Actors Who Died In 2024 (So Far)

One may resist celebrity culture, but most people have at least a few actors from pop culture history that mean something to them, whether they're from the silver screen or the flickering box. 

Actors know how to spark our emotions and suspend our disbelief. They embody our favorite stories and the visions of our favorite filmmakers. The stars of film and television have the privilege of immortalizing themselves in certain times and places. But it is not just themselves that they immortalize. In their best projects, they capture many complexities of emotion and culture that are relevant to millions. Steve McQueen and his Mustang in "Bullet," Warren Beatty and his freewheeling libido in "Shampoo," Anthony Hopkins and his empathetic presidential turn in "Nixon" — for better or worse, actors color our memories of the past in both trivial and important ways.

It can be wistful, therefore, when an old favorite passes because, in a way, they take a part of the culture with them. Here are actors who have died in 2024, so far.

Don Murray, known for playing Beauregard Decker opposite Marilyn Monroe in "Bus Stop" and his villainous turn as Governor Breck in "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes," died on February 2, aged 94.

A conscientious objector during the Korean War in the early 1950s, Murray fulfilled his military service in Europe, where he worked in German and Italian refugee camps. Back in the United States, Murray appeared in Broadway productions such as "The Rose Tattoo" and "The Skin of Our Teeth."

After his Oscar-nominated turn as Beauregard Decker, a brash Montana cowboy who falls head over heels for Monroe's character in "Bus Stop," Murray appeared in a string of films, including "The Bachelor Party," "A Hatful of Rain," and Otto Preminger's "Advise and Consent," in which he played Brigham Anderson, a closeted, blackmailed Utah senator.

Murray remained busy in film and TV through the remainder of the 20th century, appearing in everything from "Matlock" and "Peggy Sue Got Married" to "Brand New Life," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Sons and Daughters." After some 15 years away from the business, Murray made a comeback as Bushnell Mullins in "Twin Peaks."

In 1956, Murray married Hope Lange, and they had two children, Christopher and Patricia. The marriage ended in divorce in 1961. Murray wed Elizabeth Johnson the following year and had three children, Colleen, Sean, and Michael. Christopher announced his father's death to the New York Times.

Sandra Milo, the Italian stage and screen actress who appeared in Federico Fellini's "8½" and "Juliet of the Spirits," died on January 29, aged 90.

The Tunisian-born star began her career in "The Bachelor" by Antonio Pietrangeli and followed it with "Hungry for Love," "Witness in the City," and "General Della Rovere," directed by the neorealist filmmaker Roberto Rossellini.

These films gave Milo a profile in Italy, but it was "8½" that put the actress on the world stage. Her performance as Carla, Guido Anselmi's (Marcello Mastroianni) brassy mistress, charged the film with a salacious edge that was caught up in reality, for Milo would later embark on a 17-year affair with Fellini. It was during this affair that Milo co-starred in "Juliet of the Spirits," bolstering her worldwide acclaim as Suzy, a flamboyant woman whose vigor and carnality serve as transgressive fantasy for Giulietta (Giulietta Boldrini), a repressed housewife with an unfaithful husband.

Milo remained active in Italian film and TV for the rest of her life. In 2022, she appeared as a judge on "Drag Race Italia," playing on her diva reputation.

The actress died at home in Rome, surrounded by family and her dogs, Jim and Lady. Milo is survived by her three children.

Carl Weathers, the muscle-bound actor known for "Rocky," "Predator," "Action Jackson," and "The Mandalorian," died in his sleep on February 1, aged 76. 

Born in New Orleans on January 14, 1948, Weathers grew into a formidable linebacker at San Diego State University before joining the Oakland Raiders, where he clashed with Coach John Madden, who told the young free agent that he was too sensitive. 

Madden may have been unaware that he was dealing, first and foremost, with an actor, not a football player. In the off-season, Weathers took bit parts and attended San Francisco State University, completing a bachelor's degree in drama in 1974. After that, Weathers found work in blaxploitation films such as "Bucktown" and "Friday Foster." Then, in 1975, Weathers auditioned for the part of Apollo Creed in "Rocky."

He was reading with Sylvester Stallone (who was a complete unknown at the time), and Weathers felt it was going badly. "If you got me a real actor," Weathers snapped, "I could do a lot better." There was silence, but Stallone was impressed. This was exactly the kind of arrogance that he was looking for. Weathers got the role, and a career was made. 

