The world has lost a beloved and well-known character actor today as Brian Dennehy has reportedly passed away due to natural causes. Best known for his appearances in movies like First Blood, Cocoon and Tommy Boy, he was always a welcome presence on screen even in smaller roles. He split his time between movies, TV and the stage, having won a Golden Globe and two Tony Awards in addition to earning six Primetime Emmy nominations. He was 81 years old. His daughter Elizabeth made the announcement via Twitter earlier today:

It is with heavy hearts we announce that our father, Brian passed away last night from natural causes, not Covid-related. Larger than life, generous to a fault, a proud and devoted father and grandfather, he will be missed by his wife Jennifer, family and many friends. pic.twitter.com/ILyrGpLnc3

— Elizabeth Dennehy (@dennehyeliza) April 16, 2020

Dennehy played college football and eventually put that physicality to good use on screen, making several TV appearances in 1977 and then landing a couple of significant roles in Semi-Tough and F.I.S.T.. He would soon reteam with Sylvester Stallone on the first Rambo movie, First Blood, which really launched his career. Throughout the ’80s he appeared in such films as Gorky Park, Cocoon, Silverado, F/X and Legal Eagles. He would get a chance to do more comedy in the ’90s with Tommy Boy and he did Shakespeare on screen with Romeo + Juliet before winning a Golden Globe for Death of a Salesman in 2001. More recently, he had a recurring role on The Blacklist and he was also in Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups. What are your favourite Brian Dennehy performances?