More Dabney Coleman Bios & Profiles
The most recent Dabney Coleman biography is published on the main page.
Biography #2
Dabney Coleman was born in Austin, Texas. After graduating from the University of Texas, he became a member of the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School Theatre between 1958 and 1960. His career as an actor in television began in the early 1970s with acclaimed performances in such productions as I Love My Wife, Dying Room Only, The President's Plane Is Missing and Savage.In 1974, he won the role of Dave McCoy in the feature film adaptation of Jill Kinmont's autobiography The Other Side of the Mountain. In 1976 Coleman was cast as Merle Jeeter on the now-legendary soup opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. He continued his role in the series spin-off Forever Fernwood.
In addition to numerous roles in episodic television, Coleman was seen in the comedy miniseries Fresno, starring Carol Burnett. He also starred as Otis Drexell in the series Drexell's Class and Jack Madman Buckner in Madman of the People, and starred as the title characters in Buffalo Bill and The ‘Slap' Maxwell Story. For the latter performance he won the Golden Globe Award. He also won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Marty Costigan in the made-for-television movie, Sworn to Silence.
In feature films, Coleman was cast as the venomous boss to Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton in the 1980 comedy hit 9 to 5. He followed this with memorable performances in such films as Melvin and Howard, On Golden Pond, Young Doctors in Love, Tootsie, WarGames, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Man With One Red Shoe, Cloak and Dagger, Dragnet and Amos and Andrew.
More recently he appeared as Mr. Drysdale in the feature film The Beverly Hillbillies and with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in the hit, You've Got Mail. This Christmas he will be seen in the film Stuart Little and the television special, Must be Santa.
Bio courtesy Disney (01-Jan-2000)