Veteran American actor Brian Dennehy has passed away aged 81 at his home in New Haven, Connecticut, his family have announced.
“It is with heavy hearts we announce that our father, Brian passed away last night from natural causes, not Covid-related,” announced Brian’s daughter Elizabeth Dennehy. “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.”
Making his acting debut in 1977, Dennehy first rose to prominence with his role in 1982’s First Blood, where he portrayed the character of as Sheriff Will Teasle, antagonist to Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo.
He would go on to star in films such as Silverado, Cocoon, F/X, Presumed Innocent, Tommy Boy, Romeo + Juliet, as well as a host of TV movies and series including the 2000 adaptation of Death of a Salesmen, for which he received a Golden Globe Award (the previous year, he won the Tony Award for his Broadway performance of the Arthur Miller classic, and would receive a second Tony in 2003 for Long Day’s Journey Into Night).
