Dabney Coleman
Biography
Dabney Coleman was an American actor who built a career out of comic portrayals of egomaniacal and unlikable men. Born in Austin, Texas, he trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse under Sanford Meisner, made his Broadway debut in A Call on Kuprin in 1961, and took his first film role in The Slender Thread (1965). His breakthrough came as Merle Jeeter on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, then as the sexist boss in 9 to 5 (1980), which established him as a comic villain. He followed with On Golden Pond (1981), Tootsie (1982), WarGames (1983), and Cloak & Dagger (1984). On television he starred in Buffalo Bill and The Slap Maxwell Story, winning a Golden Globe for the latter and an Emmy for Sworn to Silence. He voiced Principal Prickly on Recess and later played serious roles in The Guardian and Boardwalk Empire. His final role was on Yellowstone in 2019.
92years old at death
- Born Austin
- Died Santa Monica
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Dabney Wharton Coleman (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 50
- Career span
- 57 years1965 to 2022
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Early training
Coleman trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre under Sanford Meisner from 1958 to 1960, and Meisner told him he was ideal for them because he had lived some.
Getting ready for a role
Coleman grew the mustache tied to many of his roles in 1973, saying that without it he looked too much like Richard Nixon and that everything changed once he grew it.
Big break
Coleman's role as the sexist boss Franklin Hart Jr. in 9 to 5 firmly established him as a comic relief villain, a character type he frequently played afterward.
First role
Coleman finished his training under Meisner, and soon afterward he made his Broadway debut in 1961 in A Call on Kuprin, a short-lived production.
Dabney Coleman movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Sydney Pollack directed four of these films, Howy Parkins three and Mark Rydell two. Seven actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Pamela Adlon's page
April Winchell's page
Ashley Johnson's page
Allyce Beasley's page
Courtland Mead's page
Jason Davis's page
All films by Sydney Pollack
Howy ParkinsDirector, 3 films, 2001 to 2003
All films by Howy Parkins
All films by Mark Rydell
Also four films together1 more actor
- Rickey D'Shon CollinsRecess: All Growed Down (2003), Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade (2003), Recess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street (2001) and Recess: School's Out (2001)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Dabney Coleman's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$1.3 billion
24 of the 50 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 50 films: 24 worldwide figure; 4 us gross only; 7 never in cinemas; 15 figure not found.
- 24Worldwide figure
- 4US gross only
- 7Never in cinemas
- 15Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 81% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$251M19.7% of the total
- 2$177M13.9% of the total
- 3$134M10.6% of the total
- 4$125M9.8% of the total
- 5$119M9.4% of the total
- 6$103M8.1% of the total
- 7$67M5.2% of the total
- 8$57M4.5% of the total
$237 millionfrom the other 16 films with a worldwide figure, 19% of the total
Awards
Five awards and honors from 1987 to 2011, three of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1987 | Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Won | |
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 1987 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Won | |
| SAG Awards | |||
| 2011 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Won | |
| Other honors | |||
| Mary Pickford Award | Won | ||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.