In addition to four outings as Apollo Creed, Weathers played Major Al Dillon in "Predator," Detective Jericho Jackson in "Action Jackson," Chubbs in "Happy Gilmore," a fictionalized version of himself in "Arrested Development," and in a late-career hit, Greef Karga in "The Mandalorian," the "Star Wars" series that also utilized his talents as a director.

Weathers is survived by his two sons, Jason and Matthew.

Herbert "Cowboy" Coward may not have been a household name, but his performance as one of the mountain men in "Deliverance," the notorious survival thriller from 1971, left an indelible impression on popular culture and became one of the best wilderness horror movies of all time.

His character, billed in the credits as "Toothless Man," holds Ed (Jon Voight) at gunpoint while his friend, billed as "Mountain Man" (Bill McKinney), assaults and humiliates Bobby (Ned Beatty) in the infamous "squeal like a piggy" sequence. Coward was illiterate for much of his life, but he claimed to have improvised the "squeal like a piggy" phrase for which "Deliverance" became known.

Coward would go on to appear in "Ghost Town: The Movie," a 2007 western, and an episode of "Hillbilly Blood" in 2013. Most of his working life was spent at a BASF facility in Asheville, North Carolina.

Coward died on January 24, aged 85, when his vehicle collided with a pick-up truck on U.S. Route 19/23 in Haywood County, NC. His partner Bertha Brooks, 78, and their pet Chihuahua and squirrel also died.

Gary Graham, the prolific actor known for playing Detective Matthew Sikes in "Alien Nation" and Soval in "Star Trek," died on January 22, aged 73. Becky, Graham's wife of some 25 years, announced that her husband died from cardiac arrest in a Spokane, Washington hospital. 

Before his work in science fiction, Graham had numerous cameos in films and TV, such as "Starsky and Hutch," "The Incredible Hulk," "CHiPs," "The Dukes of Hazzard," and Paul Schrader's "Hardcore," in which he played a scuzzy pornographer.

Later, in the 1980s, Graham appeared opposite Tom Cruise in "All the Right Moves" and an episode of "Moonlighting" with Bruce Willis before scoring the lead role in "Alien Nation." The series lasted for one season and spawned a series of TV movies from 1994 to 1997.

Graham joined the world of Star Trek in 1995 with his turn as Tanis in an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager." The actor bolstered this in 2001 with the recurring role of Soval, a Vulcan Ambassador to Earth in "Star Trek: Enterprise."

Graham is survived by his wife Becky and his daughter Haylee, whose mother, Susan, announced Graham's death on Facebook, "It is with deep profound sadness to say that Gary Graham, my ex husband, amazing actor and father of our beautiful only child together, Haylee Graham, has passed away today."

David Emge, known for his performance as Stephen "Flyboy" Andrews in George A. Romero's celebrated zombie film "Dawn of the Dead," died on January 20, aged 77.

The Evansville, Indiana native began his acting career at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 1971. Five years later, he appeared in a sex comedy called "The Booby Trap," also known as "The Liberation Of Cherry Jankowski," which was directed by John A. Russo, the co-writer of "The Night of the Living Dead."

Sometime after that, Emge worked as a chef in a New York City restaurant. It was here that he met George A. Romero, who cast him in "Dawn of the Dead," the second entry in the director's zombie series (which has many different versions). The film was a huge success, grossing $55 million on a $1.5 million budget and becoming the most revered example of the zombie genre (via The Numbers).

After a 12-year hiatus, Emge appeared in "Basket Case 2," a comedy horror sequel directed by Frank Henenlotter. Two years later, Emge completed his last film, "Hellmaster" with John Saxon, the debonair actor best known for "Enter the Dragon." For the rest of his life, Emge was a fixture on the convention circuit.

Emge is survived by sisters Sue Berry, Kathleen Wittgen, and Barbara Rexing.

William O'Connell, a veteran of both the screen and the Korean War, died on January 15, aged 94.

