Image of Charles Durning

Charles Durning

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 television movies.


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Born:
Feb 28, 1923 In Highland Falls, New York, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
182
First Appeared:
In the series Attica
Latest Project:
Movie Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age 2021-08-14
Known For
Poster of Jesus, Mary and Joey
Poster of Evening Shade
Poster of Hadley's Rebellion
Poster of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Filmography
Series Attica Unknown 2025
Series Normandy: The Great Crusade Unknown 2025
Movie Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age Self 2021-08-14
Movie LA DA Story Himself (archive footage) 2018-01-01
Movie Bleeding Hearts Santa Claus 2015-02-03
Movie Scavenger Killers Dylan Frier 2013-06-01
Movie Rogue Assassin 2012-01-01
Movie Top Priority: The Terror Within Himself - Academy Award Nominated Actor (archive footage) 2012-06-15
Movie The Life Zone James Wise 2011-06-10
Movie Naked Run Congressman Davenport 2011-05-05
Movie The Great Fight Judge Frier 2011-06-05
Movie The Waiter Frank 'The Handler' Maro 2010-03-14
Movie An Affirmative Act Man in the White Suit 2010-06-04
Movie Break The Wise Man 2009-05-01
Movie The Golden Boys John Bartlett 2008-12-11
Movie Deal Charlie Adler 2008-01-29
Movie A Bunch of Amateurs Charlie Rosenberg 2008-11-17
Movie iMurders Dr. Seamus St. Martin 2008-08-09
Movie Good Dick Charlie 2008-10-03
Movie Kinky Killers Alexander Hathaway 2007-06-01
Movie Jesus, Mary and Joey Teddy 2006-01-01
Movie The Making of 'Dog Day Afternoon' Self 2006-02-28
Movie Unbeatable Harold Harold's Father 2006-01-01
Movie Desperation Tom Billingsley 2006-05-23
Movie Miracle Dogs Too Captain Pete Weaver 2006-04-01
Movie Local Color Yammi 2006-09-19
Movie Forget About It Eddie O'Brien 2006-10-14
Movie River's End Murray Blythe 2005-01-01
Movie The L.A. Riot Spectacular The Lawyer 2005-04-25
Movie The Art of 'The Sting' Self 2005-09-06
Movie Dirty Deeds Victor Rasdale 2005-08-26
Movie The Drum Beats Twice Satan 2004-01-01
Movie The Autopsy Self 2004-12-31
Movie A Very Married Christmas Ozzy Larson 2004-12-05
Movie A Boyfriend for Christmas Santa Claus 2004-11-27
Series Rescue Me Unknown 2004-07-21
Movie Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There Self 2003-01-01
Series NCIS Unknown 2003-09-23
Series Everwood Unknown 2002-09-16
Series First Monday Justice Henry Hoskins 2002-01-15
Movie Turn of Faith Philly Russo 2002-06-05
Movie Mother Ghost George 2002-08-08
Series Monk Unknown 2002-07-12
Movie Mr. St. Nick Nicholas XX 2002-11-16
Series Citizen Baines Unknown 2001-09-29
Movie The Judge Judge Harlan Radovich 2001-05-06
Series Dinner for Five Unknown 2001-07-06
Movie A Constant Forge Self 2000-01-01
Movie Never Look Back 2000-03-31
Movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? Pappy O'Daniel 2000-08-30
Movie State and Main Mayor George Bailey 2000-08-26
Movie The Last Producer Syd Wolf 2000-08-22
Movie Lakeboat Skippy 2000-04-13
Movie Justice Moe Ryan 1999-01-14
Movie Hard Time: Hostage Hotel Det. Charlie Duffy 1999-11-14
