Brian Dennehy obit

Tommy Boy, The Blacklist Actor Brian Dennehy Dead at 81

He was not on the list.

Actor Brian Dennehy, who appeared in nearly 200 movies and TV shows over the course of his long career and won two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play, died Wednesday, April 15 from natural causes unrelated to COVID-19, his daughter Elizabeth Dennehy confirmed. He was 81. Dennehy could be a leading man or a character actor depending on what the role called for, and in addition to his Tonys, he was nominated for six Emmys and won a Golden Globe.

Dennehy's most recognizable film and television roles include his breakout role as villainous Sheriff Will Teasle in First Blood, Big Tom Callahan in Tommy Boy, the voice of Django the rat in Ratatouille, and as Teamster boss Mickey J. in the 30 Rock episode "Sandwich Day."

In recent years, he recurred on The Blacklist as Dominic Wilkinson. Deadline reports that he'll get a sendoff on The Blacklist in the episode that will serve as the Season 7 finale. The NBC crime drama was filming the 19th episode of its planned 22-episode season when production was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dennehy was already slated to be in the episode, which will use existing and previously filmed footage for Dom's farewell. The episode will close with a tribute card for Dennehy as well.

His greatest success came on the Broadway stage, winning Tonys for his performances in Death of a Salesman in 1999 and Long Day's Journey Into Night in 2003. He won a Golden Globe in 2001 for his performance as Willy Loman in a TV movie version of Death of a Salesman.

His acting career began relatively late in life, with his first film and TV credits coming in 1977. Before he became a professional actor, he was a stockbroker and a rugby player. He served in the Marine Corps and was stationed in Okinawa from 1958 to 1963; he later claimed to have served in combat in Vietnam, which wasn't true. He apologized for lying in 1998.

He is survived by his wife Jennifer and five children, including actress Elizabeth Dennehy.

Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1977      Looking for Mr. Goodbar               Surgeon              

