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Charles John Mahoney (June 20, 1940 – February 4, 2018) was an English-American actor. He played retired police officer Martin Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier from 1993 to 2004, receiving nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
After moving from England to the United States, Mahoney began his career in Chicago as a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He earned the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the 1986 Broadway theatre revival of John Guare's The House of Blue Leaves, and went on to achieve wider recognition for his roles in the films Suspect and Moonstruck (both 1987). Other credits included Tin Men (1987), Frantic, Eight Men Out (both 1988), Say Anything... (1989), Barton Fink (1991), Striking Distance, In the Line of Fire (both 1993), Reality Bites (1994), The American President (1995), Primal Fear (1996), and The Broken Hearts Club (2000). He also voiced roles in animated films such as Antz (1998), The Iron Giant (1999), and (2001).
After the war, the family moved back to Manchester, where Mahoney grew up in the suburb of Withington and discovered acting at the Stretford Children's Theatre. His parents' marriage was not happy. They would not speak to each other for long periods of time—and when they did, it often led to heated arguments. The family situation, combined with the war, fueled Mahoney's interest in acting and he vowed to leave Manchester.
Mahoney moved to the United States aged 18 in 1959 when his older sister Vera (a war bride living in rural Illinois, where he had visited in 1951) agreed to sponsor him. He studied at Quincy University before joining the United States Army. After graduating from Quincy, he lived in Macomb, Illinois, and earned his master's degree in English from Western Illinois University, where he went on to teach English in the late 1960s before settling in Forest Park, Illinois, and later in Oak Park, Illinois. He became a U.S. citizen in 1971Northern District, Illinois, Naturalization Index, 1926-1979. Name: Charles John Mahoney
Age: 31
Birth Year: 1940
Naturalization Year: 1971
Naturalization Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA and served as an associate editor of the Quality Review Bulletin medical journal through much of the late 1970s.Matthew Dessem (2018) "Actor John Mahoney Has Died at 77" , Slate, February 6, 2018; accessed February 7, 2018.
Mahoney made a concerted effort to lose his English accent after joining the U.S. Army, not wanting to "stand out" in his new adopted country. He spoke with an American accent for the rest of his life.
Mahoney's first major film roles both came in 1987, in Barry Levinson's Tin Men and in Peter Yates' Suspect, a courtroom drama/mystery starring Cher, Dennis Quaid, and Liam Neeson. In the next decade, he had prominent roles in many acclaimed films including the John Patrick Shanley romantic comedy film Moonstruck (1987) starring Nicolas Cage and Cher. In 1988, Mahoney portrayed Kid Gleason in the sports drama Eight Men Out, and the following year portrayed the protective father in the Cameron Crowe teen coming of age film Say Anything... (1989). He portrayed Secret Service Director Sam Campagna in the Wolfgang Petersen directed drama In the Line of Fire (1993), Grant Gubler in Ben Stiller's romance film Reality Bites (1994), environmental lobbyist Leo Solomon in Rob Reiner's political romance film The American President (1995) and John Shaughnessy in the legal mystery thriller Primal Fear (1996). He also is known for his collaboration with the Coen brothers in films such as the period black comedy Barton Fink and the screwball comedy The Hudsucker Proxy. Mahoney also played a pivotal gay role in Greg Berlanti's 2000 GLAAD Media Award-winning film .
Mahoney's first voice job was in W. B. Yeats's "The Words upon the Window-Pane" for the award-winning National Radio Theater of Chicago. He provided the voices for several characters in Antz (1998), Preston Whitmore in and , General Rogard in The Iron Giant (1999), and Papi in Kronk's New Groove (but was succeeded by Jeff Bennett in The Emperor's New School for an unknown reason). In 2007, Mahoney provided the voice of Dr. Robert Terwilliger, Sr. (Sideshow Bob's father) in The Simpsons episode "Funeral for a Fiend". This reunited him with his Frasier co-stars Kelsey Grammer (Sideshow Bob) and David Hyde Pierce (Cecil, Sideshow Bob's brother).
Mahoney joined the cast of In Treatment for the series' second season (2009) as a frenetic CEO who is overwhelmed by his personal and professional responsibilities and experiences chronic physical anxiety attacks. In 2010, he made a guest appearance on $#*! My Dad Says as Homophobia retired naval officer Lt. Commander Wally Durham.
Beginning in April 2011, Mahoney began rehearsing The Outgoing Tide, a new play by Bruce Graham at Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Illinois (suburban Chicago). The play also stars fellow Chicago actors Rondi Reed and Thom Cox. In 2011, he had two guest appearances on Hot in Cleveland as Roy, a waiter and a love interest for Betty White's character Elka. This reunited him with his Frasier co-star Jane Leeves, as well as Wendie Malick whose character he eventually married in Frasier and his co-star in the movie The American President. Mahoney was a featured ensemble cast member in The Birthday Party, playing in Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre from January 24 to April 28, 2013. His last role was in Steppenwolf's play The Rembrandt, which ran from September to November 2017.
