Charles Durning Biography

Birthday: 1923-02-28
Place of Birth: Highland Falls, New York
Height: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Wiki Biography: Ex-pro boxer, WWII veteran, dance instructor and diversely talented stage & screen actor are all inclusions on the resume of this perpetually busy US actor who didn't get in front of the cameras until around the time of his fortieth birthday ! The stockily built Charles Durning is one of Hollywood's most dependable and sought after supporting actors who first got his start in guest appearances in early 1960's TV shows. He scored minor roles over the next decade until he really got noticed by film fans as the sneering, corrupt cop "Lt. Snyder" hassling street grifter 'Robert Redford' in the multi award winning mega-hit The Sting (1973). Durning was equally entertaining in the Billy Wilder production of The Front Page (1974), he supported screen tough guy Charles Bronson in the suspenseful western Breakheart Pass (1975) and featured as "Spermwhale Whalen" in the story of unorthodox police behavior in The Choirboys (1977).
The versatile Durning is equally adept at comedic roles and demonstrated his skills as "Doc Hopper" in The Muppet Movie (1979), a feisty football coach in North Dallas Forty (1979), a highly strung police officer berating maverick cop Burt Reynolds in Sharky's Machine (1981), and a light footed, dancing Governor (alongside Burt Reynolds once more) in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). Durning continued a regular on screen association with Burt Reynolds appearing in several more feature films together and as "Dr. Harlan Elldridge" in the highly popular TV series "Evening Shade" (1990). On par with his multitude of feature film roles, Durning has always been in high demand on television and has guest starred in "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1996), "Monk" (2002) and "Rescue Me" (2004). Plus, he has appeared in the role of "Santa Claus" in five different telemovies!
Charles DurningPhotos & Pictures






Filmography
TV Title | Appeared As | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
The Front Page | 1974 | Comedy | |
Captains and the Kings | 1976 | Drama | |
Starting Over | 1979 | Comedy | |
True Confessions | 1981 | Crime | |
Two of a Kind | 1983 | Comedy | |
Amazing Stories | 1985 - 1987 | Adventure | |
Evening Shade | Dr. Harlan Elldridge | 1990 - 1994 | Comedy |
Home For The Holidays | Henry Larson | 1995 | Comedy |
One Fine Day! | Lew | 1996 | Comedy |
Orleans | Frank Vitelli | 1997 - 1997 | |
Now and Again | 1999 | Adventure | |
First Monday | Justice Henry Hoskins | 2002 | Drama |
Stephen King's Desperation | Tom Billingsley | 2006 - 2006 | |
Hard Time | Det. Charlie Duffy | 2009 | Action |
Royal Marines: Mission Afghanistan | Det. Charlie Duffy | 2011 | |
Twist Of Fate | Charlie | 2011 |
Movies Title | Appeared As | Year | Genre |
---|---|---|---|
Hi, Mom! | 1970 | ||
The Front Page | 1974 | Biography, 0 | |
The Sting | Lt. Wm. Snyder | 1974 | Comedy, Crime, Drama |
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom | 1975 | Romance, Drama | |
Dog Day Afternoon | Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti | 1975 | Crime, Drama |
The Hindenburg | 1975 | Adventure, Drama, History | |
Harry And Walter Go To New York | 1976 | Crime, Comedy | |
Twilight's Last Gleaming | President David Stevens | 1977 | |
The Greek Tycoon | 1978 | Drama | |
The Muppet Movie | Doc Hopper | 1979 | 0, 0, 0 |
Starting Over | 1979 | 0 | |
North Dallas Forty | 1979 | Comedy, Drama, Sport | |
Lakeboat | 1980 | ||
The Final Countdown | Sen. Samuel Chapman | 1980 | 0, Sport |
Crisis at Central High | 1981 | Drama, History | |
True Confessions | 1981 | Crime, Drama | |
Tootsie | 1982 | 0 | |
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | 1982 | Comedy, Musical | |
Two of a Kind | 1983 | Comedy, Romance, Fantasy | |
Mass Appeal | Monsignor Thomas Burke | 1984 | Drama |
