Prolific Actor Charles Durning Dies

Character actor and Golden Globe winner Charles Durning passed away on Christmas Eve. He was 89.

You might recognize the man from a variety of movies and television shows. He has appeared in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” “One Fine Day,” “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “Tootsie,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” and “The Sting.”

Durning may have shown up just about everywhere in Hollywood, but he had a little-known but fascinating life before he entered acting. From a large family of ten children, Durning experienced loss at an early age. His father died when Durning was 12, and five of his sisters were lost to smallpox.

Durning was also a WW II veteran. He took part in the D-Day invasion and the only member of his unit to survive. He was bayoneted by a German soldier, who he bludgeoned to death with a rock. He also participated in the Battle of the Bulge, and was one of the few survivors of the Malmedy massacre.

Durning also won a Silver Star for valor, and three Purple Hearts. He spend months in hospitals after suffering from gunshot and shrapnel wounds.

Durning attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, but was dismissed after a year. He was invited to audition for the Public Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival, and gradually worked his way into television and film. “The Sting” is often considered his big break.

He was also a dance instructor. Durning actually met his wife, Carol, at the dance studio where both worked.

Durning leaves behind three children from his first marriage.

Our condolences to family, friends, and fans of the great actor.