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Veteran character actor Charles Durning died yesterday in his Manhattan home. He was 89. A former professional boxer and a decorated World War veteran who took part in the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach, the Battle of the Bulge and was one of few survivors of the Malmedy massacre, Durning earned two Oscar and nine Emmy nominations, most recently an Emmy nom in 2008 for his last major role, a recurring part on FX’s Rescue Me as Denis Leary’s retired firefighter father. According to AP, Durning died of natural causes. Durning started his acting career on stage before segueing to film and TV. He got his break with a role in the 1973 movie The Sting and was a standout in the 1982 comedy Tootsie. Durning was nominated for supporting-actor Oscars for the 1983 Mel Brooks comedy To Be or Not to Be and the 1982 musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He frequently collaborated with friend Burt Reynolds, appearing in 13 movies together, including Whorehouse, as well as Reynolds’ 1990s TV sitcom Evening Shade, which landed Durning two Emmy nominations.
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It’s so sad this great man left us on Christmas Eve, R.I.P. Charles.
Rest In peace, Mr. Durning. You were a great American and a standard-bearer for actors. I will miss you.
Charles Durning… yet another fine character actor has left us. He was just as good in comedy as he was in dramatic roles, usually as the bad guy.
Like Jack Klugman, he reached a fine old age. RIP to the both of you!
I was lucky–& honored–to work with Charlie twice, doing his makeup on TOUGH GUYS and MRS. SANTA CLAUS. They were both joyful experiences. I never laughed so hard, nor had as much fun as I did when working with him. Charlie, simply, was THE BEST actor anyone could ever work with, be it in front of the camera or behind.
A WWII veteran, he landed at the beach n Normandy, captured by Nazi’s, escaped & captured again, he suffered both physical and mental pain from his experieinces. (Charlie will be buried at Arlington Cemetery.) He worked in burlesque, boxed (“I was never any good,” he told me. “My Irish would get up and I’d lose any discipline.”) and lived a life that was reflected his in performances. They just don’t make them like that anymore.
The days I worked with Charlie, my face would ache from laughing so much. I told him that and he said, “Mike, with all that has happened to me (his WWII experiences), everything else is a joy.” One day on MRS. SANTA CLAUS things were moving a bit slow and the director came over to apologize for dragging him in so early. “That’s okay,” he said. “They pay me to sit around. I give them the acting for free.” I pass that story around to every actor & crew member when they bitch about sitting around and waiting.
I last saw Charlie in 1999 at the Emmy awards. We had promised to get together, but life had other plans. I wish we could have seen each other again, although it would be hard for me as I knew in recent years his health was giving him problems. I will miss his Irish humor, and that joyful glint he’d get in his eyes when he was about to tell a joke or pull a prank on me.
As I type this I cannot help but laugh loudly at a silly joke he told me at the screening of MRS. SANTA CLAUS. We were in the lobby of the theatre, and he saw a poster for the film BEN-HUR. He looked at it for a moment in silence, and then pointed to it. “Look at that,” he said disgustedly. “All that money spent on that film and the spelled HER wrong!”
Thank you Charlie for the laughs & the good memories. “Good night sweet prince, and may flights of angels take thee to thy rest.”
Thank you for sharing your stories, Michael. I never met Charles but imagined him to be just as you describe.
Michael,
Thanks for sharing the amazing stories about Charles. What a great great man and actor! He will be sorely missed!
Yes, thanks so much for sharing those remembrances.
God bless him… I will watch the oscars this year just to see his honors.
thank for this wonderful memory and your take! Babz
Such a great actor, he will be missed.
Most realistic portrayal of a politician ever, dance a little sidestep indeed!
What a terrible, terrible loss to the acting community. A true talent. My memories of him are in Rescue Me and Tootsie. RIP, Mr. Durning.
