Actor Dabney Coleman of ‘9 to 5,’ ‘Tootsie’ fame dead at 92

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Comic actor Dabney Coleman, who rose to fame portraying less than savory characters in films including “9 to 5″ and “Tootsie,” has died. He was 92.

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Coleman died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor’s daughter, singer Quincy Coleman, confirmed his death in a statement.

“My father crafted his time here on Earth with a curious mind, a generous heart and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity,” Quincy Coleman said. “As he lived, he moved through this final act of his life with elegance, excellence and mastery.

A teacher, a hero and a king, Dabney Coleman is a gift and blessing in life and in death as his spirit will shine through his work, his loved ones and his legacy … eternally.”

CNN reported that Coleman, a native of Austin, Texas, was a U.S. Army veteran who studied law before pursuing an acting career. He worked in television in guest roles through the 1960s and 1970s before landing a role in the television show “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.”

In a 2012 interview with the AV Club, Coleman called the role the “turning point in (his) career.”

“That’s kind of where it all started, as far as people’s belief that I could do comedy, particularly that negative, caustic, cynical kind of guy,” Coleman said.

The actor hit his stride in the 1980s, which saw him in supporting roles as the lecherous boss in “9 to 5,” the Oscar-winning comedy “Tootsie” opposite Dustin Hoffman, and “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” according to CNN. He also starred in critically acclaimed, but short-lived, TV series “Buffalo Bill” and “The Slap Maxwell Story.”

Coleman was nominated for Emmys for both series, the network said. His sole win out of six nominations, however, came for the 1987 television movie “Sworn to Silence.”

He also won a Golden Globe for his role in “Slap Maxwell.”

Coleman’s more recent roles included Commodore Louis Kaestner on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and his final role as the father of Kevin Costner’s character on “Yellowstone.”

According to CNN, Coleman is survived by his four children and five grandchildren.

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