It was reported today that two time Tony Award winner Brian Dennehy has passed away at 81 from natural causes.
Brian has worked extensively in film, theater, and television for three decades. He has won two Tony Award for Best Actor (Long Day's Journey Into Night and Death of a Salesman), a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy Award nomination for Showtime's Death of a Salesman, and an Olivier Award for Best Actor for his Willy Loman in London's West End.
Other notable stage work includes Love Letter on Broadway, Inherit the Wind and Translations on Broadway; Hughie at Trinity Repertory; Peter Brooks The Cherry Orchard at Brooklyn Academy of Music; Trumbo Off-Broadway and on tour; Rat in the Skull; Says I, Says He at The Mark Taper Forum and NY's Phoenix Theatre; The Exonerated Off-Broadway, on tour and in the Court TV film version directed by Bob Balaban.
Dennehy has been associated for two decades with Chicago's Goodman Theatre, where he has starred in numerous leading roles. Dennehy's extensive film work includes Semi-Tough, Foul Play, Blake Edwards 10, First Blood, Cocoon, F/X, Presumed Innocent, Tommy Boy, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet, Gorky Park, Never Cry Wolf, Silverado, Twice in a Lifetime, Best Seller, The Belly of an Architect (Best Actor Chicago Film Festival), Spike Lee's She Hate Me, Ratatouille and the soon-to-be released 10th & Wolf. On television Dennehy receiving Emmy Award nominations for his performances in The Burden of Proof, Murder in the Heartland, TO CATCH A KILLER and Killing in a Small Town. He anchored a successful series of telefilms as Jack Reed for NBC throughout the 1990s, and directed and starred in the Shadow of a Doubt and Indefensible.
See how the stars are reacting to his passing:
Was lucky enough to see Brian Dennehy twice on stage, masterful in Love Letters, and monumentally heartbreaking in Death Of A Salesman. A colossus. What a loss.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) April 16, 2020
Another day. Another piece of devastating news. For those who never got to see Brian's towering performance in "Death of A Salesman," it will go down as one of the crowing performances ever delivered in a stage. #RIPbriandennehy https://t.co/23QgabbeZY
- Josh Gad (@joshgad) April 16, 2020
Condolences to THE FAMILY of Brian Dennehy. ? A wonderfully talented actor.
- William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) April 16, 2020
#RIPBrianDennehy "Character actors! Who gives a fuck if we're fat?" You were the best rat-dad a little chef could ask for. Miss you, man. pic.twitter.com/wTJpc3IHGB
- Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) April 16, 2020
#RIPBrianDennehy "Character actors! Who gives a fuck if we're fat?" You were the best rat-dad a little chef could ask for. Miss you, man. pic.twitter.com/wTJpc3IHGB
- Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) April 16, 2020
Today we lost the great Brian Dennehy. Rest In Peace, my friend. pic.twitter.com/Nzw8H9jzCp
- Tony Danza (@TonyDanza) April 16, 2020
The great actor Brian Dennehy has passed away. He simply was a great actor ... He also was a Vietnam vet that helped me very much building the character of RAMBO The world has lost a great artist. #First Blood https://t.co/knL4rROymL
- Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) April 16, 2020
What a loss. Brian Dennehy #RIP pic.twitter.com/h4WaMQWDvr
- David Spade (@DavidSpade) April 17, 2020
Brian Dennehy has passed.
(golden globe, 6 Emmy noms, 2 Tony wins & an Olivier award) Watch -
He was a fine actor .
He was good company.
The Next Three Days
(2010)
Directed by Paul Haggis.
Underrated movie. It was a privilege to work with him.
Condolences to his loved ones. - Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) April 16, 2020
We've lost one of our great actors. Rest #BrianDennehy
- John Lithgow (@JohnLithgow) April 16, 2020
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