He appeared in John Frankenheimer's I Walk the Line (1970) starring Gregory Peck, and three Brian De Palma movies: Hi, Mom! (1970, as Charles Durnham), Sisters (1973), and The Fury (1978). He made his film debut in 1965, appearing in Harvey Middleman, Fireman. And then you'd do three to six plays every year down on Lafayette Street – new plays by new writers: Sam Shepard, David Mamet, David Rabe, John Ford Noonan, Jason Miller."ĭuring this period, he segued into television and movies. We would do three plays in Central Park for the summer. You were getting a salary for performance plus a rehearsal salary. "I had no money at all, and he didn't pay much. "That time in my life was my best time," Durning told Pittsburgh's Post Gazette in 2001. Beginning in 1961, he appeared in 35 plays as part of the Shakespeare Festival. Subsequently, he performed in roughly 50 stock company productions and in various off-Broadway plays, eventually attracting the attention of Joseph Papp, founder of The Public Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival. While working as an usher in a burlesque theatre, he was hired to replace a drunken actor on stage. While pursuing an acting career, Durning, a professional ballroom dancer, taught at Fred Astaire Dance Studio in New York City.ĭurning began his career in 1951. JSTOR ( December 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification. ĭurning received the French National Order of the Legion of Honor from the French Consul in Los Angeles in April 2008. His badges included the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Badge with Rifle Bar, and Honorable Service Lapel Pin. Additional awards included the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Arrowhead device and two bronze service stars, and the World War II Victory Medal. įor his valor and the wounds he received during the war, Durning was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. He was discharged with the rank of private first class on January 30, 1946. Durning was reassigned to the 398th Infantry Regiment with the 100th Infantry Division, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. After being wounded by a German anti-personnel mine in the Bocage, he spent six months recovering. On June 6, 1944, Durning was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division and was in one of the first waves of American troops that landed on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Military service ĭurning served in the U.S. His three brothers – James (known as Roger, 1915–2000), Clifford (1916–1994), and Gerald (1926–2000) – and his sister Frances (1918–2006) survived to adulthood, but five sisters died from scarlet fever and smallpox as children. His father was an Irish immigrant, and his mother was also of Irish descent. He was the son of Louise (née Leonard 1894–1982), a laundress at West Point, and James E. Prior to his acting career, Durning served in World War II and was decorated for valor in combat.ĭurning was born in Highland Falls, New York. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for both The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and To Be or Not to Be (1983). Durning's best-known films include The Sting (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Muppet Movie (1979), True Confessions (1981), Tootsie (1982), Dick Tracy (1990), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).
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