Movie Hard Time: The Premonition Det. Charlie Duffy 1999-02-27
Movie Shelter Capt. Robert Landis 1998-01-16
Movie A Chance of Snow Earl Pulmer 1998-12-07
Movie Hard Time Det. Charlie Duffy 1998-12-12
Movie Jerry and Tom Vic 1998-12-04
Movie Hi-Life Fatty 1998-11-27
Series The Practice Unknown 1997-03-04
Series Orleans Frank Vitelli 1997-01-08
Movie The Secret Life of Algernon Norbie Hess 1997-11-15
Movie Spy Hard The Director 1996-05-24
Series Everybody Loves Raymond Unknown 1996-09-13
Series Early Edition Unknown 1996-09-28
Movie One Fine Day Lew, Jack's boss 1996-12-20
Movie Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas Santa Claus 1996-12-24
Movie Mrs. Santa Claus Santa Claus 1996-12-08
Movie The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists Archie (voice) 1996-11-01
Series Cybill Unknown 1995-01-02
Movie The Grass Harp Reverend Buster 1995-09-10
Movie The Last Supper Reverend Gerald Hutchens 1995-09-08
Movie Home for the Holidays Henry Larson 1995-11-02
Movie A Woman of Independent Means Andrew Alcott 1995-02-19
Movie The Hudsucker Proxy Waring Hudsucker 1994-03-11
Movie Roommates Barney 1994-05-30
Series Touched by an Angel Unknown 1994-09-21
Movie I.Q. Louis Bamberger 1994-12-24
Movie The World of Jim Henson Doc Hopper (archive footage) 1994-11-23
Movie In Search of Dr. Seuss (voice) (uncredited) 1994-11-06
Movie Charlie Sheen's Stunts Spectacular Self (archive footage) 1994-06-30
Movie When a Stranger Calls Back John Clifford 1993-04-04
Movie The Music of Chance Bill Flower 1993-06-23
Series Homicide: Life on the Street Unknown 1993-01-31
Movie Tales from Hollywood Charles F. Money 1992-10-18
Movie The Water Engine Tour Guide 1992-08-24
Movie The Return of Eliot Ness Roger Finn 1991-11-10
Movie V.I. Warshawski Det. Lt. Bobby Mallory 1991-07-26
Movie The Story Lady Judge (uncredited) 1991-12-09
Series The Kennedys of Massachusetts John F. Fitzgerald 1990-02-18
Series Evening Shade Harlan Elldridge 1990-09-21
Movie Dick Tracy Chief Brandon 1990-04-05
Movie Project Alien 1990-12-21
Movie Dinner at Eight Dan Packard 1989-12-11
Movie Etoile Uncle Joshua 1989-03-17
Movie Brenda Starr Editor Francis I. Livright 1989-05-15
Movie It Nearly Wasn't Christmas Santa 1989-12-01
Movie The Butter Battle Book Grandfather (voice) 1989-11-13
Movie Cat Chaser Jiggs Scully 1989-09-13
Movie Cop Dutch Peltz 1988-02-05
Movie Far North Bertrum 1988-11-09
Movie Unholy Matrimony Reverend Samuel Corey 1988-10-03
Movie Case Closed Les Kabowski 1988-04-19
Movie A Tiger's Tale Charlie Drumm 1988-02-12
Movie Happy New Year Charlie 1987-08-07
Movie The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues Senator Henry Colton 1987-11-22
Movie The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains Warden Hardy 1987-10-31
Movie The Rosary Murders Father Ted Nabors 1987-08-28
Movie Where the River Runs Black Father O'Reilly 1986-09-19
Movie Solarbabies The Warden 1986-11-26
Movie Tough Guys Deke Yablonski 1986-10-03
Movie Big Trouble O'Mara 1986-05-30
Series Eye to Eye 1985-03-21
Movie Stick Chucky 1985-04-26
Movie Night of 100 Stars II Self 1985-03-10
Movie Death of a Salesman Charley 1985-08-16
Movie The Man with One Red Shoe Ross 1985-07-18
