Brian Manion Dennehy


BRIAN MANION
DENNEHY
DERBY SCOUT
U.S. MARINE
TONY AWARD WINNER
GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER
7/9/1938 - 4/15/2020

Award winning actor Brian Dehenny was born in Bridgeport, but spent some of his formative years including possibly his first stage appearance in Derby! He may gotten his "big break" in theatre with his performance in the 1948 version of the annual Gang Show produced by the Scouts of Troop 3 during the hay day of another Derby Hall of Fame member, Ed Strang.

Though his performance in the Gang Show may have been long forgotten that will never be said of his extraordinary career on stage, on TV and in the movies. During his illustrious career he won a Golden Globe Award, two Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Perhaps his best known and acclaimed role was as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. He won a Tony in New York for that and went across the pond to London to win an Olivier Award. His 2000 performance in the television version earned him the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild Award.

His other Tony Award came in 2002 for Long Day's Journey Into Night. Some Derby residents had a special treat when the Derby Cultural Commission sponsored a trip to New York to see his performance, and Dennehy took time out after the first performance of the day to come out and spend a half hour talking to the Derby group.

Something similar happened in 2004 at the Shubert in New Haven while he was performing in The Exonerated" as you see him surrounded by Derby fans in the picture above.

He had also come back to Derby in 1995 when the city honored Ed Strang with a special day and he was one of the main speakers.


Two future Hall of Fame Members in 1995

For a complete biography including his misrepresentation of his Marine service and a list of his performances, click here.

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