Wikipedia / Frederick Coffin
Wikipedia / Frederick Coffin
Frederick D. Coffin (January 16, 1943 – July 31, 2003) was an American film actor, singer, songwriter, and musician.
Early life
Coffin was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1943 to actress Winifred Deforest Coffin and writer Dean Coffin, and was one of five children. He was educated at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, where he studied theater and was also a serious athlete, graduating in 1961. He enrolled the University of Michigan in 1962, where he intended to play football but instead decided to focus on acting, earning a B.A. then a master's degree in theater.
Career
Coffin made his screen debut in 1973 when he appeared in the television film Much Ado About Nothing, an adaptation of the play, in which he also starred. He appeared in his first feature film in 1976 in the drama Dragonfly, with Beau Bridges and Susan Sarandon. His second feature was the Golden Globe nominated King of the Gypsies, with Shelley Winters. During the 1980s, Coffin appeared in several films: the horror film Alone in the Dark, which starred Donald Pleasence, Without a Trace, Mother's Day, Credited as Holden McGuire Nothing Lasts Forever, the biography film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling with Richard Pryor, the action comedy A Fine Mess with Ted Danson, and The Bedroom Window. In the 1990s, Coffin continued to appear in films, one of which he is known for is the comedy film Wayne's World, with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, and the Steven Seagal film Hard to Kill. In 1999, Coffin would appear, in perhaps his best known role among millennials, as corrupt business man Parker Wyndham in the Disney Channel original movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. He would appear in two final films before his death in 2003: View from the Top with Gwyneth Paltrow, and Identity with John Cusack.
Although, it was in fact television that Coffin appeared in mostly throughout his career, his first appearance in a television series was in Great Performances, which starred actors such as Walter Cronkite, who presented the series, Julie Andrews and Liza Minnelli. He also made guest appearances in many well known series including Kojak, Hill Street Blues, Moonlighting, The Twilight Zone, Remington Steele, Dallas, in which he appeared for six episodes, L.A. Law, The X-Files, Walker, Texas Ranger, Murder, She Wrote, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and the soap operas Ryan's Hope and The Edge of Night. He appeared as Buffalo hunter Big Zwey in the epic mini-series, Lonesome Dove.
Coffin starred in many television films including Under Siege, the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove and the 1995 film adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire. He was originally cast as the voice of the father in the series Family Dog, he was later replaced by actor Martin Mull.
He also had roles in theater, including playing Eliot Rosewater in the 1979 premier of Ashman and Menken's musical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.
In 1997, he returned to his alma mater as that year's Knight Fellow, one of Western Reserve Academy's most distinguished honors.
Coffin was also a talented singer, songwriter, and musician.
Personal life and death
Coffin was married to actress Barbara Monte-Britton from September 25, 1977, to his death on July 31, 2003, from lung cancer; he was a long-time chain smoker.
Filmography
Film | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1976 | Walter Craigle | ||
1978 | Basketball Coach | ||
1980 | Ike | Credited as Holden McGuire | |
1981 | Dead Ringer | Himself | Documentary film |
1982 | Jim Gable | ||
1983 | Officer Coffin | ||
1984 | Lunar Shopping Observer | ||
1986 | Dr. Weissman | ||
Traffic Cop | |||
1987 | Detective Jessup | ||
1988 | Ralph | ||
Ed | |||
1989 | Sergeant Haroldson | ||
1990 | Lieutenant Kevin O'Malley | ||
1991 | Lieutenant Colonel Larabee | ||