Before working in numerous '60s TV shows such as "Peter Gunn," "The Twilight Zone," "Rawhide," "The Munsters," and the original series of "Star Trek," O'Connell served in the Korean peninsula as a first lieutenant in the 45th Infantry. By the war's end in 1953, O'Connell had earned numerous accolades, namely a Bronze Star, which is awarded for heroism and achievement in a combat zone.

In 1969, O'Connell appeared in the western musical "Paint Your Wagon" with Lee Marvin, Jean Seberg, and Clint Eastwood, who would become his friend and creative partner. Three years later, Eastwood cast O'Connell as a barber in "High Plains Drifter," a role he loaded with oddball neuroticism in true character actor fashion.

The collaboration continued with "The Outlaw Josey Wales," in which he played Sim Carstairs, a Missouri ferryman. Later, in the comedies "Every Which Way But Loose" and "Any Which Way You Can," O'Connell appeared as Elmo, an aggressive, dim-witted biker who taunts Philo Beddoe (Eastwood) and his orangutan Clyde, who routinely gets the better of Elmo with his big orange fist.

Joyce Randolph, who died on January 13, aged 99, was best known for playing Trixie Norton in two landmarks of 1950s television, "The Jackie Gleason Show" and "The Honeymooners."

In the shows, Trixie is married to Ed Norton (Art Carney), a sewer worker, and they live together in a New York City apartment next door to Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) and Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows), the stars of the show. Together, their lives roll along in an everyday comedy of manners.

The humor of Randolph's character comes from her earnest manner and prudish outlook. The audience learns little about Trixie's past beyond two references to a brief career in burlesque dancing, which rather contradicts her prissy housewife shtick.

"Twice during the course of all of our years it was mentioned that probably Trixie had been in burlesque," Randolph told the Television Academy Foundation. "They never expanded on that, but mention was made that she could have been a dancer in burlesque."

In the decades after "The Honeymooners," Randolph appeared in TV shows such as "The Doctors and the Nurses," "Hi Honey, I'm Home," and "Everything's Jake."

Randolph spent the end of her life in a New York City hospice, where she died of natural causes. She is survived by her son, Randy.

Bill Hayes, the actor who played Doug Williams in 2,141 episodes of "Days of Our Lives," died on January 12, aged 98.

Hayes joined the show in 1970, and his character was soon paired with Julie Olson, played by Susan Seaforth. The characters became a "supercouple" and so did the performers, who wed in 1974 and remained married until Hayes' death some 50 years later. The couple's cultural reach was so great that they appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in January 1976. 

Before his break on the soap opera, Hayes appeared in episodes of "Decoy" and "The United States Steel Hour." He also had a small role in Otto Preminger's "The Cardinal," a three-hour epic about Nazism and the Catholic church. Hayes was also an established singer, performing on "Your Show of Shows" and hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Ballad of Davy Crockett," which sold over two million copies.

Commenting on Hayes' death, executive producer Ken Corday said, "I have known Bill for most of my life and he embodied the heart and soul of Days of our Lives. Although we are grieving and will miss him, Bill's indelible legacy will live on in our hearts and the stories we tell, both on and off the screen."

Peter Crombie, the character actor known for playing "Crazy" Joe Davola in "Seinfeld," died following an intestinal illness on January 10, aged 71.

Davola earned the "Crazy" moniker on account of stalking both Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and Kramer (Michael Richards) in his five-episode run of "Seinfeld's" fourth season in 1992/1993.

Crombie also appeared as numerous authority figures in films such as "The Blob," "Born on the Fourth of July," "The Doors," "Natural Born Killers," "Se7en," and an episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger," which was his last recorded acting credit.

Nadine Kijner announced her ex-husband's death on Instagram, "It is with shock and extreme sadness that I share [that] my ex-husband died this morning. Thank you for so many wonderful memories and being such a good man ... fly free into the Un-boundless source of light, Peter ... So many people loved you because you were a kind, giving, caring and creative soul."

Known for "The Cleaning Lady," "Designated Survivor," and "X-Men: Days of Future Past," Adan Canto died from appendiceal cancer on January 8, aged 42.

Born in Mexico and raised in Texas, Canto returned to Mexico in the late 1990s with dreams of becoming a musician. Around 10 years later, Canto built a short resume of Mexican TV work before he won the role of Paul Torres in "The Following," a 2013 crime thriller starring Kevin Bacon.