Despite the numerous successes throughout his career, Mahoney maintained that his early work in the play Orphans has "affected people more than any other play I've ever done. I still get mail from it, I still get people stopping me on the street, and it's 20 years later."
Mahoney rarely spoke publicly about his private life, and died without marrying or having any children. In 2002, he said, "I was never very mature in my relationships with women. First sign of conflict, I was gone. Wouldn't discuss it, because I was afraid it would lead to an argument." This stemmed from a fear of having an unhappy marriage like the one his parents had, though Mahoney did previously have "several long-term relationships".
He was a Catholic who called Christianity "probably the most important facet of my life". Before each of his performances, Mahoney would pray "Most glorious blessed spirit, I thank you for all the gifts and talents that you've given me. Please help me to use all these gifts and talents to their fullest. And please accept this performance as a prayer of praise and thanks to you". He would also say prayers upon waking up and before going to sleep daily, and would repeatedly pray "Dear God, please help me to treat everybody – including myself – with love, respect, and dignity."
Career
1977–1992: Rise to prominence
Dissatisfied with his career, Mahoney took acting classes at St. Nicholas Theatre, which inspired him to resign from his day job and pursue acting full-time. After a stage production in Chicago in 1977, John Malkovich encouraged him to join the Steppenwolf Theatre. He did so and went on to win the Clarence Derwent Award as Most Promising Male Newcomer in 1986. Steppenwolf founder Gary Sinise said in an interview for Bomb Magazine that Lyle Kessler's play Orphans in 1985 "kicked John Mahoney, Kevin Anderson and Terry Kinney off into the movie business" after their Steppenwolf performance of the play for which he won the Derwent Award and the Theatre World Award. Mahoney won Broadway's Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1986 for his performance in John Guare's The House of Blue Leaves.
1993–2004: Breakthrough in Frasier
Mahoney appeared in Frasier from its debut in 1993 until the final episode in 2004. He received two Emmy Awards nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for the role of Martin Crane, the father of Frasier Crane and Niles Crane. NBC executives held Mahoney in such high esteem that Warren Littlefield declared he was pre-approved when the Frasier creative team suggested casting him as the father. Before appearing on the series, Mahoney had appeared in the episode "Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman" of Cheers – from which Frasier was a spinoff – as Sy Flembeck, an inept jingle writer who has a brief conversation with Frasier. Mahoney also appeared as a priest in Becker, which starred Cheers star Ted Danson.
2005–2018: Post-Frasier
Mahoney co-starred as the Old Man in the Broadway revival of Prelude to a Kiss at the American Airlines Theater in a limited-run engagement running from previews on February 17, 2007, through to April 29, 2007. He appeared as an elderly drag queen in the ER season 13 episode "Somebody to Love," and co-starred with Steve Carell (himself a veteran of Chicago theater) as the father of Carell's character in Dan in Real Life. In March 2008, he opened in the world premiere of Better Late at the Northlight Theatre. He was also the narrator for Midwest Airlines commercials. Mahoney also made two appearances on USA Network's Burn Notice in the second (2009) and third (2010) season finales. His character, referred to only as "Management," is a senior intelligence agency official who is the apparent main mover of the conspiracy which Michael Westen.
Personal life
Mahoney lived in Oak Park, Illinois, and suffered from colon cancer in the mid-1980s. After being successfully treated for cancer again in 2014, he credited his love of acting and desire to continue it for giving him enough determination to survive both bouts, saying in October 2017: "I refused to yield to it because I love what I'm doing so much."
Death
Mahoney died in a Chicago hospice on February 4, 2018, due to complications from throat cancer, originally diagnosed in 2014. He was 77 years old.
According to his friend Anna D. Shapiro, "He was fragile and he was supposed to be having a routine procedure. But having just beat Stage 3 throat cancer, I think he was just too weak ... By the time he did The Rembrandt he was clean of cancer ... But other health issues came up and he was just too fragile."
