The character actor best known for his roles in 'Tommy Boy' and Sylvester Stallone's first John Rambo movie has passed away in Connecticut at the age of 81.
- Apr 17, 2020
AceShowbiz - "Tommy Boy" star Brian Dennehy has died at the age of 81.
The character actor passed away from natural causes in his native Connecticut on Wednesday night, April 15, 2020, his daughter Elizabeth has confirmed.
Sharing the news on Twitter, she writes, "It is with heavy hearts we announce that our father, Brian, passed away last night from natural causes, not Covid-related."
"Larger than life, generous to a fault, a proud and devoted father and grandfather, he will be missed by his wife Jennifer, family and many friends."
Dennehy began his acting career in the late 1970s, landing a string of small roles on shows like "Kojak", "M*A*S*H", and "Dallas" before scoring his first big TV gig on "Dynasty", portraying D.A. Jake Dunham in 1981.
He landed his movie breakthrough in 1982, playing Sheriff Will Teasle opposite Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam war veteran John Rambo in "First Blood", and went on to feature in films such as "Silverado", "Cocoon", "The Belly of an Architect", "Best Seller", and "Romeo + Juliet".
He also starred alongside Harrison Ford in "Presumed Innocent" and appeared in 1995 comedy "Tommy Boy", in which he portrayed Chris Farley's movie dad, with his "10" co-star Bo Derek as his wife. Dennehy was a theatre regular too, winning Tony Awards in 1999 and 2003 for his Broadway performances in "Death of a Salesman" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night".
A 2000 film version of "Death of a Salesman" also earned Dennehy a Primetime Emmy nomination while he landed a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild prize for his work as Willy Loman.
