It has sadly been reported that actor Brian Dennehy, known for his roles in films like Tommy Boy, To Catch a Killer, as well as the original Rambo movie titled First Blood, has died at age 81 on Wednesday. The news comes from one of Brian Dennehy’s representatives, Kate Cafaro, at ICM Partners. According to his representative, his death was due to natural causes and that there will not be any kind of autopsy.
His career continued to support roles in films like F/X: Murder By Illusion, its sequel F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion, Best Seller, The Belly of an Architect, and even The Man from Snowy River II. His acting roles in recent years, however, included voicing the character Django in Pixar’s Ratatouille, and acting in films like The Seagull. There are also two upcoming films he acted in that are currently in post-production – Son of the South and Long Day Journey.
He was definitely someone that had a truly unique acting style and sensibility over his characters. Brian Dennehy had a fascinating way, as he himself stated, of portraying villains like heroes and vice versa with heroes feeling like villains.
This might best be felt in the above mentioned First Blood, where although he’s simply playing a sheriff he manages to convey the character as a true antagonist. Truly an unforgettable performance that makes a great contrast for Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo and perhaps helps make that movie one of the strongest of its franchise.
Brian Dennehy was not only an actor that managed to win a Golden Globe, but he also won two Tony Awards, and even received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. His performances were true standouts in the films across his filmography, and no doubt cinema fans will continue to remember his performances very well as time goes on.