In 2014, Canto got another break as Sunspot, a solar power-channeling mutant in "X-Men: Days of Future Past." After that came credits in shows such as "Narcos," "Blood & Oil," and "Second Chance."

With his star on the rise, Canto appeared in "Bruised," an MMA drama starring and directed by Halle Berry, who wrote on Instagram, "I don't have the words just yet.... but my dear sweet friend Adan just gained his wings. Forever, forever in my heart."

Canto is survived by his wife, Stephanie Ann Canto, and their two children, Roman Alder and Eve Josephine.

David Soul, beloved by a generation for playing Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in ABC's iconic cop show "Starsky and Hutch," died on January 4, aged 80.

Soul got his start in late '60s television with cameos in "I Dream of Jeannie," "Star Trek," and "Ironside." The roles continued in the next decade, with a particularly memorable appearance in the "Dirty Harry" sequel "Magnum Force," in which he played Officer Davis, the leader of an execution squad within the San Francisco Police Department.

Soul's villainous turn led directly to "Starsky and Hutch," one of the most famous shows of the 1970s. Audiences around the world enjoyed Detective Hutch's playful camaraderie with Sergeant Starsky, played by Paul Michael Glaser. As cops in the fictional Bay City, California, Starsky and Hutch pursue a litany of criminals in their red, white-striped Gran Torino, which is a character in itself.

During the show's four-year run, Soul embarked on a singing career, scoring four No. 1 hits in the UK and a huge hit on both sides of the pond with "Don't Give Up on Us." In 1979, after "Hutch" ended, Soul starred opposite James Mason in "Salem's Lot," directed by Tobe Hooper.

By 2010, Soul was living in Britain with his wife Helen, who survives him with his six children.

Harry Johnson, who died on January 2, aged 81, was a prolific performer and voice actor who appeared in a cross-section of American television, including "Battlestar Galactica," "M*A*S*H," "The Incredible Hulk," and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Some of Johnson's greatest exposure, however, came during the "Harry and Louise" commercials run by the Health Insurance Association of America, which campaigned against President Clinton's healthcare policies in the early 1990s. "If you let the government choose, we lose," was Johnson's enduring slogan. Harry and his co-star Louise Claire Clark returned for three further election cycles, including a supportive feature for Barack Obama in 2008.

Johnson's voice acting reached millions with automated dialogue replacement (ADR) work in both "Law & Order" and the "Chicago" franchise. He also lent his voice to video games such as "Need for Speed: Carbon" and "Need for Speed: Most Wanted."

Outside of film and TV sets, where he was described as a warm, witty presence, Johnson enjoyed sailing with his wife of 15 years, Christiane, who survives him with his two stepchildren, Oliver and Penelope. 

Louis Gossett Jr., the veteran actor who appeared on screen and stage for some 70 years, died on March 29, aged 87. No cause of death was given. Gossett was best known for his Oscar-winning performance as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, a formidable drill instructor who browbeats Richard Gere's Zack Mayo into shape in "An Officer and Gentleman."

Born on May 27, 1937, Gossett grew up in New York City and attended Abraham Lincoln High School, where he made his stage debut aged 17 in a production of "You Can't Take It with You." This segued into Broadway roles throughout the 1950s, including "Take a Giant Step," "The Desk Set," and "A Raisin in the Sun."

Gossett was also a reputable musician during the folk music revival of the 1960s, collaborating on singles such as "Hooka Dooka, Green Green," "See See Rider," and "Handsome Johnny," an anti-war song he co-wrote with Richie Havens.

Television work came in the late 1950s with a two-episode appearance in "The Big Story." However, Gossett's career on the small screen wouldn't begin in earnest until 1970, when he secured a 15-episode run as Isak Poole in "The Young Rebels." 

In 1977, Gossett's screen profile rose considerably with "Roots," the celebrated slavery drama in which he played Fiddler, an older slave who mentors the lead character, Kunta Kinte. Gossett won an Emmy for his performance. Six years later, Gossett truly broke the mainstream in "An Officer and a Gentleman," for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The actor M. Emmet Walsh, who died March 19, aged 88, once said of himself, "I approach each job thinking it might be my last, so it better be the best work possible. I want to be remembered as a working actor. I'm being paid for what I'd do for nothing." Prolific though he was, Walsh will be remembered for much more than being a busy working actor.

