Brian Dennehy

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Age

Birthday

Jul. 9th, 1938

Born in

Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

Height

6' 2"

Brian Dennehy's Main TV Roles

Main Movie Roles

2010 - The Next Three Days
2008 - Righteous Kill
2007 - Ratatouille
2006 - The Ultimate Gift
2006 - Everyone's Hero
2005 - Assault on Precinct 13
2004 - She Hate Me
2001 - Summer Catch
1996 - Romeo + Juliet
1995 - Tommy Boy
1992 - Gladiator
1991 - F/X2
1990 - Presumed Innocent
1988 - Cocoon: The Return
1988 - The Man From Snowy River II
1987 - The belly of an architect
1987 - Best Seller
1986 - Legal Eagles
1986 - FX
1985 - Cocoon
1985 - Silverado
1984 - Finders Keepers
1984 - The River Rat
1983 - Never Cry Wolf
1983 - Gorky Park
1982 - Rambo: First Blood
1980 - Little Miss Marker
1979 - Butch and Sundance: The Early Days
1979 - 10
1978 - Foul Play
1978 - F.I.S.T
1977 - Semi-Tough
1977 - Looking for Mr. Goodbar

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB

BIOGRAPHY:

Imposing, barrel-chested and now silver-haired Brian Dennehy is a prolific US actor, well respected on both screen and stage for the best part of 25 years. He was born in July 1938 in Bridgeport, CT, and attended Columbia University in New York City on a football scholarship. He majored in history, before moving onto to Yale to study dramatic arts. He first appeared in minor screen roles in such fare as Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Semi-Tough (1977) and Foul Play (1978) and proved popular with casting directors, leading to regular work. However, he really got himself noticed by movie audiences in the box-office hit First Blood (1982) as the bigoted sheriff determined to run Vietnam veteran John Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone) out of his town. Dennehy quickly escalated to stronger supporting or co-starring roles in films including the Cold War thriller Gorky Park (1983), as a benevolent alien in Cocoon (1985), a corrupt sheriff in the western Silverado (1985), a tough but smart cop in F/X (1986) and a cop turned writer alongside hitman James Woods (I) in Best Seller (1987). In 1987 Dennehy turned in one of his finest performances as cancer-ridden architect Stourley Kracklite in Peter Greenaway's superb The Belly of an Architect (1987), for which he won the Best Actor Award at the 1987 Chicago Film Festival. More strong performances followed. He reprised prior roles for Cocoon: The Return (1988) and F/X2 (1991), and turned in gripping performances in three made-for-TV films: a sadistic small-town bully who gets his grisly comeuppance in In Broad Daylight (1991) (TV), real-life serial killer John Wayne Gacy in the chilling To Catch a Killer (1992) (TV) and a corrupt union boss in Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story (1992) (TV). In 1993 Dennehy appeared in the role of police Sgt. Jack Reed in the telemovie Jack Reed: Badge of Honor (1993) (TV), and reprised the role in four sequels, which saw him for the first time become involved in co-producing, directing and writing screen productions! Demand for his services showed no signs of abating, and he has put in further memorable performances in Romeo + Juliet (1996), as bad-luck-ridden Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman (2000) (TV) (which earned him a Golden Globe Award), he popped up in the uneven Spike Lee film She Hate Me (2004) and appears in the remake Assault on Precinct 13 (2005). The multi-talented Dennehy has also had a rich theatrical career and has appeared both in the United States and internationally in dynamic stage productions including "Death of a Salesman" (for which he picked up the 1999 Best Actor Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award), "A Touch of the Poet", "Long Day's Journey into Night" (for which he picked up another Tony Award in 2003) and in Eugene O'Neill (I)'s heart-wrenching "The Iceman Cometh".

TRIVIA:

Used to work as a stockbroker at the same firm as 'Martha Stewart (II)' (qv). The two remain good friends.
Joked on "The Tonight Show" that he is often mistaken for 'Charles Durning' (qv).
While performing in "Death Of A Salesman" and "Long Day's Journey into Night" on Broadway, so many of his fans wanted to meet him after the show that producers had to hire extra security to keep the crowds in control near the stage door.
(2008) Lives in Woodstock, Connecticut.
His high school football coach and English teacher turned him on to both sports and acting. While there he played both tackle and the title role of Macbeth.
Attended Chaminade High School
Has won two Tony Awards as Best Actor (Play) on his only two nominations: in 1999 for a revival of 'Arthur Miller (I)' (qv)'s "Death of a Salesman," and in 2003 for a revival of 'Eugene O'Neill (I)' (qv)'s "Long Day's Journey into Night."
Father of two adopted children: Cormack (b. 1993) and Sarah (b. 1995).

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