Who Revealed the Death of ‘9 to 5’ Star Dabney Coleman? Discussing Coleman’s Life Achievements!

By David Hill On May 18, 2024

Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who played smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the cruel TV director in “Tootsie,” has died. He was 92.

Coleman died Thursday at his Santa Monica home, according to his daughter, Quincy Coleman, who spoke with The Associated Press. She stated that he “took his last earthly breath peacefully and exquisitely.”

Coleman worked as a talented but underappreciated actor in films and television shows for two decades. That changed dramatically in 1976, when he was cast as the incorrigibly corrupt mayor of Fernwood’s hamlet in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” a satire soap opera so outrageous that no network would air it.

Coleman’s Death Was Confirmed by His Daughter Quincy Coleman

Coleman’s daughter Quincy Coleman verified his passing Thursday afternoon, stating that he passed away “peacefully and exquisitely” at home.

“She said in a statement obtained by The Times, ‘My father crafted his time 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.'” “He executed this final act of his life with grace, prowess, and mastery as he lived.

“Being a teacher, a hero, and a king, Dabney Coleman is a blessing and a blessing in life and in death, as his enduring spirit will continue to illuminate his legacy, his loved ones, and his work… in perpetuity.” The cause of the demise was not specified.

Discussing the Life of Dabney Coleman

The actor was born on January 3, 1932, in Austin, Texas, to Melvin Randolph Coleman and Mary Wharton. He was the youngest of four children and was raised by his mother when his father died of pneumonia when he was four. He grew up in Corpus Christi.

Coleman, who studied at the Virginia Military Institute, joined the United States Army in Europe in 1953 and, as an ardent tennis player, played for the Army tennis team during his two-year posting there.

He attended the University of Texas, where he studied law and met his first wife, Ann Harrell. Through her, he met actor Zachary Scott, who pushed him to drop out of college and pursue acting, a job he acknowledges he discovered “late in life.” Coleman and Harrell married in 1957, but divorced in 1959.

Coleman and his second wife, Jean Hale, got married in 1961. They moved to Los Angeles, where he began making regular appearances on television shows including “Naked City” and “The Outer Limits.”

In the 1970s, he had major roles on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” as well as in the feature films “Downhill Racer” and “The Towering Inferno.” But his career as a funny cad took off in 1980, when he secured the role of the “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” Franklin Hart Jr. in Colin Higgins’ radical feminist comedy, “9 to 5.” Coleman stated that he always had “more fun playing bad guys” and enjoyed the “rottenness” of his chauvinistic role.