Brian Dennehy
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1938-07-09
Day of Death
2020-04-15 (81 years old)
Place of Birth
Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA
Brian Dennehy
Biography
Brian Manion Dennehy (July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of film, stage, and television. His breakthrough film role was as the overzealous sheriff Will Teasle in First Blood (1982). Typically a character actor, Dennehy displayed versatility in varying and often complex roles ranging from villainous (such as a corrupt sheriff in the 1985 western Silverado) to virtuous (such as a benevolent alien leader in Cocoon, also released in 1985). Other notable films featuring Dennehy include Gorky Park (1983), Never Cry Wolf (1983), Legal Eagles (1986), F/X (1986), Tommy Boy (1995), Romeo + Juliet (1996), and Ratatouille (2007).
A prominent figure in the theater world (especially in Chicago), Dennehy won two Tony Awards for Best Lead Actor, for Death of a Salesman (1999) and Long Day's Journey into Night (2003). He starred in numerous television films and miniseries, garnering six Emmy Award nominations, and had memorable supporting and guest roles in many series including Just Shoot Me, The Good Wife, and The Blacklist.
Known For
Acting
(2021)
Son of the South
as Grandfather
(2020)
Driveways
as Del
(2019)
The Song of Sway Lake
as Hal Sway
(2019)
3 Days with Dad
as Bob
(2019)
Alan Pakula: Going for Truth
as Self
(2018)
Tag
as Mr. Cilliano
(2018)
The Seagull
as Pjotr Sorin
(2017)
A Very Merry Toy Store
as Joe Haggarty
(2015)
The Ultimate Legacy
as Gus
(2015)
Knight of Cups
as Joseph
(2013)
The Challenger Disaster
as Rogers
(2012)
Twelfth Night
as Sir Toby Belch
(2011)
The Big Year
as Raymond Harris
(2010)
The Next Three Days
as George Brennan
(2010)
Alleged
as Clarence Darrow
(2010)
Meet Monica Velour
as Pop Pop
(2010)
Every Day
as Ernie
(2010)
Caesar and Otto meet Dracula’s Lawyer
as Steve Dracula’s More Famous Brother
(2009)
Bunker Hill
as Martin 'Mutt' Kelsey
(2009)
Lost Road of the Popes: Via Papale
as Narrator
(2009)
Love and Valor
as Narrator (voice)
(2008)
Righteous Kill
as Hingis
(2008)
Cat City
as Harold
(2007)
Ratatouille
as Django (voice)
(2007)
The Ultimate Gift
as Gus
(2007)
Trumbo
as Self
(2007)
Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil & The Presidency
as Andrew Jackson (voice)
(2007)
War Eagle, Arkansas
as Pop, Enochs Father
(2007)
Marco Polo
as Kublai Khan
(2007)
Welcome to Paradise
as Bobby Brown
(2006)
The Exonerated
as Gary Gauger
(2006)
Everyone's Hero
as Babe Ruth (voice)
(2006)
10th & Wolf
as Agent Horvath
(2005)
Assault on Precinct 13
as Sargeant Jasper O'Shea
(2005)
Our Fathers
as Father Dominic Spagnolia
(2004)
She Hate Me
as Billy Church
(2004)
Category 6: Day of Destruction
as Andy Goodman
(2003)
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
as Tom Stone
(2003)
(2003)
Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Three's Company'
as Fred Silverman
(2003)
American Valor
as Narrator
(2002)
Stolen Summer
as Father Kelly
(2002)
Making 'The Misfits'
as Narrator
(2002)
A Season on the Brink
as Bobby Knight
(2002)
Code Yellow: Hospital at Ground Zero
as Narrator
(2001)
Summer Catch
as John Schiffner
(2001)
Three Blind Mice
as Matthew Hope
(2001)
Warden of Red Rock
as Sheriff Selwyn Church
(2000)
Dish Dogs
as Frost
(2000)
Death of a Salesman
as Willy Loman
(2000)
Fail Safe
as Gen. Bogan
(1999)
Out of the Cold
as David Bards
(1999)
Silicon Towers
as Tom Warner
(1999)
NetForce
as Lowell Davidson
(1999)
Sirens
as Lt. Denby
(1998)
Thanks of a Grateful Nation
as Sen. Donald Riegle
(1998)
Voyage of Terror
as The President
(1997)
Indefensible: The Truth About Edward Brannigan
as Eddie Brannigan
(1996)
Romeo + Juliet
as Ted Montague
(1996)
A Season in Purgatory
