Dabney Wharton Coleman was a renowned American character actor, born in Austin, Texas, to Mary Wharton (Johns) and Melvin Randolph Coleman. He attended the Virginia Military Institute and studied law in Texas. Coleman's imposing height, heartless demeanor, beady eyes, and fast-talking Texan shyster physiognomy made him a staple for playing sleazy, thuggish, or twisted baddies, often with comedic undertones.
Throughout his career, Coleman appeared in numerous films and television shows, including The Slender Thread (1965),Downhill Racer (1969),That Girl (1966),The Towering Inferno (1974),Midway (1976),Cinderella Liberty (1973),and many more. He gained fame for his satirical roles in movies like How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980) and Pray TV (1980),and cemented his reputation as a master of playing world-class jerks.
Coleman's notable roles include 9 to 5 (1980),On Golden Pond (1981),Tootsie (1982),WarGames (1983),The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984),The Man with One Red Shoe (1985),and many others. He won an Emmy for his performance in Sworn to Silence (1987) and appeared in a range of TV movies and films, including Recess (1997),You've Got Mail (1998),Inspector Gadget (1999),and Stuart Little (1999).
Dabney Wharton Coleman passed away in 2024 at the age of 92 in Santa Monica, California.
