American actor Brian Dennehy: biography, films

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Brian Dennehy is an American actor who loves to act in detective stories. He began his creative career with the roles of dangerous criminals, then began to embody the images of policemen. By the age of 78, this famous workaholic has managed to play in more than 160 films and TV shows, new items with his participation are released almost every year. What is known about this talented person?

Brian Dennehy: childhood years

The future actor was born in the small American town of Bridgeport, it happened in July 1938. Brian Dennehy was born into an Irish family. His parents were far from the world of cinema, his mother was a housewife, his father worked as an editor at the Associated Press. The first years of the boy's life were spent in New York, where his mother and father soon moved.

Hardly at the beginning of the life of a star, someone could have guessed that he would become an actor. Brian Dennehy grew up active and mobile, was fond of sports, attended various sections. He did not forget abouteducation, with a focus on the humanities. As a teenager, his favorite subjects were history and literature.

Youth years

Brian did not lose interest in history even when he graduated from high school. The young man decided to study this subject at Columbia University. During his college years, he also played college football for the varsity team. By the end of his studies, Dennehy realized that he had made a mistake in choosing a profession. He was suddenly fascinated by the art of drama, he began to dream about the stage and the fans.

After graduating from university, Brian Dennehy spent five years serving in the US Marine Corps. It is interesting that the actor, when popularity came to him, began to assure journalists that he had fought in Vietnam. He also liked to talk about the severe wound received in battle, which forced him to undergo long-term treatment. This was later revealed to be untrue, prompting the star to apologize to anyone he misled for his love of beautiful stories.

After the army, the young man became a student at Yale University, where he got the opportunity to study the art of drama. He did not give up sports either, joining the local rugby team.

First Achievements

The debut of Brian the actor took place in 1977, but went unnoticed by viewers and critics. The aspiring actor received episodic roles in the TV projects Serpico and Kojak. Then he began to play minor characters in famous TV shows, he can be seen inLou Grant, Dallas, Dynasties.

The first films with the participation of Brian Dennehy came out when the actor was already 39 years old. His debut films were "Half-cool", "Waiting for Mr. Goodbar". The directors mainly assigned the role of immigrants to the little-known actor, taking into account his Irish appearance.

Dennehy was first talked about when he starred in the detective television project Catch a Killer. In this series, Brian embodied the image of John Gacy, his hero is an elusive serial killer who is being chased by law enforcement agencies. This role brought the actor an Emmy nomination, but another contender won the prize. Approvingly reacted to the drama "The Belly of an Architect", in which he played a key character with a tragic fate.

Highest hour

The famous actor was made by the picture "Rambo: First Blood". Brian Dennehy in this action movie got the role of a negative character. His hero is a vicious and narrow-minded sheriff who unfairly persecutes a war veteran because of his hatred of vagrants. Dennehy's antagonist in this tape is portrayed by Sylvester Stallone. Of course, Brian's character loses the fight, but it is his role that critics call the decoration of the picture.

Next comes another famous detective with the participation of the actor - "Illusion of murder". Brian Dennehy starred in this film in 1985. The story begins with special effects genius Rolly Tyler receiving an unusual commission from the Justice Department. Heroshould portray the "murder" of an important witness, whose testimony should play a decisive role in the fight against shady businessmen. As a result, the witness disappears, and Rolly is blamed for his "death".

Of course, fans of the actor should not miss another of his famous films - "Gorky Park", which was released in 1983. The story begins with a mysterious murder committed in Moscow, which is forced to investigate a simple police officer.

Best paintings of the 90s

Brian Dennehy is an actor whose fame has grown with every passing year. In the 90s, he embodied a huge number of vivid images. For example, the drama "Union Boss" received rave reviews, in which the actor portrayed Jackie Presser. His character amazes the audience with his cruelty and authoritarianism.

Comedy roles are also great for a talented actor. Proof of this can serve as a picture of "Tommy Lump". Brian played in this film one of the secondary characters - the parent of the protagonist. It is impossible not to note his role in one of the adaptations of Shakespeare's immortal creation "Romeo and Juliet". Dennehy did a great job as a father Romeo, becoming the on-screen dad of Leonardo DiCaprio.

New Age

Shooting in the drama "Death of a Salesman" is one of the main achievements of the American actor. Dennehy played a key role in this tape, playing the loser Willy Loman. His character loses his job, gets into debt, which significantly complicates the life of his family. All this makesWilly commit suicide, because thanks to this, his family will be able to get insurance and start life anew. The son, stricken by his father's death, decides to abandon his plans and continue his life's work of becoming a traveling salesman.

Of course, "Death of a Salesman" is far from the only bright tape featuring Brian, released in the new century. The actor can be seen in the film "Our Holy Fathers", which touches on the topic of scandals, the heroes of which were Catholic priests. This role gave the star another Emmy nomination, but the award once again fell into the wrong hands.

In the detective "Assault on the 13th Precinct" Brian embodied the image of Sergeant Jasper. He played a similar role in the film "She hates me." Also in the new century, the actor is actively engaged in voice acting for cartoons, for example, the hero of the popular film "Ratatouille" speaks in his voice.

Life behind the scenes

Brian Dennehy is an actor who literally lives on the set, it is not surprising that he has so many roles to his credit. However, constant employment did not prevent the star from marrying twice. His first chosen one was Judith Sheff, married to whom he spent about 15 years. The reasons for the breakup of a celebrity with his first wife remained a mystery to journalists and fans.

In 1998, Dennehy again decided to tie the knot, his second wife was Jennifer Arnott, with whom he lives to this day. Brian has two daughters, Kathleen and Elizabeth, who are also trying to make it in the film world.

Interesting facts

Few people know that Dennehy adopted two children, Sarah and Cormac, who are now adults. The adopted son and daughter, unlike the actor's own daughters, decided not to connect their lives with the world of show business. It is also interesting that Brian is constantly confused with his colleague Charles Durning. The external similarity of the two actors often became the cause of funny situations. Dennehy stopped paying attention to such incidents long ago.