as Gerald Bradley
(1996)
Undue Influence
as Paul Madriani
(1996)
Jack Reed: Death and Vengeance
as Jack Reed
(1996)
Shadow of a Doubt
as Charley Sloan
(1996)
Jack Reed: A Killer Among Us
as Jack Reed
(1995)
Tommy Boy
as Thomas 'Big Tom' Callahan
(1995)
The Stars Fell on Henrietta
as Big Dave McDermot
(1995)
Jack Reed: One of Our Own
as Jack Reed
(1994)
Leave of Absence
as Sam
(1994)
Jack Reed: A Search for Justice
as Jack Reed
(1994)
Midnight Movie
as James Boyce
(1993)
Final Appeal
as Perry Sundquist
(1993)
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
as Ervil LeBaron
(1993)
Jack Reed: Badge of Honor
as Sgt. Jack Reed
(1993)
Foreign Affairs
as Chuck Mumpson
(1992)
To Catch a Killer
as John Wayne Gacy
(1992)
Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story
as Jackie Presser
(1992)
Gladiator
as Jimmy Horn
(1992)
Deadly Matrimony
as Jack Reed
(1992)
The Diamond Fleece
as Inspector Outlaw
(1991)
F/X2
as Leo McCarthy
(1991)
In Broad Daylight
as Len Rowan
(1991)
Zebras: Patterns in the Grass
as Narrator (voice)
(1990)
Presumed Innocent
as Raymond Horgan
(1990)
Pride and Extreme Prejudice
as Bruno Morenz
(1990)
A Killing in a Small Town
as Ed Reivers
(1990)
The Last of the Finest
as Frank Daly
(1990)
Rising Son
as Gus Robinson
(1989)
Day One
as Gen. Leslie Groves
(1989)
Perfect Witness
as James Falcon
(1989)
Indio
as Whitaker
(1989)
Seven Minutes
as Wagner
(1988)
The Man From Snowy River II
as Harrison
(1988)
Cocoon: The Return
as Walter (uncredited)
(1988)
Miles from Home
as Frank Roberts Sr.
(1988)
A Father's Revenge
as Paul Hobart
(1987)
The Lion of Africa
as Sam Marsh
(1987)
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
as (voice)
(1987)
The Belly of an Architect
as Stourley Kracklite
(1987)
The Little Mermaid
as King Neptune (Narrator) (voice)
(1987)
Best Seller
as Dennis Meechum
(1986)
Legal Eagles
as Cavanaugh
(1986)
The Check is in the Mail...
as Richard Jackson
(1986)
F/X
as Lt. Leo McCarthy
(1986)
Acceptable Risks
as Don Sheppard
(1985)
Cocoon
as Walter
(1985)
Silverado
as Cobb
(1985)
Twice in a Lifetime
as Nick
(1985)
Annie Oakley
as Buffalo Bill
(1984)
The Pigs vs. The Freaks
as Sergeant Cheever
(1984)
Finders Keepers
as Frizzoli
(1984)
The River Rat
as Doc Cole
(1983)
I Take These Men
as Phil Zakarian
(1983)
Blood Feud
as Edward Grady Partin
(1983)
Gorky Park
as William Kirwill
(1983)
Never Cry Wolf
as Rosie
(1982)
First Blood
as Hope Sheriff Will Teasle
(1982)
Split Image
as Kevin Stetson
(1982)
(1981)
Fly Away Home
as Tim Arnold
(1981)
Skokie
as Police Chief Arthur Buchanan
(1981)
(1980)
The Jericho Mile
as Dr. D
(1980)
Little Miss Marker
as Herbie
(1980)
The Seduction of Miss Leona
as Bliss Dawson
(1979)
10
as Donald
(1979)
Butch and Sundance: The Early Days
as O.C. Hanks
(1979)
Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story
as John O'Neil
(1979)
Dummy
as Ragoti
(1978)
Foul Play
as Fergie
(1978)
Ruby and Oswald
as George Paulsen
(1978)
F.I.S.T.
as Frank Vasko
(1978)
A Real American Hero
as Buford Pusser
(1978)
A Death in Canaan
as Barney Parsons
(1977)
It Happened at Lakewood Manor
as Fire Chief
(1977)
Semi-Tough
as T.J. Lambert
(1977)
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
as Surgeon
(1977)
Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye
as Longshoreman
Crew
(2001)
Warden of Red Rock
Executive Producer
(2001)
Three Blind Mice
Executive Producer
(2000)
Death of a Salesman
Executive Producer
(1997)
Indefensible: The Truth About Edward Brannigan
Director, Executive Producer
(1996)
Jack Reed: Death and Vengeance
Director
(1996)
Shadow of a Doubt
Writer, Director
(1996)
Jack Reed: A Killer Among Us
Director
(1995)
Jack Reed: One of Our Own
Director, Writer
(1994)
Jack Reed: A Search for Justice
Director, Writer
(1993)
Jack Reed: Badge of Honor
Co-Executive Producer