
Brian Dennehy
Brian Manion Dennehy (July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of film, stage, and television. His breakthrough film role was as the overzealous sheriff Will Teasle in First Blood (1982). Typically a character actor, Dennehy displayed versatility in varying and often complex roles ranging from villainous (such as a corrupt sheriff in the 1985 western Silverado) to virtuous (such as a benevolent alien leader in Cocoon, also released in 1985). Other notable films featuring Dennehy include Gorky Park (1983), Never Cry Wolf (1983), Legal Eagles (1986), F/X (1986), Tommy Boy (1995), Romeo + Juliet (1996), and Ratatouille (2007).
A prominent figure in the theater world (especially in Chicago), Dennehy won two Tony Awards for Best Lead Actor, for Death of a Salesman (1999) and Long Day's Journey into Night (2003). He starred in numerous television films and miniseries, garnering six Emmy Award nominations, and had memorable supporting and guest roles in many series including Just Shoot Me, The Good Wife, and The Blacklist.
70Credits40 TV · 30 films
1972–2020Years activefirst to latest
10.0 Highest ratedFounding Brothers
7.5 Average ratingacross 70 titles
Top TV shows 40best Brian Dennehy shows
- 1
Founding Brothers2 eps · 2002 - 2
Category 6: Day of DestructionAndy Goodman · 2 eps · 2004 - 3
The West WingRafe Framingham · 1 ep · 1999 - 4
E! True Hollywood Story2 eps · 1996 - 5
Faerie Tale TheatreKing Neptune / Narrator (voice) · 1 ep · 1982 - 6
Founding FathersGeorge Washington (voice) · 4 eps · 2000 - 7
Blood FeudEdward Grady Partin · 2 eps · 1983 - 8
A Rumor of WarSgt. Ned Coleman · 2 eps · 1980 - 9
LucanFisher · 1 ep · 1977 - 10
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJudson Tierney · 1 ep · 1999 - 11
M*A*S*HM.P. Ernie Connors · 1 ep · 1972 - 12
Rizzoli & IslesRet. Det. Kenny Leahy · 1 ep · 2010 - 13
The BlacklistDominic Wilkinson · 9 eps · 2013 - 14
Animated Tales of the WorldCaptain (voice) · 1 ep · 2001 - 15
The Good WifeBucky Stabler · 2 eps · 2009 - 16
Murder in the HeartlandJohn McArthur · 2 eps · 1993 - 17
Miami ViceReverend Billy Bob Proverb · 1 ep · 1984 - 18
The FitzpatricksCoach Hatfield · 1 ep · 1977 - 19
30 RockMickey J · 1 ep · 2006 - 20
The Last Place on EarthFrederick Cook · 2 eps · 1985 - 21
To Catch a KillerJohn Wayne Gacy · 2 eps · 1992 - 22
Lou GrantWilson · 1 ep · 1977 - 23
The Big CDad · 1 ep · 2010 - 24
DarkroomRoland · 1 ep · 1981 - 25
KojakPeter Connor · 1 ep · 1973 - 26
The 4400Mitch Baldwin · 1 ep · 2004 - 27
Screen TwoJames Boyce · 1 ep · 1985 - 28
Night VisionsCamper Ben (segment "Quiet, Please") · 1 ep · 2001 - 29
Rules of EngagementRoy · 1 ep · 2007 - 30
HunterDr. Bolin · 1 ep · 1984 - 31
Big Shamus, Little ShamusArnie Sutter · 10 eps · 1979 - 32
Cagney & LaceyMichael Magruder · 1 ep · 1982 - 33
PlayhouseGrimmet · 1 ep · 1974 - 34
The AgencyJames Graydon · 1 ep · 2001 - 35
Knots LandingJames Cargill · 1 ep · 1979 - 36
Hap and LeonardSheriff Valentine Otis · 2 eps · 2016 - 37
Public MoralsJoe Patton · 7 eps · 2015 - 38
DallasLuther Frick · 1 ep · 1978 - 39
Penny Dreadful: City of AngelsJerome Townsend · 1 ep · 2020 - 40
Marco PoloKublai Khan · 2 eps · 2007
Top movies 30best Brian Dennehy movies
- 1
American ValorNarrator · 2003 - 2
DummyRagoti · 1979 - 3
Death of a SalesmanWilly Loman · 2000 - 4
SirensLt. Denby · 1999 - 5
Ruby and OswaldGeorge Paulsen · 1978 - 6
War Eagle, ArkansasPop, Enochs Father · 2007 - 7
Annie OakleyBuffalo Bill · 1985 - 8
Code Yellow: Hospital at Ground ZeroNarrator · 2002 - 9
RatatouilleDjango (voice) · 2007 · Animation - 10
GladiatorJimmy Horn · 1992 - 11
The Ultimate GiftGus · 2007 - 12
The ExoneratedGary Gauger · 2006 - 13
First BloodHope Sheriff Will Teasle · 1982 · Action - 14
The Challenger DisasterRogers · 2013 - 15
Perfect WitnessJames Falcon · 1989 - 16
Seven MinutesWagner · 1989 - 17
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam(voice) · 1987 - 18
The Next Three DaysGeorge Brennan · 2010 · Romance - 19
Never Cry WolfRosie · 1983 - 20
A Season in PurgatoryGerald Bradley · 1996 - 21
A Father's RevengePaul Hobart · 1988 - 22
Foreign AffairsChuck Mumpson · 1993 - 23
Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil StoryJohn O'Neil · 1979 - 24
The Diamond FleeceInspector Outlaw · 1992 - 25
Making 'The Misfits'Narrator · 2002 - 26
Pride and Extreme PrejudiceBruno Morenz · 1990 - 27
Zebras: Patterns in the GrassNarrator (voice) · 1991 - 28
SilveradoCobb · 1985 - 29
DrivewaysDel · 2020 - 30
Romeo + JulietTed Montague · 1996 · Drama