbo Detective Murray / Hugh Creighton 2 episodes 1974 Bad Ronald Mr. Wood Television film 1975 Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan Paul Mathison Television film 1977 Fernwood 2 Night Premiere episode 1983–1984 Buffalo Bill Bill Bittinger Main cast Murrow CBS President William S. Paley Television film 1987 Sworn to Silence Martin Costigan Television film 1988 Maybe Baby Hal Television film 1991 Never Forget William Cox Television film 1991–1992 Drexell's Class Otis Drexell Main cast 1994–1995 Madman of the People Jack "Madman" Buckner Main cast 1997 The Magic School Bus Horace Scope Voice, episode: "Sees Stars" Exiled: A Law & Order Movie Lieutenant Dennis Stolper Television film 2001–2004 The Guardian Burton Fallin Main cast 2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Frank Hagar Episode: "Snatched" 2010–2011 Pound Puppies Mayor Jerry Voice, 4 episodes 2019 NCIS John Sydney Episode: "The Last Link" Yellowstone John Dutton Jr. Episode: "Sins of the Father" (final role)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 1987 CableACE Awards Actor in a Movie or Miniseries Murrow 1983 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Buffalo Bill 1984 1987 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special Sworn to Silence 1988 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series The Slap Maxwell Story Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special Baby M 1991 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Columbo, episode: "Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star" 2017 Satellite Awards Mary Pickford Award 2011

Other honors Year Honor Category Result Ref. 2014 Hollywood Walk of Fame Television