Dabney Coleman is a seasoned actor who has been in the industry for over a decade. He is popular for being a character actor, a role he played so well that it was difficult seeing him in another light. The veteran actor has featured in over 60 films and television shows and has won an Emmy and Golden Globe awards with several nominations. He got a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the 6th of November 2014 in recognition of his prowess and his many works as an actor.
Dabney Coleman – Bio, Age
Dabney Wharton Coleman was born in Austin, Texas on the 3rd of January 1932 to his parents Mary Wharton and Melvin Randolph Coleman. As it was popular for young boys of his time, Dabney was fascinated with the military. Hence, in 1949, he joined the Virginia Military Institute before he got admitted into the University of Texas where he got his law degree. In 1953, he finally got drafted into the United States Army. He served in Europe during his time in service.
Dabney’s acting career started in the 1960s after he had his training from 1958-1960 at Sanford Meisner in the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater, New York. His earliest roles were in the cinema with The Slender Thread (1965) and Downhill Racer (1969). He then appeared on television with a role in That Girl (1966).
Dabney began to get roles as a character actor around the 1970s. He appeared in Cinderella Liberty (1973) The Towering Inferno (1974), Bite the Bullet (1975) Midway (1976), Mary Hartman (1976), and Fernwood Tonight (1977). He then featured as ‘Judge Keith Hayes’ in the Oscar-winning Melvin and Howard (1980). Some of his comic movies include How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980), and You’ve Got Mail (1998).
Dabney Coleman’s versatility as an actor is unquestionable as he has successfully portrayed different and contrasting roles in a manner that is almost true to life. One of those roles was in Nine to Five (1980) where he portrayed the character of Franklin Hart Jr, a wicked and sexist boss. He played this same role as a comic relief villain in Tootsie (1982). He has broken away from this stereotyped role from time to time like his character in War Games (1983).
Coleman’s performance in the Television series Buffalo Bill (1987) got him his first Emmy nomination. He later got an Emmy Award for his role in Sworn to Silence (1987)., this was followed by a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in The Slap Maxwell Story (1988). The actor also has to his credit two ‘SAGS’ Awards for his role in the TV Series Boardwalk Empire (2010- 2011). Additionally, Coleman has featured in television series like Apple Pie (1978), Fresno (1986), Drexell’s Class (1991-92), Madman of the People (1994-95), The Guardian (2001-04), Courting Alex (2006), Heartland (2007), Ray Donovan (2016), NCIS (2019) to mention a few.
The veteran actor has had a full career in the movie and television industry. He has had at least six Emmy nominations, winning one of them and has won one from his three Golden Globe nominations.
Family and Spouse
Dabney Coleman has been married and divorced twice and is presently not married to anyone. He married Ann Courtney Harrell in 1957 and divorced her in 1959. In 1961, he married his second wife Jean Hale who is a fellow actress. They stayed married for 23 years and got divorced in the year 1984 making it his second divorce. Dabney has 4 children with Jean Hale (three daughters which include the singer Quincy, Kelly, Meghan, and a son Randy).
Net Worth
With the enormous number of films and television shows he has appeared in, Dabney Coleman has been able to make a tidy sum of money for himself and most importantly has been able to keep his wealth afloat. His net worth has been estimated to be about $5 million.
Is Dabney Coleman Still Alive?
Dabney Coleman has had some age-related health challenges. He went through successful treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) following diagnosis. He also had throat cancer at some point but he revealed in an interview in the year 2012 that he was free of cancer.
It was reported by some unreliable sources in 2019 that the actor died due to age-related health complications on the 23rd of June, however, it turned out to be a death hoax. Dabney is still very much alive and is still active in the movie industry. He featured in some NCIS Episodes in 2019. He has aged well and lives in Brentwood, California.