Series Tall Tales & Legends Uncle Doffue 1985-09-25
Series Amazing Stories Unknown 1985-09-29
Movie Stand Alone Louis Thibadeau 1985-09-01
Movie Mister Roberts The Captain 1984-03-18
Movie Mass Appeal Monsignor Thomas Burke 1984-12-14
Movie Hadley's Rebellion Sam Crawford 1983-09-30
Movie To Be or Not to Be Col. Erhardt 1983-12-16
Movie Two of a Kind Charlie 1983-12-13
Movie Scarface Immigration Officer (voice) (uncredited) 1983-12-09
Movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Governor of Texas 1982-07-23
Movie Working Retired Man 1982-04-13
Movie Tootsie Les Nichols 1982-12-17
Movie Crisis at Central High Jess Matthews 1981-02-04
Movie Sharky's Machine Lt. Friscoe 1981-12-18
Movie The Best Little Girl in the World Frank Powell 1981-05-11
Movie Dark Night of the Scarecrow Otis P. Hazelrigg 1981-10-24
Movie True Confessions Jack Amsterdam 1981-09-25
Movie The Girls in Their Summer Dresses and Other Stories McMahon 1981-06-01
Movie The Final Countdown Senator Samuel Chapman 1980-01-31
Movie Attica Commissioner Russell Oswald 1980-03-02
Movie A Perfect Match Bill Larson 1980-10-05
Movie Die Laughing Arnold 1980-04-01
Series Studs Lonigan Paddy Lonigan 1979-03-07
Movie Starting Over Michael "Mickey" Potter 1979-10-05
Movie Tilt Harold 'The Whale' Remmens 1979-04-01
Movie The Muppets Go Hollywood Self 1979-05-16
Movie When a Stranger Calls John Clifford 1979-09-28
Movie The Muppet Movie Doc Hopper 1979-06-22
Movie North Dallas Forty Coach Johnson 1979-08-03
Movie An Enemy of the People Peter Stockmann 1978-03-17
Movie The Greek Tycoon Michael Russell 1978-05-12
Movie The Fury Dr. Jim McKeever 1978-03-10
Movie Twilight's Last Gleaming President David T. Stevens 1977-02-09
Movie The Choirboys Spermwhale Whalen 1977-12-23
Movie Harry and Walter Go to New York Rufus T. Crisp 1976-06-17
Series Captains and the Kings Ed Healey 1976-09-30
Movie The Trial of Chaplain Jensen Budd Rogers 1975-02-11
Series Baretta Unknown 1975-01-17
Movie Dog Day Afternoon Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti 1975-09-21
Movie The Hindenburg Captain Pruss 1975-12-25
Movie Breakheart Pass Frank O'Brien 1975-12-09
Series The Cop and the Kid 1975-12-04
Movie Queen of the Stardust Ballroom Al Green 1975-02-13
Movie The Front Page Murphy 1974-11-01
Movie The Connection Frank Devlin 1973-02-27
Movie The Sting Lt. Wm. Snyder 1973-12-25
Movie Sisters Joseph Larch 1972-11-18
Movie Look Homeward, Angel Will Pentland 1972-01-01
Movie Doomsday Voyage Jason's First Mate 1972-02-01
Movie Deadhead Miles Truck Driver in Cafe 1972-08-08
Movie Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Murphy 1972-02-25
Movie The Pursuit of Happiness 2nd Guard 1971-02-23
Series Cannon Unknown 1971-09-14
Series All in the Family Unknown 1971-01-12
Movie Hi, Mom! Superintendent 1970-04-27
Movie I Walk the Line Wylie Hunnicutt 1970-11-18
Movie Stiletto Cop (uncredited) 1969-07-30
Series Hawaii Five-O Unknown 1968-09-20
Series The High Chaparral Unknown 1967-09-10
Movie Harvey Middleman, Fireman Dooley 1965-07-12
Series Another World 1964-05-04
Movie The Password Is Courage American Solider (uncredited) 1962-06-01
Series Hallmark Hall of Fame Unknown 1951-12-24