The Man with One Red Shoe | 1985 | Comedy, Thriller | |
Stand Alone | Louis Thibadeau | 1985 | Action, Drama |
Death of a Salesman | 1985 | Drama | |
Amazing Stories | 1985 | Adventure, Fantasy, Horror | |
Tough Guys | Deke Yablonski | 1986 | Comedy |
Big Trouble | O'Mara | 1986 | Comedy |
Where the River Runs Black | Father O'Reilly | 1986 | Adventure |
Solarbabies: | 1986 | Action, Drama, Sci Fi | |
Hadley's Rebellion | Sam Crawford | 1987 | Drama |
Cop | 1988 | ||
A Tiger's Tale | Charlie Drumm | 1988 | Comedy, Drama |
Far North | Bertrum | 1988 | Drama |
Étoile | Uncle Joshua | 1989 | Fantasy, Romance, Thriller |
The Rosary Murders | 1989 | Crime, Drama, Mystery | |
Cat Chaser | Jiggs Scully | 1989 | Crime, Thriller |
The Butter Battle Book | 1989 | Animation, Family | |
Fatal Sky | Colonel Clancy | 1990 | Action |
V.I. Warshawski | Lt. Mallory | 1991 | Game Show, 0, 0 |
Brenda Starr | 1992 | Adventure, Comedy, Romance | |
The Water Engine | 1992 | Drama | |
When a Stranger Calls Back | John Clifford | 1993 | Horror, Thriller |
The Music of Chance | 1993 | Drama | |
The Hudsucker Proxy | Waring Hudsucker | 1994 | 0 |
I.Q. | 1994 | Comedy, Romance | |
Home for the Holidays | Henry Larson | 1995 | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
Elmo Saves Christmas | Santa Claus | 1996 | |
Spy Hard | 1996 | Comedy, Action | |
The Grass Harp | Reverend Buster | 1996 | Drama, Comedy |
Mrs. Santa Claus | Santa | 1996 | |
The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists | 1996 | Animation, Adventure, Family | |
One Fine Day | Lew | 1996 | Comedy, Romance |
Shelter | Capt. Robert Landis | 1998 | Action, Thriller |
Hi-Life | Fatty | 1998 | Comedy, Romance |
Jerry and Tom | Vic | 1998 | Comedy, Crime, Drama |
State and Main | 2000 | 0 | |
O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Pappy O'Daniel | 2000 | 0, 0, Comedy |
Very Mean Men | Paddy Mulroney | 2000 | Comedy, Crime |
The Last Producer | Syd Wolf | 2001 | Drama |
L.A.P.D.: To Protect and to Serve | Stuart Steele | 2001 | Crime, Drama, Action |
Turn of Faith | Philly Russo | 2002 | Crime, Drama |
Mother Ghost | George | 2002 | Comedy, Drama |
Dead Canaries | Jimmy Kerrigan | 2003 | Crime |
Death and Texas | Marshall Ledger | 2004 | |
River's End | Murray Blythe | 2005 | Action, Adventure, Crime |
Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story | Frank McNally | 2005 | Drama |
Descansos | Inkeeper #2 | 2006 | Drama, Thriller |
One Last Ride | Mr. Orlick | 2006 | Drama |
Jesus, Mary and Joey | Teddy the Bartender | 2006 | Comedy, Romance |
Desperation | Tom Billingsley | 2006 | Drama, Fantasy, Horror |
Dirty Deeds | Victor Rasdale | 2006 | Comedy |
Forget About It | 2006 | Comedy, Drama | |
The L.A. Riot Spectacular | 2006 | Comedy | |
The Golden Boys | John Bartlett | 2007 | Comedy, Romance |
Good Dick | Charlie | 2008 | 0, 0 |
Pride & Loyalty | Dylan Frier | 2008 | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
Break | The Wise Man | 2008 | Action, Crime, Drama |
Deal | Charlie Adler | 2008 | Drama |
iMurders | Dr. Seamus St. Martin | 2008 | Crime, Drama, Horror |
A Bunch of Amateurs | Charlie Rosenberg | 2009 | Comedy |
Unbeatable Harold | Harold's Father | 2009 | Comedy, Romance |
Local Color | Yammi | 2009 | Drama |
Three Chris's | Kris Kringle | 2010 | Comedy |
An Affirmative Act | Man in the White Suit | 2010 | 0, Game Show |
The Life Zone | James Wise | 2011 | Game Show |
Naked Run | Congressman Davenport | 2011 | Comedy |
Rogue Assassin | Frank Maro | 2012 | Action |
Whistleblowers: The Untold Stories | Himself - Witness in the Julia Davis case | 2013 | Biography, Crime, History |
The Great Fight | Judge Frier | 2013 | Drama |
Captured Hearts | Santa Claus | 2013 | Horror |
Scavenger Killers | Dylan Frier | 2013 | Horror |
Fury | Dr. Jim McKeever | 2014 | Romance, 0 |
Happy New Year | Charlie | 2014 | 0, Comedy |
The Waiter | 2015 | ||
Polycarp | Alexander Hathaway | 2015 | |
The Fury | Dr. Jim McKeever | 2016 | |
The Last Supper | 2017 |