From "Midnight Cowboy" and "Serpico" to "Slap Shot" and "Straight Time," Walsh appeared opposite some of the biggest actors of the New Hollywood period, and his best work was yet to come. In the 1980s, Walsh lent his off-beat charisma to "Ordinary People," "Reds," "Blade Runner," "Blood Simple," "Fletch," "Raising Arizona," and "The Mighty Quinn."

Walsh's talent for playing sleazy characters belied his the real man's affable, easy going temperament. Director Rian Johnson, who worked with the actor on "Knives Out," paid tribute to Walsh on X (formerly Twitter), "Emmet came to set with 2 things: a copy of his credits & two-dollar bills which he passed out to the entire crew. 'Don't spend it and you'll never be broke.' Absolute legend."

Walsh, who was born on March 22, 1935, and grew up in Vermont, split his time between St. Albans, Vermont and Culver City, California. He is survived by his niece Meagan, nephew Kevin, and grandnephews Emmet and Elliot.

Richard Lewis, the comedian and actor known for his manic, neurotic humor, died of a heart attack on February 27, aged 76.

Lewis's mental health was central to his life and work, namely his anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia. In 2018, Lewis told the Washington Post, ""There's just a part of me that's always going to be never totally happy... and I think that has a lot to do with my childhood." Born in Brooklyn on June 29, 1947, Lewis grew up in Englewood, New Jersey and had fond memories of watching comics such as Phil Silvers and Jackie Gleason with his family. Alas, such unity was rare in the Lewis household, as his father was consumed with work and his mother had "emotional problems." Dysfunctional though his childhood may have been, it was also a goldmine of material. "I owe my career to my mother," Lewis added, "I should have given her my agent's commission."

Lewis spent the 1970s performing in New York and Los Angeles and appearing on "Saturday Night Live" and "Late Night with David Letterman." Over the next 40 years, Lewis became a defining comedian of his generation with numerous HBO specials and leading roles in "Diary of a Young Comic," "Anything but Love" and a great recurring role as a version of himself on "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

In the last years of his life, Lewis experienced numerous health issues including multiple hand surgeries, sciatica, cataracts, a hernia, and a Parkinson's diagnosis in 2020. He is survived by his wife Joyce Lapinsky.

Joe Flaherty, the actor and comedian best known for his sketch work on "SCTV," died from an undisclosed illness on April 1, aged 82.

Born on June 21, 1941, Flaherty began his career in 1969 at the Second City theater in Chicago. After seven years, Flaherty moved with the theater to Toronto, where he appeared in 18 episodes of "SCTV," a satirical sketch show with a programmatic style.

Flaherty's main character was Guy Caballero, the tyrannical owner of the fictional Second City network, but the actor also played many other characters, including the vampiric presenter Count Floyd. Flaherty worked impressions into the show, too, imitating the likes of Richard Nixon, Art Garfunkel, and William F. Buckley.

After winning two Emmys for "SCTV," Flaherty moved on to TV shows such as "Maniac Mansion" and the high school comedy drama "Freaks and Geeks," featuring opposite James Franco and Seth Rogan. He also had memorable supporting roles in "Back to the Future Part II" and "Happy Gilmore."

Adam Sandler, the star of "Happy Gilmore," wrote a tribute to Flaherty on Instagram that said, "Worshipped Joe growing up. Always had me and my brother laughing. Couldn't be more fun to have him heckle me on the golf course. The nicest guy you could know. Genius of a comedian. And a true sweetheart."

O.J. Simpson, who died on April 11 aged 76, accrued 38 credits during an acting career that began with TV bit parts in the late 1960s and ended with a third turn as Officer Nordberg in "Naked Gun 33 ⅓: The Final Insult." The film opened on March 18, 1994, just under three months before the murder of Simpson's estranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

The Los Angeles Police Department signed a warrant for the former football player's arrest and declared Simpson a fugitive when he failed to turn himself in as agreed. The case turned into a full scale media circus when onlookers spotted Simpson on the 405 Freeway in a white Ford Bronco, driven by Al Cowlings. An estimated 95 million people watched the ensuing police chase, which lasted two hours and reached speeds no greater than 60 mph.

