“If I could transform my stage life to the movies, I’d be Jack Nicholson.” – Brian Dennehy
The Hollywood Times and many others mourn the loss of Mr. Dennehy.
“It is with heavy hearts we announce that our father, Brian passed away last night from natural causes, not Covid-related. 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,” his daughter Elizabeth Dennehy tweeted.
Donations made be made in his name to FeedingAmerica.org
(July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of film, stage, and television. A winner of one Golden Globe, two Tony Awards and a recipient of six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, he gained initial recognition for his role as Sheriff Will Teasle in First Blood (1982). He had roles in numerous films including Gorky Park (1983), Silverado (1985), Cocoon (1985), F/X (1986), Presumed Innocent (1990), Romeo + Juliet (1996), and Knight of Cups (2015). Dennehy won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his role as Willy Loman in the television film Death of a Salesman (2000). Wikipedia
Dennehy received a 1999 Tony Award for his staggering performance as Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. He also received a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award nomination for this performance in a 2000 TV movie version. In 2003, he won another Best Leading Actor in a Play Tony Award for portraying James Tyrone in Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night. His other Broadway credits included Love Letters, Desire Under the Elms, Inherit the Wind and Translations.
Though he was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1938, many believed he lived in Chicago due to his illustrious stage career in that city. In addition to Long Day’s Journey, which transferred to Broadway, Dennehy collaborated with Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls on many other plays by O’Neill, including Desire Under the Elms, The Iceman Cometh, Hughie and A Touch of the Poet.
Dennehy earned Emmy nominations for performances on A Killing in a Small Town, The Burden of Proof, To Catch a Killer, Murder in the Heartland and Our Fathers.
He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Arnott, and five children Elizabeth, Cormack, Kathleen, Deirdre and Sarah.
Jennifer Arnott was married to Brian Dennehy from 1988 until his death on April 15, 2020. Together they are parents of their two children Cormack Dennehy, Sarah Dennehy
Brian was previously married to Judith Scheff and he fathered daughters Elizabeth, Kathleen, and Deirdre. He also has several grandchildren.
