Dabney Coleman (1932-2024)
Dabney Coleman, who had a reputation for playing dishonest characters with no redeeming qualities in films like "9 to 5" and "Tootsie", has died. He was 92 years old.
He was born on 3rd January 1932 in Austin, Texas, USA. After attending the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Texas School of Law, Coleman served in the military and then embarked on a career in the entertainment industry. In 1961, Dabney landed his first acting gig in an episode of "Naked City", according to IMDb. He went on to appear in such series as "Ben Casey", "Dr. Kildare", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", "The Outer Limits", "Hazel", "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Fugitive", before recurring as Leon Bessemer, Mario Thomas' neighbour and obstetrician in the first season (1966-1967) of "That Girl". Dabney took the lead role in Norman Lear's soap opera "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" as Merle Jeeter. He continued that role after the programme was re-titled "Forever Fernwood".
In 1980, Coleman achieved his breakthrough role as a rapacious manager who seeks sexual favours from secretaries, with Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin helping to pay the price in the workplace comedy "9 to 5". The following year, Coleman would reunite with Jane Fonda in one of his rare sympathetic roles as her dentist boyfriend in the drama "On Golden Pond". In 1982, he reverted to his boorish performances as a chauvinistic TV director in "Tootsie". Dabney also played a tough computer programmer in "WarGames" and a lisping pornographer in "Dragnet". His other films include "The Trouble with Girls", "Downhill Racer", "The Towering Inferno", "North Dallas Forty", "How to Beat the High Co$t of Living", "Melvin & Howard", "Modern Problems", "Young Doctors in Love", "Cloak & Dagger", "The Muppets Take Manhattan", "Short Time", "Meet the Applegates", "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Amos & Andrew", "You've Got Mail", "Inspector Gadget", "Stuart Little", etc.
On TV, he had a memorable turn as an insensitive talk show host on NBC's "Buffalo Bill", which only ran for 26 episodes in 1983 and 1984. Still, it attracted a devoted following over the years for Coleman's gruff portrayal. However, Coleman gave a somewhat more sanitised and humane performance in "The Slap Maxwell Story", which aired on ABC from 1987 to 1988, while retaining his sharp wit as a fedora-wearing sports journalist. Coleman also provided the voice of Principal Prickley in the Disney animated series "Recess". He even appeared in the HBO drama "Boardwalk Empire" as a former Atlantic City power broker with a liking for young girls.
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