Donald Moffat
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Biography
Filmography
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Biography
A bushy-browed veteran character player of stage and screen since the 1960s, Donald Moffat began stomping the boards during the 50s in his native England, making his West End debut in a 1954 production of "Macbeth." He made his feature debut in Paul Newman's "Rachel, Rachel" (1968), and since the early 80s has become a Hollywood staple, playing older gentlemen in both films and TV. Some of Moffat's craggy parts include "The Right Stuff" (1983), as Lyndon B. Johnson; "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" (1988), as the chief surgeon; and "Bonfire of the Vanities" (1990), as Tom Hanks' dad. He was especially touching as a middle-aged businessman who finds he only has a short time to live in the TV miniseries adaptation of Armistead Maupin's San Francisco chronicle, "Tales from the City" (PBS, 1994). Moffat continued working steadily through the '90s, including roles as the president of the United States in the thriller "Clear and Present Danger" (1994) and in Robert Altman's crime comedy "Cookie's Fortune" (1999). He also appeared on "The West Wing" (NBC 1999-2006) as the father of Alison Janney's C.J. Cregg and on Dick Wolf's short-lived "Law & Order: Trial By Jury" (NBC 2005-06) as a judge. Donald Moffat died at his home in Sleepy Hollow, New York on December 20, 2018, following a massive stroke. He was 87.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1954
Made his London stage debut in "Macbeth"
1957
Made his Broadway debut in "Under Milkwood"
1968
Appeared as Dr. Marcus Polk in the daytime soap "One Life to Live"
1968
Feature acting debut, "Rachel, Rachel"
1974
Co-starred in the short-lived series, The New Land"
1977
Portrayed Harry Hopkins in the ABC miniseries "Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years"
1980
First collaboration with director Robert Altman, "Health"
1980
Appeared in the series "The Chisholms"
1980
Played the Taxman in Altman's "Popeye"
1982
Played Gary in John Carpenter's remake of "The Thing"
1983
Cast as Lyndon Johnson in "The Right Stuff"
1990
Played Tom Hanks' father in "The Bonfire of the Vanities"
1994
Portrayed Edgar Halcyon in "Armistad Maupin's 'Tales of the City'" (PBS)
1994
Cast as the U.S. President in "Clear and Present Danger"
1999
Reteamed with Altman for "Cookie's Fortune"
2000
Had recurring role on "Bull"
2005
Appeared in final screen role as a judge on "Law & Order: Trial by Jury"
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