Filmography
Film
1981 Hudson Taylor Unknown 1982 Mission Hill Michael Doyle 1985 Code of Silence Prowler Representative 1986 The Manhattan Project Lieutenant Colonel Conroy 1986 Streets of Gold Linnehan 1987 Tin Men Moe Adams 1987 Suspect Judge Matthew Bishop Helms 1987 Moonstruck Perry 1988 Frantic Williams, U.S. Embassy Official 1988 Betrayed "Shorty" 1988 Eight Men Out Kid Gleason 1989 Say Anything... James Court 1990 Love Hurts Boomer 1990 The Russia House Brady 1991 Barton Fink W.P. Mayhew 1992 Article 99 Dr. Henry Dreyfoos 1993 In the Line of Fire Secret Service Director Sam Campagna "John Mahoney, who played Frasier's Martin Crane, dies aged 77" The Guardian, February 8, 2018. Accessed February 8, 2018. 1993 Striking Distance Captain Vince Hardy 1994 The Hudsucker Proxy Chief 1994 Reality Bites Grant Gubler 1995 An Affectionate Look at Fatherhood Bob 1995 The American President Leo Solomon 1996 Primal Fear John Shaughnessy 1996 She's the One Mr. Fitzpatrick 1996 Mariette in Ecstasy Dr. Claude Baptiste Unreleased 1998 Antz Grebs, The Drunken Scout Voice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. 1999 The Iron Giant General Shannon Rogard Voice 2000 The Broken Hearts Club Jack 2001 Almost Salinas Max Harris 2001 Preston B. Whitmore Voice 2003 Preston B. Whitmore Voice 2005 Kronk's New Groove Papi Voice, direct-to-video 2007 Dan in Real Life Poppy 2010 Flipped Chet Duncan
Television
1982 Chicago Story Lieutenant Roselli Main role 1984 The Killing Floor Factory Representative Television film 1985 Lady Blue Captain Flynn Television film 1986 Trapped in Silence Dr. Winslow Television film 1986 The Christmas Gift Town Mayor Television film 1987 Saturday Night Live Eddie "Fast Eddie" Felson / Paul Newman Episode: "Charlton Heston/Wynton Marsalis" 1987 The House of Blue Leaves Artie Shaughnessy Television film 1988 Favorite Son Lou Brenner Episode: "Part One" 1989 Dinner at Eight Oliver Jordan Television film 1990 The Image Irving "Irv" Mickelson Television film 1990 H.E.L.P. Chief Patrick Meacham Main role 1991 The 10 Million Dollar Getaway Jimmy Burke Television film 1992 The Human Factor Dr. Alec McMurtry Main role 1992 The Water Engine Mason Gross Television film 1992 Screenplay Walter Partin Episode: "Buying a Landslide" 1992 Cheers Sy Flembeck Episode: "Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman" 1992 Unnatural Pursuits Paddy Quinn Episode: "I Don't Do Cuddles" 1993–2004 Frasier Martin Crane Main role 1995 Biography The Narrator Voice, episode: "Al Capone: Scarface" 1996 3rd Rock from the Sun Dr. Leonard Hanlin Episode: "Body & Soul & Dick" 1997 Tracey Takes On... Geoffrey Ayliss Episode: "Childhood" 1998 Nothing Sacred Vince Reyneaux Episode: "The Coldest Night of the Year" 2000 Becker Father Joe D'Andrea Episode: "Crosstalk" 2000 Teacher's Pet The Narrator / Tim Tim Tim Voice, episode: "A Dog for All Seasons" 2000 Nature The Narrator Episode: "Intimate Enemies: Lions and Buffalo" 2003 Gary the Rat Steele Voice, episode: "Strange Bedfellows" 2005 Fathers and Sons Gene Television film 2006 ER Bennett Cray Episode: "Somebody to Love" 2007 Mobsters The Narrator Episode: "Al Capone" 2007 The Simpsons Dr. Robert Terwilliger Sr. Voice, episode: "Funeral for a Fiend" 2009 In Treatment Walter Barnett Recurring role (season 2), 7 episodes 2009–2010 Burn Notice Management 2 episodes 2010 $#*! My Dad Says Lieutenant Colonel Wally Durham Episode: "The Manly Thing to Do" 2011–2014 Hot in Cleveland Roy Recurring role (seasons 2–3, 5), 6 episodes 2015 Foyle's War Andrew Del Mar Episode: "High Castle"
Theatre
1986 The House of Blue Leaves Artie Shaughnessy John Guare Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway 2007 Prelude to a Kiss Old Man Craig Lucas American Airlines Theatre, Broadway
Awards and nominations
2000 Frasier (season eight) 2003 Frasier (episode: "Fathers and Sons") 1995 Frasier (season two) 1996 Frasier (season three) 1997 Frasier (season four) 1998 Frasier (season five) 1999 Frasier (season six) 2000 Frasier (season seven) 2001 Frasier (season eight) 2002 Frasier (season nine) 2003 Frasier (season nine)
External links
Categories: 1940 Births, 2018 Deaths, 20th-century American Male Actors, 21st-century American Male Actors, Male Actors From Oak Park, Illinois, American Male Film Actors, American Male Television Actors, American Male Voice Actors, American People Of English Descent, American People Of Irish Descent, English Male Film Actors, English Male Voice Actors, American Roman Catholics, Clarence Derwent Award Winners, Deaths From Cancer In Illinois, Deaths From Throat Cancer In The United States, English Emigrants To The United States, English People Of Irish Descent, Male Actors From Manchester, Male Actors From Chicago, Medical Journal Editors, Male Actors From Blackpool, People From Withington, Quincy University Alumni, Steppenwolf Theatre Company Players, Tony Award Winners, United States Army Soldiers, Western Illinois University Faculty
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