Charles Durning, Award-Winning Actor Known for Decades of Memorable Character Roles
Durning won a Tony and was nominated for two Oscar and nine Primetime Emmys.
Charles Durning, a Tony-winning actor who also earned two Oscar nominations and nine Primetime Emmy nominations, died December 24, 2012, in his New York City apartment. He was 89.
According to news reports, he died of natural causes.
Durning was a prolific performer best known for such films as The Sting, Dog Day Afternoon, Tootsie and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and such television projects as Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, Captains and the Kings, Death of a Salesman, Everybody Loves Raymond and Rescue Me.
He won hisTony Award for his performance as Big Daddy in a 1990 Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
In the same year, he won a Golden Globe for his role as “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald in the miniseries The Kennedys of Massachusetts.
A native of Highland Falls, New York, he served in the Army during World War II and took part in the Normandy invasion of France on D-Day, winning the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.
Before becoming an actor he held many different jobs, including elevator operator, ironworker, cab driver, dance instructor and boxer.
More about his life and work is available at: