Actor. He was a prolific 20th-century American actor who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, earning the Silver Star and three Purple Hearts. He began his acting career in his late twenties in Off-Broadway plays. After appearing in over 35 plays with the New York Shakespeare Festival, he transitioned from theatre to television, where he was cast in guest appearances on numerous early 1960s television shows. Throughout his career, he usually had supporting or character-actor roles. He played minor roles over the next decade until he gained notice on film as a sneering, corrupt cop in the multi-award-winning mega-hit 1973 film, "The Sting." Twice, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor: "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" in 1982 and "To Be or Not to Be" in 1983. Among his nearly 150 film performances that should be mentioned are "Dog Day Afternoon" in 1975, in which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Best Supporting Role; "Death of a Salesman" in 1985, in which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; "The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains" in 1987, in which he was nominated for the CableACE Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; "State and Main" in 2000, and "Bleeding Hearts," in his final role of Santa Claus, which was released posthumously in 2015. Among the numerous TV shows that should be mentioned were 13 episodes in "The Cop and The Kid" in 1975; three episodes in "The Captain and the King", in which he received Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie from Golden Globe and the Emmy Awards; 13 episodes in "Dolly" in 1987; "Homicide: Life on the Street" in 1998, in which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama; 13 episodes in "First Monday" in 2002; 27 episodes in "Rescue Me" from 2004 to 2011, in which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama; and "NCIS" in 2004, in which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama. On the Broadway stage, he earned a Tony Award for his portrayal of Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in 1990. For his contributions to motion pictures, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6504 Hollywood Blvd. Durning, who was honored with the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2008, died of natural causes.