1977      Semi-Tough        T.J. Lambert       

1978      F.I.S.T.   Frank Vasco       

1978      Foul Play              Fergie   

1979      Butch and Sundance: The Early Days        O.C. Hanks         

1979      10           Don the Bartender          

1980      Little Miss Marker            Herbie  

1982      Split Image          Kevin Stetson    

1982      First Blood           Sheriff Will Teasle           

1983      Never Cry Wolf Rose Little          

1983      Gorky Park          William Kirwill  

1984      Finders Keepers                Mayor Frizzoli   

1984      The River Rat      Doc Cole             

1985      Cocoon                 Walter

1985      Silverado              Sheriff Cobb      

1985      Twice in a Lifetime           Nick      

1986      F/X         Lt. Leo McCarthy             

1986      The Check Is in the Mail                 Richard Jackson               

1986      Legal Eagles        C.J. Cavanaugh

1987      The Belly of an Architect               Stourley Kracklite            

1987      Best Seller           Lt. Dennis Meechum      

1988      The Man from Snowy River II      Harrison              

1988      Miles from Home             Frank Roberts, Sr.            

1988      Cocoon: The Return        Walter Uncredited role

1989      Indio      Whytaker           

1989      Seven Minutes [de]         Wagner               

1990      Blue Heat            Frank Daly           aka The Last of the Finest

1990      Presumed Innocent        Raymond Horgan            

1991      F/X2       Leo McCarthy   

1992      Gladiator             Jimmy Horn       

1994      Jackaboy Blue    Guggles McMillian          

1995      Tommy Boy        Big Tom Callahan II         

1995      The Stars Fell on Henrietta           Big Dave McDermot       

1996      Romeo + Juliet   Ted Montague

1999      Out of the Cold David Bards       

1999      Silicon Towers   Tom Warner      

2000      Dish Dogs            Frost     

2001      Summer Catch   John Schiffner   

2002      Stolen Summer Father Kelly       

2002      Code Yellow: Hospital at Ground Zero     Narrator              

2002      Drawing First Blood         Himself                 Short

2004      She Hate Me      Chairman Billy Church   

2005      Assault on Precinct 13    Jasper O'Shea   

2005      Tommy Boy: Behind the Laughter             Himself                 Short

2005      10th and Wolf   Agent Horvath  

2006      Everyone's Hero               Babe Ruth           Voice

2006      The Ultimate Gift              Gus       

2007      Ratatouille          Django Voice

2007      Welcome to Paradise      Bobby Brown    

2007      War Eagle, Arkansas        Pop       

2008      Cat City                 Harold Vogessor              

2008      Righteous Kill     Lt. Hingus           

2010      Every Day            Ernie     

2010      Meet Monica Velour       Pop Pop              

2010      The Next Three Days       George Brennan              

2010      Alleged Clarence Darrow              

2011      The Big Year       Raymond Harris               

2012      Twelfth Night     Sir Toby Belch   

2013      The Challenger Chairman William Rogers             

2015      Knight of Cups   Joseph

2018      The Seagull         Sorin     

2018      Tag         Mr. Cilliano, Randy's Father         Uncredited

2018      The Song of Sway Lake   Hal Sway             

2019      Driveways           Del        

2019      Master Maggie[28]          Himself                 Short

2019      3 Days With Dad               Bob Mills            

2020      Son of the South               Grandfather       Post-production, Posthumous release

TBA        Long Day Journey                             Post-production, Posthumous release; Final film role

Television films

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1977      Bumpers              Ernie Stapp        

1977      Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye        Longshoreman

1977      It Happened at Lakewood Manor              Fire Chief            

1978      A Real American Hero    Buford Pusser   

1978      Ruby and Oswald             George Paulsen               

1978      A Death in Canaan           Barney Parsons

1979      Dummy                Ragoti  

1979      The Jericho Mile               Dr. D     

1979      Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story         Mr. O'Neil          

1980      A Rumor of War                Sgt. Ned Coleman           

1980      The Seduction of Miss Leona       Bliss Dawson     

1981      Skokie   Chief Arthur Buchanan  

1981      Fly Away Home Tim Arnold         

1983      I Take These Men             Phil Zakarian     

1983      Blood Feud         Edward Grady Partin      

1984      Off Sides (Pigs vs. Freaks)              Sgt. Cheever     

1986      Acceptable Risks               Don Sheppard  

1987      The Lion of Africa             Sam Marsh         

1988      A Father's Revenge         Paul Hobart       

1989      Day One               General Leslie Groves    

1989      Perfect Witness                James Falcon     

1990      A Killing in a Small Town                Ed Reivers          

1990      Rising Son            Gus Robinson    

1989      Pride and Extreme Prejudice       Bruno Morenz  

1991      In Broad Daylight              Len Rowan         

1992      The Diamond Fleece       Lt. Merritt Outlaw           

1992      Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story                 Jackie Presser   

1992      To Catch a Killer                John Wayne Gacy            

1992      The Burden of Proof        Dixon Hartnell  

1992      Deadly Matrimony           Sgt. Jack Reed   

1993      Foreign Affairs   Chuck Mumpson             

1993      Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story Ervil LeBaron      Film [Hearst Entertainment INC]

1993      Final Appeal       Perry Sundquist               

1993      Jack Reed: Badge of Honor           Jack Reed           

1993      Murder in the Heartland               John McCarthur               

1994      Leave of Absence             Sam      

1994      Midnight Movie                James Boyce      

1994      Jack Reed: A Search for Justice   Jack Reed           

1995      Jack Reed: One of Our Own          Jack Reed           

1995      Shadow of a Doubt          Charlie Sloan     

1996      Jack Reed: A Killer Among Us       Jack Reed           

1996      Jack Reed: Death and Vengeance              Jack Reed           

1996      A Season in Purgatory    Gerald Bradley

1996      Undue Influence              Paul Madriani   

1997      Indefensible: The Truth About Edward Brannigan               Eddie Brannigan              

1998      Voyage of Terror              U.S. President   

1998      Thanks of a Grateful Nation         Senator Riegle  

1999      Netforce              Lowell Davidson               

1999      Sirens    Lt. Denby            

1999      Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke   Louis Bromfield                