Horton Grafalk | |||
1992 | Officer Koharski | ||
1994 | Mr. Maran | ||
1998 | Memorial Day | Senator Jerald Lancaster | |
1999 | General Albert Becker | Direct-to-video | |
2003 | Mr. Stewart | ||
Detective Varole | (final film role) | ||
Television | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1973 | Much Ado About Nothing | Borachio | Television film |
1974 | Second Guard / Oswald | Episodes: "Antigone", "King Lear" | |
1977 | Secret Service | Lieutenant Maxwell | Television film |
19761977 | Lieutenant Bill Lee | Episodes: "A Shield for Murder: Parts 1 & 2", "Sister Maria" | |
1978 | Sagramore | Episode: "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" | |
1980 | Dr. Harry | Television film | |
Death Penalty | Eddie | Television film | |
Jim Hurley | Episodes: #1227, #1230, #1250 | ||
1982 | Muggable Mary, Street Cop | Used Car Salesman | Television film |
1983 | An Invasion of Privacy | Alvin | Television film |
Stephen Markham | |||
1984 | Thomas Murphy | Television film | |
Tony Yankovich | Episode: "Ewe and Me, Babe" | ||
1985 | Television film | ||
Pawnbroker | Episode: "Pilot" | ||
Roland | Television film | ||
1986 | Max | Episode: Season 1.14 - segment: "The Misfortune Cookie" | |
Under Siege | Dan Murphy | Television film | |
Joe Gullickson | Episode: "Steele in the Running" | ||
Mr. and Mrs. Ryan | Beckerman | Television film | |
Jerry Thompson | Television film | ||
Comedy Factory | Lucas Hanlon | Episode: "Chameleon" | |
Manhunt for Claude Dallas | Frank Weston | Television film | |
1987 | Private Eye | Television film | |
Slim Mahoney | Episode: "The Battle of Las Vegas" | ||
Al Lewis | Episode: "Such Interesting Neighbors" | ||
Alfred Simpson | |||
Lloyd Fredericks | Episodes: "City of Passion: Parts 1, 2 & 3" | ||
'Buck' | Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Forever?" | ||
1988 | Brian | Episode: "Here's a Message from Your Local Bag Lady" | |
Charles Calvin | Episode: "Night of the Visitors" | ||
1989 | Fair Game | Rick Winchester | Television film |
'Big Zwey' | 4 episodes | ||
Episode: "Together Again" | |||
Clark Beaudine | Episode: "Side by Side" | ||
Pete Latham | Episode: "Chimp" | ||
Sullivan | Episode: "Little Saigon" | ||
Settle the Score | Tucker | Television film | |
1990 | Sutro | Episode: "Unfinished Business" | |
Glory Days | Mr. Lovejoy | Episode: "The Kids Are Allright" | |
Wes Goddard | Television film | ||
1991 | Karl Meredith | Episode: "Deadly Silents" | |
1992 | Joe McKellar | Episodes: "Adventures in the Skin Trade: Parts 1 & 2" | |
19871993 | Bill Novicky / John Shale | ||
1993 | Episode: "Lyon's Roar" | ||
Chief Joe McGrath | Episode: "Fallen Angel" | ||
1994 | Secret Sins of the Father | L.J. Thielman | Television film |
Secret Sins of the Father | Father | Episode: "Ned Zed" | |
Mr. Bickford | Television film | ||
Tate Brodie | Episode: "Rainbow Warrior" | ||
Zave | Television film | ||
1995 | Steve | Television film | |
19891996 | Tim Mulligan / Tony Sable / Stanford Lomax / Lieutenant Roy Flint | ||
1996 | Wayne Cormier | Episode: "Chapter Ten" | |
Collins | Television film | ||
Doug Wilks | Television film | ||
1997 | Danforth | Episode: "The Dam" | |
Episode: "Face to Face" | |||
1999 | Parker Wyndham | Television film | |
Warden | Episode: #8556 | ||
2000 | Television film | ||
Sheriff Driscoll | |||
Charlie Fogerty | Episode: "The Catevari" | ||
Mitch Greer | Television film | ||
Wayne Wesley | Episode: "Final Hour" | ||
2001 | Episode: "A Southern Town" | ||
Steven Zeller | Episode: "Home Sweet Home" | ||
Doug Perliss | Episode: "Sacrifices" | ||
2002 | Mathew Campbell | Television film | |
Episode: "La Llorona: Part 2" | |||
For the People | Mr. Cole | Episode: "Our Own" | |
Episode: "When Approaching a Let-Go" | |||
Mr. MacDonald | Episode: "When Pigs Fly" | ||
Video Games | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1999 | Land of the Lore III | Innkeeper/Morrison/The Last Man | Voice |
2002 | Stormtrooper 1 | Voice |
References
External links