Craig Zablo

Dabney Coleman, the award-winning actor of stage and screen, died yesterday. Mr. Coleman was 92.

Dabney Coleman attended both the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Texas at Austin.  Mr. Coleman was drafted and served in the U.S. Army.  After his service, Dabney Coleman attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.

In 1961, Dabney Coleman made his Broadway debut in A Call on Kupri.  That same year, Mr. Coleman appeared in an episode of Naked City.  For the rest of his career Dabney Coleman would appear on television and in feature films.

In 1987, Dabney Coleman won a Primetime Emmy as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for his role in Sworn to Silence.  Mr. Coleman was nominated for five other Primetime Emmys: 1983 and 1984 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Buffalo Bill; 1988 – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for Baby M; 1988 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for The Slap Maxwell Story and 1991 – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Columbo.

Television appearances of Dabney Coleman include: Naked City; Armstrong Circle Theater (3 episodes); Alcoa Theater; Ben Casey; Breaking Point; Arrest and Trial; The Movie Maker; Kraft Suspense Theater (2 episodes); Dr. Kildare; The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (2 episodes); The Outer Limits (3 episodes); Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theater (2 episodes); Hazel; The Donna Reed Show; 12 O’Clock High (2 episodes); The Fugitive (4 episodes); Please Don’t Eat the Daisies; Run for Your Life; That Girl (8 episodes); I Dream of Jeannie (2 episodes); The Flying Nun; The Invaders (2 episodes); Iron Horse; Judd for the Defense; Death Valley Days; Mod Squad; Then Came Bronson; Bonanza (2 episodes); Dan August; Nanny and the Professor; The Bold Ones: The New Doctors; Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law; Banyon; Room 222 (2 episodes); Ironside; Search; Savage; Kojak; The FBI (7 episodes); Mannix (3 episodes); Medical Center; McMillian & Wife (2 episodes); The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Cannon (2 episodes); Switch; The Streets of San Francisco (2 episodes); Police Story (2 episodes); Petrocelli; Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (148 episodes); Fernwood Tonight (2 episodes); Quincy (2 episodes); Forever Fernwood (130 episodes); The Love Boat; Apple Pie (8 episodes); Diff’rent Strokes (2 episodes); Barnaby Jones (5 episodes); Buffalo Bill (26 episodes); Fresno (6 episodes); Dolly; The Slap Maxwell Story (22 episodes); It’s Gary Shandling’s Show (2 episodes); Columbo (2 episodes); Drexell’s Class (18 episodes); Lincoln; Madman of the People (16 episodes); The Wonderful World of Disney; Recess (14 episodes); The Guardian (67 episodes); Courting Alex (13 episodes); Heartland (6 episodes); Boardwalk Empire (24 episodes); Pound Puppies (4 episodes); Ray Donovan; NCIS and Yellowstone.

Feature film appearances of Dabney Coleman include: The Slender Thread; The Scalphunters; The Trouble with Girls; Downhill Racer; Cinderella Liberty; The Towering Inferno; Black Fist; Bite the Bullet; Midway; Viva Knievel!; Rolling Thunder; Go Tell the Spartans; North Dallas Forty; How to Beat the High Cost of Living; Melvin and Howard; 9 to 5; On Golden Pond; Modern Problems; Tootsie; War Games; Cloak and Dagger; The Muppets Take Manhattan; The Man with One Red Shoe; Dragnet; Amos & Andrew; The Beverly Hillbillies; Clifford; You’ve Got Mail; Inspector Gadget; Where the Red Fern Grows and Domino.

The first time I saw Dabney Coleman on screen was probably in The Fugitive or Invaders.  But man, he sure did appear in many other shows I regularly watched.  My most memorable performance by Dabney Coleman is from 9 to 5.  He was perfect.  Of course that’s not surprising because any time you saw Dabney Coleman, you knew the program/movie would be better because of him.  It’s evidence of his talent that he could move from television to feature films or drama to comedy with ease.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Dabney Coleman’s family, friends and fans.