Charles Durning's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Stephen King's Desperation Tom Billing… Evening Shade Dr. Harlan … First Monday Justice Hen… Eye to Eye Oscar Poole Orleans Frank Vitelli The Cop and the Kid Officer Fra…

Main Movie Roles 2009 - The Golden Boys 2008 - A Bunch of Amateurs 2008 - iMurders 2008 - Good Dick 2007 - Kinky Killers 2006 - Local Color 2006 - Jesus, Mary and Joey 2005 - The L.A. Riot Spectacular 2005 - Dirty Deeds 2000 - O Brother, Where Art Thou? 1996 - One Fine Day 1996 - Spy Hard 1995 - Home for the Holidays 1995 - The Last Supper 1994 - The Hudsucker Proxy 1994 - I.Q. 1991 - V.I. Warshawski 1990 - Dick Tracy 1988 - Étoile 1988 - Cop 1986 - Where the River Runs Black 1986 - Solarbabies 1986 - Tough Guys 1985 - The Man with One Red Shoe 1985 - Stick 1983 - To Be or Not to Be 1983 - Two of a Kind 1983 - Scarface 1982 - The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas 1982 - Tootsie 1981 - True Confessions 1981 - Sharky's Machine 1980 - The Final Countdown 1979 - When a Stranger Calls 1979 - Tilt 1979 - North Dallas Forty 1979 - The Muppet Movie 1978 - The Fury 1975 - Dog Day Afternoon 1975 - The Hindenburg 1975 - Breakheart Pass 1974 - The Front Page 1973 - Sisters 1973 - The Sting 1970 - Hi, Mom!

BIOGRAPHY:

Ex-pro boxer, WWII veteran, dance instructor and diversely talented stage & screen actor are all inclusions on the resume of this perpetually busy US actor who didn't get in front of the cameras until around the time of his fortieth birthday ! The stockily built Charles Durning is one of Hollywood's most dependable and sought after supporting actors who first got his start in guest appearances in early 1960's TV shows. He scored minor roles over the next decade until he really got noticed by film fans as the sneering, corrupt cop "Lt. Snyder" hassling street grifter 'Robert Redford' in the multi award winning mega-hit The Sting (1973). Durning was equally entertaining in the Billy Wilder production of The Front Page (1974), he supported screen tough guy Charles Bronson in the suspenseful western Breakheart Pass (1975) and featured as "Spermwhale Whalen" in the story of unorthodox police behavior in The Choirboys (1977).

The versatile Durning is equally adept at comedic roles and demonstrated his skills as "Doc Hopper" in The Muppet Movie (1979), a feisty football coach in North Dallas Forty (1979), a highly strung police officer berating maverick cop Burt Reynolds (I) in Sharky's Machine (1981), and a light footed, dancing Governor (alongside Burt Reynolds once more) in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). Durning continued a regular on screen association with Burt Reynolds (I) appearing in several more feature films together and as "Dr. Harlan Elldridge" in the highly popular TV series "Evening Shade" (1990). On par with his multitude of feature film roles, Durning has always been in high demand on television and has guest starred in "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1996), "Monk" (2002) and "Rescue Me" (2004). Plus, he has appeared in the role of "Santa Claus" in five different telemovies!


TRIVIA:

• At age 21, he was the only member of his unit to survive the Omaha Beach "D-Day" invasion on June 6, 1944. He was wounded in the hip and legs three days after he got off the boat. He still carries the bullet in his hip.
• Was trained in classical dance and was for a time in his early career, a dance instructor.
• Served with the 1st Infantry Division in World War II. He landed at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 during the Normandy invasion. He was awarded several decorations, including the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and three Purple Hearts.
• His wife, Mary Ann, was his childhood sweetheart.
• His idol is 'James Cagney' (qv), who also proved he could be tough and dance, too.
• Survived the bloody D-Day assault on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Took him 50 years to talk about his experiences of that day.
• Was one of a few survivors to the infamous massacre of American POWs by German SS troops at Malmedy, Belgium, during World War II. The surrendering engineering battalion, captured behind enemy lines when the main American forces retreated, were gathered together and brought to a large field. As the German guards backed away from the prisoners, machine guns that were hidden in trucks opened fire on them. Approximately 88 US soldiers died, a good number of them by a single shot at close range through the head, indicating that those who survived the initial volley were subsequently executed. Only about 20 of the group of approximately 100 managed to escape the massacre and make their way to American lines. The incident was re-created in _Battle of the Bulge (1965)_ (qv) starring 'Henry Fonda' (qv).
• Was considered for the role of General Worden in _The Dirty Dozen (1967)_ (qv).