If you’re of a certain age, you can probably name a half dozen movies Coleman was in, probably from the 80s and 90s when it seemed like he was in everything. War Games, 9 to 5, Tootsie - my personal favorite, Modern Problems. Did a lot of TV too, I was a big fan of his Slap Maxwell show, where he played a sportswriter who didn’t quite fit in with the times. He was just ubiquitous and always made an impression as an amazing character actor.
Cloak & Dagger was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. RIP, Jack Flack.
I was just about to type the same thing! Action Hero/Normal Dad Jack Flack. 92 is a good run. Thanks for everything, Mr. Coleman.
I like the Hollywood Reporter version:
One, for this deft description:
a knack for portraying characters who had none
But also this
When he wasn’t working, Coleman invariably could be found at Dan Tana’s in West Hollywood, where a hefty New York steak is named for him. “I presume it’s to do with the fact that I ordered the damned thing five times a week for about 15 years,” he said in his A.V. Club chat.
Definitely true, as I did meet him once at Dan Tana’s, and yes, it’s a fantastic steak!
RIP. I also watched the hell out of Cloak & Dagger. Also in one of the best car chase scenes of all time.
I watched so many movies with him as a kid. 9 to 5, Wargames, Cloak and Dagger, Modern Problems and so on. He was a huge part of my childhood. RIP, sir.
Oh man. Loved him in just about everything. He even played a great murderer in Columbo.
Whoa. Total HBO flashback right now.
Oh my god. I’d totally forgotten about that one, but I watched that a bunch as a kid.
Fuck yeah, same.
Oh ye gods yes, so good.
The fact that Buffalo Bill isn’t available for streaming is either a first world problem or one of the great crimes against humanity.
You decide.
RIP
Coleman was a wonderful actor, and just lit up everything he participated in, right up to his most authoritarian jerky jerk. He was just a treat.
And now I’m going to say that Cloak & Dagger is an underrated, and perhaps forgotten, 80s gem. It’s got Spielbergian sensibilities (even though the director isn’t on that level) and a really fun plot. Thomas was a very good child actor and Coleman is just so much fun in that movie. And it’s got a great father/son dynamic and story.
And Modern Problems, man I haven’t thought about that one in years. Oh I watched it a zillion times on HBO.
He had so many great roles but I will always have a special place in my heart for those two movies and his place in them. C&D especially.
Watching Rolling Thunder this weekend. Maybe tonight. And I haven’t seen 9 to 5 in awhile. You just love hating him in that movie.
Right? The best foils for Columbo had the smarmy shit-eating confidence of someone who thinks they’ve gotten away with it which slowly turns into the increasing nervous realization that this disheveled annoying jackass cop is unraveling all the clues despite the murderer’s best efforts. Coleman’s cuckold husband character was perfect for that format. His incredulity as Columbo kept finding simple clues was awesome.
It’s unfortunate that his episode is in one of the commonly acknowledged lesser seasons of the 90’s and the mystery itself is pretty dumb, but Coleman is great.
My favorite murderers on Columbo are the ones that slowly unravel as they realize Columbo is basically getting closer to figuring things out.
He almost always played a prick, but he was just so good at it…
He was pretty much unrecognizable there near the end.
If he didn’t have a plaque in front of him, I’d probably never have guessed it was him.
He was great in The Man With One Red Shoe!
Just a few days ago my wife had “You’ve Got Mail” on TV and as i walked past the living room, I commented to her on how I forgot Dabney Coleman was in that.
Such a great actor. RIP
My friends and I used to joke about how Tom Skerritt was the ubiquitous actor. Turns out we were wrong.
He definitely had a great run in the early 1980s: 9 to 5, On Golden Pond, Tootsie, Wargames, etc.