American actor Charles Kimbrough has passed away at the of 86 earlier this year.
As his son, John Kimbrough, confirmed, the TV show star died on January 11 from undisclosed causes.
The prolific actor was best known for appearing as anchorman Jim Dial on all 247 episodes of the comedy series Murphy Brown.
The show ran for ten years from 1988 to 1998 before being rebooted twenty years later. After the show’s revival in 2018, Kimbrough returned to the screen for several episodes.
Besides his longtime role in the TV series, the actor also appeared in the musical Sunday in the Park with George and the off-Broadway comedy Sylvia.
On top of various stage shows he participated in – including Hay Fever, Candide, and The Merchant of Venice – Kimbrough also served as a voice actor in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and multiple video games.
He was previously nominated for a Tony award over his performance in Steven Sondheim and George Furth’s musical Company. He was also nominated for an Emmy for his performance in Murphy Brown.
While the actor was known for playing stiff and rigid characters throughout his acting career, he previously opened up about his anguish over being perceived this way.
“I somehow gave off an impression at an audition that had them mentally put me in a three-piece suit or put an attaché case in my hand. If there was a stiff-guy part, the director would brighten up when I came in. That wasn’t the response I wanted. I was in anguish,” he told Wall Street Journal in 2012.
Kimbrough is survived by his son, sister, and stepdaughter.
Our thoughts are with Charles’ family during this challenging time.