This surreal spectacle laid the groundwork for the "Trial of the Century' from January 24 to October 3, 1995, when Simpson was found not guilty to the dismay — and jubiliation — of millions. Simpson was a free man but a pariah in the entertainment industry. He never performed again aside from a handful of bit parts and the reality show "Juiced with O.J. Simpson," in which Simpson pranked members of the public. In 2006, Simpson announced 'If I Did It," a memoir of sorts in which Simpson imagines how he would have killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

Veteran Canadian actor Donald Sutherland died on June 20, aged 88. The actor's son, Kiefer Sutherland announced his father's death on X (formerly Twitter), "With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived."

Born in July 1935, the Saint John, New Brunswick native graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in engineering before leaving Canada for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1957.

Sutherland found work in film and TV, appearing in the likes of "Castle of the Living Dead," "Dr Terror's House of Horrors" and an episode of the "The Saint," which attracted casting agents at MGM, who gave Sutherland his break as Vernon L. Pinkley in "The Dirty Dozen." Over the next 30 years, Sutherland appeared in "M*A*S*H," "Klute," "Don't Look Now," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "Ordinary People," and "JFK." In the 2010s, Sutherland reached a new generation as President Coriolanus Snow in "The Hunger Games" series, for which he won a Teen Choice Award. In 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized Sutherland's six-decade career with an Academy Honorary Award.

Bernard Hill, the British actor known for playing Captain Smith in "Titanic" and King Theodon in "Lord of the Rings," died on May 5, aged 79.

Born into a Manchester coal mining family, Hill channeled his working class upbringing into his 1982 TV debut "Boys from the Blackstuff," a British drama miniseries about unemployment in the northern city of Liverpool. The BFI's Phil Wickham wrote that Hill's performance struck "a particularly haunting chord with viewers... It still stands as TV's most complete dramatic response to the Thatcher era and as a lament to the end of a male, working class British culture."

Hill followed this performance with turns in "Gandhi," "True Crime," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "The Scorpion King" and "Valkyrie." His best known work came in 1997 as the doomed Captain Smith in "Titanic" and as the heroic King Theodon in "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Hill, who resided in Suffolk, is survived by his wife Marianna and their son, Gabriel.

Susan Blacklinie, who died on May 11, aged 77, entered cinematic history in the summer of 1975 as Chrissie Watkins, the young swimmer devoured in the opening of "Jaws," the celebrated New Hollywood summer blockbuster.

Blacklinie's experience as an animal trainer and stunt performer gave her the necessary athleticism for the role. "I can do the water work and above the water work," Backlinie told director Steven Spielberg, "Whereas if you use an actress that can't do the stunt part, you can't show the face... you can't show the terror as much." Spielberg gave her the part.

When Blacklinie arrived at the set, Spielberg told her, "When your scene is done, I want everyone under the seats with the popcorn and bubblegum." With this in mind, Blacklinie wore a pair of denim shorts fitted with two cables that ran back to shore, where a crew of 20 men yanked the actress side to side like a tug of war. Blacklinie's harrowing performance would realize Spielberg's vision in theaters across the world. "One of the main comments I get from everybody is, 'You know you kept me out of the water'," Blacklinie said.

After "Jaws," Blacklinie appeared in several features including "The Grizzly & the Treasure," "A Stranger in My Forest," and a "Jaws" parody in Spielberg's "1941."

Blacklinie lived on a houseboat in Ventura, CA with her husband Havery.

Dabney Coleman, the veteran actor known for "Tootsie," "WarGames," "Buffalo Bill" and "Boardwalk Empire" died on May 16, aged 92. In a family statement to the media, Quincy Coleman described her father as "soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity."

The Texas native had a tall, imposing presence conducive to all manner of villainy, from the comical chauvanism of Frank Hart in "9 to 5" to the calculating evil of Commodore Louis Kaestner in "Boardwalk Empire."

Coleman may have been typecast, but he enjoyed himself. "It's fun playing those roles," Coleman told Vulture, "You get to do outlandish things, things that you want to do, probably, in real life but you just don't because you're a civilized human being ... I couldn't imagine anyone not loving playing those parts."

After scores of credits, six Emmy nominations, and a Golden Globe award, Dabney earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014. Coleman's last performance was a memorable turn as John Dutton Sr. in "Yellowstone."