Brian Dennehy is an American actor who loves to act in detectives. He began his career with the roles of dangerous criminals, then began to embody the images of policemen. By the age of 78, this famous workaholic managed to play in more than 160 films and series, new items with his participation are released almost every year. What is known about this talented person?
Brian Dennehy: childhood
The future actor was born in the small American town of Bridgeport, it happened in July 1938. Brian Dennehy was born into a family of immigrants from Ireland. His parents were far from the world of cinema, his mother was engaged in housekeeping, his father worked as an editor in the publication Associated Press. The first years of the boy’s life passed in New York, where his mother and father soon moved.
Hardly at the beginning of the life path of a star someone could have guessed that he would become an actor. Brian Dennehy grew active and mobile, was fond of sports, attended various sections. He did not forget about studying, paying special attention to humanitarian disciplines. In his teens, history and literature became his favorite subjects.
Adolescence
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. As a student, he also played American football, playing for the university team. By the end of his studies, Dennehy realized that he was mistaken in choosing a profession. He was suddenly fascinated by the art of drama, he began to dream about the stage and fans.
After graduating from university, Brian Dennehy devoted five years to serving in the US Marine Corps. Interestingly, the actor, when he gained popularity, began to assure reporters that he had ever fought in Vietnam. He also liked to talk about the severe wound received in the battle, which forced him to undergo prolonged treatment. Later it turned out that this was not true, which prompted the star to apologize to all those whom he misled for the sake of his love of beautiful stories.
After the army, the young man entered the number of students at Yale University, where he got the opportunity to study the art of drama. He did not refuse from sports, joining the local rugby team.
First achievements
The debut of Bryan-actor took place in 1977, but went unnoticed by the audience and critics. The aspiring lyceum received episodic roles in the television projects Serpiko and Kodzhak. Then he began to play minor characters in famous series, he can be seen in "Lou Grant", "Dallas", "Dynasty".
The first films with the participation of Brian Dennehy came out when the actor was already 39 years old. The debut for him was the picture "Half-Cool", "Waiting for Mr. Goodbar." The directors mainly assigned the role of emigrants to a little-known actor, taking into account his Irish appearance.
For the first time they started talking about Dennehy when he starred in the detective television project “Catch the Killer”. In this series, Brian embodied the image of John Gacy, his character is the elusive serial killer, who is being chased by law enforcement agencies. This role brought the actor a nomination for an Emmy, but another applicant received a prize. Critics and viewers also approached the drama "Belly of the Architect" in which he played a key character with a tragic fate.
Finest hour
Famous actor made the picture "Rambo: First Blood." Brian Dennehy in this action movie got the role of a negative character. His hero is a vicious and near-minded sheriff who undeservedly pursues a war veteran because of his hatred of tramps. The antagonist Dennehy in this tape depicts Sylvester Stallone. Of course, the character of Brian loses the fight, but it is his role that critics call the decoration of the picture.
Next comes another famous detective with the actor - “The Illusion of Murder”. Brian Dennehy starred in the movie in 1985. The story begins with the fact that special effects genius Rolly Tyler receives an unusual order from the Department of Justice. The hero must portray the "murder" of an important witness, whose testimony should play a decisive role in the fight against shadow businessmen. As a result, the witness disappears, and Rollie begins to blame 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 in Moscow, which a simple police officer is forced to investigate.
The best paintings of the 90s
Brian Dennehy is an actor whose fame increased with each passing year. In the 90s, he embodied a huge number of vivid images. For example, the drama "The Union Boss" received enthusiastic reviews, in which the actor portrayed Jackie Presser. His hero amazes the audience with his cruelty and authoritarianism.
Comedy roles are also superbly successful for a talented actor. Proof of this can serve as a picture of "Tommy’s Praise". 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 an excellent job with the image of Romeo's father, becoming Leonardo DiCaprio's screen dad.
New century
Filming in the drama "The Death of a Salesman" is one of the main achievements of the American actor. Dennehy played a key role in this tape, playing a loser Willy Loman. His character loses his job, gets into debt, which significantly complicates the life of his family. All this makes Willy take her own life, because thanks to this, his family will be able to get insurance and start life anew. The son, struck by the death of his father, decides to abandon his plans and continue the work of his life - to become a traveling salesman.
Of course, "The Death of the Salesman" is far from the only bright film 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 again swam into the wrong hands.
In the detective "Attack on the 13th plot," 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 painting "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 on his account. However, permanent employment did not prevent the star from marrying twice. Judith Sheff, whose marriage he spent about 15 years, became his first choice. The reasons for the separation of the celebrity from the 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 today. Brian has two daughters, Kathleen and Elizabeth, are also trying to succeed in the movie world.
Interesting Facts
Few people know that Dennehy adopted two children, Sarah and Cormac, who had already become 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 outward similarity of the two actors often became the cause of funny situations. Dennehy has long ceased to pay attention to such incidents.