Tony-awarded actor Brian Dennehy passed away at age 81 Wednesday evening. He is known for prominent roles both on stage (“Death of a Salesman,” “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”) and screen (“First Blood,” “Tommy Boy” and “Cocoon”).
»Click here to get the new AJC Mobile App
He died of natural causes in New Haven, Connecticut according to The Hollywood Reporter.Django
"Larger than life, generous to a fault, a proud and devoted father and grandfather, he will be missed by his wife Jennifer, family and many friends," wrote his daughter Elizabeth Dennehy on the Twitter post announcing his passing.
A football lineman in college, many of Dennehy’s roles matched his imposing physique at 6 foot 3 and 250 pounds. One such role was Chicago detective Jack Reed in five NBC television movies.
In other roles he portrayed characters as small as, well, a mouse. In Pixar’s 2007 animated movie “Ratatouille,” Dennehy voiced the rat Django.
In “Death of a Salesman,” which won him his first Tony Award for Best Actor, Dennehy played Willy Loman, an aging suburban salesman.
“It speaks to all of us. It’s the great American play,” Dennehy said of his role in Arthur Miller’s classic play.
He is survived by his second wife, Jennifer Arnott, five children and seven grandchildren.
About the Author
