Brian Dennehy

Brian Dennehy
Dennehy in July 2009
Born	Brian Manion Dennehy (1938-07-09) July 9, 1938 (age 78) Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1977–present
Spouse(s)	Judith Scheff (m. 1959–74) Jennifer Arnott (m. 1988)
Children	Elizabeth

Brian Manion Dennehy (born July 9, 1938) is an American actor of film, stage, and television. A winner of one Golden Globe, two Tony Awards and a recipient of six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, he gained initial recognition for his role as the antagonistic Sheriff Will Teasle in First Blood (1982). He has had numerous roles in films such as Gorky Park, Silverado, Cocoon, F/X, Romeo + Juliet, and Knight of Cups.

Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah (Manion) and Edward Dennehy, a wire service editor for the Associated Press. He has two brothers, Michael and Edward. He is of Irish ancestry and was raised Roman Catholic. The family relocated to Long Island, New York, where Dennehy attended Chaminade High School in the town of Mineola.

Dennehy enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1959, serving active duty on Okinawa until 1963. In numerous interviews, Dennehy has claimed to be a Vietnam veteran who served a 5-year tour in Vietnam and recounted harrowing tales of his combat there, but according to the book Stolen Valor, Dennehy never served in Vietnam at all and never saw active combat. The author of Stolen Valor wrote to Dennehy regarding the discrepancy, but received no reply from the actor, although Dennehy later admitted in an interview that he had lied about his service and apologized for it.