Dabney Coleman(1932-2024)

For many decades, Coleman played sleazy or thuggish or twisted baddies, sometimes comedic, sometimes not. There were exceptions where he played good guys (That Girl, On Golden Pond, The Guardian) but something about the combination of his imposing height, heartless demeanor, beady eyes, permanently mustachioed (practically being twirled) but otherwise average looks, and fast-talking Texan shyster physiognomy copper-fastened the bad guy stereotype. In between the two extremes, good and bad, was the flawed but very human Slap Maxwell. (The Slap Maxwell Story had a briefer run than it deserved perhaps because for its time it hit too close to home, although tame by later standards.)

Dabney Wharton Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, to Mary Wharton (Johns) and Melvin Randolph Coleman. He attended the Virginia Military Institute, and studied law in Texas. Coleman had a well deserved reputation as a fine character actor, and a reliable presence for almost any role in TV and movies.

Coleman's early appearances in the cinema were in 30 minutes de sursis (1965) and La descente infernale (1969). On TV he starred in That Girl (1966). As the 1970s approached he became a well-known character actor in television and movies, appearing in La tour infernale (1974), La bataille de Midway (1976), and Permission d'aimer (1973). Television seemed Coleman's forum in the 1970s as he played the role of Merle Jeeter in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) and Fernwood 2 Night (1977). Coleman made appearances in the popular 40 hommes à abattre (1979) and the Oscar-winning Melvin et Howard (1980).

He first garnered a measure of fame for some satirical movies, starring in the comedy Les nanas jouent et gagnent (1980) and snatched a lead role for the TV movie Pray TV (1980). Coleman's reputation for playing world-class jerks became cemented in 1980 as the boss to Dolly Parton , Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in Comment se débarrasser de son patron (1980). The next year, he was in very good company working with legends Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in La maison du lac (1981). His hit streak would not end there.

In 1982, Coleman landed a key role in the classic Tootsie (1982), further cementing his role as a very dislikable wealthy boss in some capacity. In 1983, he starred in the Cold War classic WarGames (1983). During this period he also found many parts in lesser known movies like Docteurs in love (1982) and Un amour sans limite (1981). In 1984 he starred in Les Muppets à Manhattan (1984) and in 1985 he starred with Tom Hanks in L'Homme à la Chaussure Rouge (1985). In 1987, he won an Emmy for Sworn to Silence (1987). In 1990, he took two lead roles, one in the disastrous Tout pour réussir (1990), and the other in the quirky comedy Short Time (1990).

In 1993, Coleman starred in the slapstick comedy Amos & Andrew (1993) and the big screen version of Les allumés de Beverly Hills (1993) as Milburn Drysdale. He appeared in an extensive line of TV movies. He took part in La Cour de récré (1997), and then starred in a couple of big money grossers, the Tom Hanks comedy, Vous avez un mess@ge (1998), as Chief Quimby in Inspecteur Gadget (1999), and in Stuart Little (1999) (both in 1999).

Coleman died in 2024, aged 92, in Santa Monica, California.