Legendary Actor of Stage and Screen Brian Dennehy Has Passed Away
It is with a heavy heart that we here at MickeyBlog reveal the news that legendary actor Brian Dennehy has passed away at the age of 81. He was an accomplished actor both on Broadway, having won two Tony Awards and on the big screen where he’s known in particular for his roles in “Tommy Boy” and “First Blood.”
Disney fans will of course know him as the Remy’s dad Django in the hit Pixar film Ratatouille.
His passing was announced in a tweet posted today by his daughter Elizabeth Dennehy:
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. pic.twitter.com/ILyrGpLnc3
— Elizabeth Dennehy (@dennehyeliza) April 16, 2020
“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” reads the touching tribute
In addition to Django, Dennehy is known for playing the role of “Big Tom” the father of Chris Farley’s character in the 1995 comedy Tommy Boy. He also appeared in Ron Howard’s 1995 hit film “Cocoon” as the leader of an alien race who leaves cocoons in a retirement home swimming pool.
According to his obituary with Variety, Dennehy won two Tony Awards. The first was for his turn as Willy Lowman in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” The second was for his turn as James Tyrone in “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” in 2003.
Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and served as a marine from 1959-1963. He then studied history at Columbia before earning an MFA in dramatic arts of YALE.
Dennehy started his acting career in 1997 with appearances on popular TV shows like “Kojak” and “MASH.” He really began to gain recognition in 1982 when he starred as the rival to Sylvester Stallone in “First Blood” leading to a variety of roles in cinema, television and on stage.
Dennehy won his first Tony Award for his performance as Willy Loman in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” in 1999 and his second Tony for his turn as James Tyrone in a revival of Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” in 2003.
Dennehy was married twice and is survived by his second wife Jennifer Arnott who is a costume designer. He also leaves behind four daughters Sarah, Elizabeth, Kathleen and Deirdre and a son Cormac.
Source Variety