2000      Fail Safe               Gen. Bogan        

2000      Death of a Salesman       Willy Loman      

2001      Warden of Red Rock       Sheriff Church   

2001      Three Blind Mice              Matthew Hope

2002      A Season on the Brink    Bobby Knight    

2003      The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron         Mr. Blue              

2003      The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone                Tom Stone         

2004      Category 6: Day of Destruction   Andy Goodman                

2005      Our Fathers        Father Dominic Spagnolia            

2005      The Exonerated                Gary Gauger      

2007      Marco Polo         Kublai Khan       

2013      The Challenger Chairman William Rogers             

2017      A Very Merry Toy Store Joe Haggarty     

Television series

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1977      Kojak     Peter Connor     Episode: "The Godson"

1977      Serpico Jody       Episode: "Sanctuary"

1977      Lanigan's Rabbi Burton Tree        Episode: "Corpse of the Year"

1977      Police Woman   Burrows               Episode: "Shadow of Doubt"

1977      Lou Grant            Wilson Episode: "Nazi"

1977      M*A*S*H            M.P. Sergeant Ernie Connors       Episode: "Souvenirs"

1977      Lucan    Fisher    Episode: "Listen to the Heart Beat"

1977      The Fitzpatricks                 Coach Hatfield   Episode: "Superman"

1978      Pearl      Sgt. Otto Chain 3 episodes

1978      Dallas    Luther Frick        Episode: "Winds of Vengeance"

1978      The Tony Randall Show Brian Sr.               Episode: "Bobby and Brian"

1979      Big Shamus, Little Shamus            Arnie Sutter        2 episodes

1979      Knots Landing    James Cargill      Episode: "Chance of a Lifetime"

1981      Dynasty                D.A. Jake Dunham            5 episodes

1981      Darkroom            Roland Episode: "Make-Up"

1982      Star of the Family             Leslie Krebs        10 episodes

1984      Cagney & Lacey                 Michael MacGruder        Episode: "The Bounty Hunter"

1984      Hunter Dr. Bolin               Episode: "Hunter"

1985      Evergreen           Matthew Malone             3 episodes

1985      The Last Place on Earth Frederick Cook 2 episodes

1985      Tall Tales & Legends       Buffalo Bill          Episode: "Annie Oakley"

1987      Miami Vice          Reverend Billy Bob Proverb          Episode: "Amen...Send Money"

1987      Faerie Tale Theatre          King Neptune (Narrator)               Voice, Episode: "The Little Mermaid"

1994      Birdland               Dr. Brian McKenzie          4 episodes

1996      Dead Man's Walk             Major Chvallie   2 episodes

1996      Nostromo            Joshua C. Holyrod            4 episodes

1998–2003          Just Shoot Me    Red Finch             4 episodes

2001      The Fighting Fitzgeralds                 Fitzgerald            10 episodes

2005      The West Wing Senator Rafe Framhagen               Episode: "Ninety Miles Away"

2006      The 4400             Mitch Baldwin   Episode: "Blink"

2007      Law and Order: Special Victims Unit         Judson Tierney Episode: "Scheherezade"

2007      Masters of Science Fiction            Bedzyk Episode: "The Discarded"

2008      30 Rock                Mickey J               Episode: "Sandwich Day"

2009      Rules of Engagement      Roy        Episode: "Dad's Visit"

2010      Rizzoli & Isles     Detective Kenny Leahy Episode: "Boston Strangler Redux"

2012      The Good Wife Bucky Stabler     2 episodes

2013      The Big C              Mr. Tolkey           Episode: "The Finale"

2015      Public Morals     Joe Patton           8 episodes

2016–2019          The Blacklist       Dominic Wilkinson           8 episodes

2017      Hap and Leonard              Sheriff Valentine Otis      6 episodes