Still remember him from Queen of the Stardust Ballroom. Great character actor. RIP Mr. Durning
Of all the great acting he did, my favorite memories of him are his appearances at the National Memorial Day Concerts. R.I.P., Mr. Durning. You will be missed.
So many wonderful memories, but his role as Jessica Lange’s father in Tootsie, who falls in love with Dustin Hoffman (dorothy michaels) is one of my all time favorites. I’ve seen it hundreds of times and I still laugh each time. Wonderful, wonderful actor. As Michael Blake said (and thank you, Michael for sharing your memories), Good night sweet Prince…
Agreed. He was so great in Tootsie. Fantastic, amazing actor.
I had the great pleasure of working with Charlie in his first tv series, “The Cop and The Kid” in the mid 70′s and was fortunate to call him my friend ever since. He helped me in by appearing in cameo roles in tv movies, which he always did in a gesture of friendship.
That’s the kind of man he was.
May he rest in peace.
Rest In Peace
Another original gone. R.I.P.
Just found our about this off another site and felt compelled to write. An immense character actor. The CV includes work with countless quality directors from De Palma to The Coens but for me he will always be the firm but fair Detective Moretti from Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day afternoon. RIP Mr Durning
He was a great actor, but what is truly amazing is his service to his country. Reading about his experiences was harrowing and intense. I can’t even imagine the horrors he witnessed and the sacrifice he gave to his country. God bless him and all who have served. The honored dead, especially. He was here and he was counted.
Surprised no one has mentioned his riveting turn in “Dog Day Afternoon” as the cop trying to deal with Al Pacino’s inept hostage taking bank robber.
I’ve really enjoyed Mr. Durning’s performances over the years and am saddened by his passing. He has been in so many parts that I remember, however, my favorite’s will probably be in the Final Countdown and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou. We’ll miss you Charles!!
He used a rock to kill a German soldier who had just bayoneted him and survived the massacre of U.S. prisoners at Malmedy. He was the only member of his company who survived Omaha Beach. As a child he watched five of his sisters die of smallpox and scarlet fever.
His success later in life couldn’t be more deserved.
Wow. That’s amazing. Talk about being generations apart. Can’t imagine experiencing that at such a young age and only THEN going on to forge a life and a career. Again: wow.
One of the best performances I have seen is of Charles on NCIS when he played a former Marine who 65 years earlier had killed his best friend to silence him during the battle of Iwo Jimo; and is now over wrought with guilt. Outstanding acting. I never miss a chance to watch this episode.
Mr Durning was another great! I recently loved him in Rescue Me! He brought a lot of laughs! Thank you, Charles Durning! RIP.
One of my favorite actors. It is so sad how so many of the great ones are leaving us. It is especially depressing when you consider that there are not many actors/actresses around today of the same quality as Mr.Durning. Granted,there may be a few here & there,but,most of today’s crop of actors wouldn’t measure up to Charles & others as well. May you rest in peace Mr Durning. You most definitely will be missed by myself & many other fans as well.
He elevated everything he was in by his sheer presence, and his vast talent. Now how many actors can you say that of? Not many.
Charles Durning was one of my favorite character actors of all time. What a career!
Anyway, I am certain that Charles is dancing a little sidestep right now with the best of them!
R.I.P.
So happy to read Charles Durning will be buried at Arlington Cemetery. And deservedly so. God Bless. Rest in peace. You are sorely missed already.
What a true national treasure Charlie was. He added class to everything he did. We had the honor of casting him in our Showtime original BLEACHER BUMS in 2001. He and the late Maury Chaykin played the codgers who work inside the old manually operated Wrigley Field scoreboard. They’re playing poker when they invite Peter Riegert’s son to watch. It’s a little moment but Charlie brought such gravitas to the role. God bless him!
I know he is well known for his movie career, however . I saw him play a Medal of Honor winner on NCIS a few years back. Now that I know about his WWII participation and the battles he fought, he made it seem so real, like hearing a friend talk about the things he had seen and you know he was acting because this story line was not about the European battles.