![]() A few days later he was shot in the hip - he said he carried the bullet in his body thereafter - and after six months of recovery was sent to the Battle of the Bulge.ĭurning, who was wounded twice more, was captured and was one of the few survivors of the Malmedy massacre when German troops opened fire on dozens of American prisoners. force that landed at Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion in June 1944. He had nine siblings and five of his sisters died of smallpox or scarlet fever - three within a two-week period.ĭurning was part of the U.S. He said I couldn't do anything else but act."ĭurning grew up in Highland Falls, New York, and was 12 years old when his Irish-born father died of the effects of mustard gas exposure in World War One. ![]() "Joe said to me once, 'If you hadn't been an actor, you would have been a murderer,'" Durning told the Times. Occasional stage roles led him to Joseph Papp, the founder of the New York Shakespeare Festival, who became his mentor. And I was in 60 feet of water with a 60 pound pack on, so I let it all go.He worked a number of make-do jobs - cab driver, dance instructor, doorman, dishwasher, telegram deliveryman, bridge painter, tourist guide - all while waiting for a shot at an acting career. We were supposed to be able to walk into shore but they didn't bring us far enough. First guy the ramp went down, the guy fell and I tried to leap over him and I stumbled and we both slipped into the water. I was the second man off my barge and the first and third men got killed. Even the guys who had seen a lot of action before, and this was my first time, they were just as ashen as I was, and I was frightened to death. You're not thinking about anything, you're just thinking about you hope that shell that just went off isn't going to hit this boat. This guy in the boat, he turned to me and he threw up all over me, and I got seasick. ![]() My sergeant said 'are you scared, son?' and I said 'yes, I am', and he said 'that's good, it's good to be scared', he said 'we all are'. It's hard to describe what we all went through that day, but those of us who were there will understand. High demand on television and has guest starred inĪppeared in the role of "Santa Claus" in five different television With his multitude of feature film roles, Durning has always been in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982).ĭurning continued a regular on screen association with Light footed, dancing Governor (alongside Burt Reynolds once more) in Highly strung police officer berating maverick cop The versatile Durning is equally adept at comedic roles andĭemonstrated his skills as "Doc Hopper" in 'Robert Redford' in the multi award winning mega-hitĮntertaining in the Billy Wilder productionįeatured as "Spermwhale Whalen" in the story of unorthodox policeīehavior in The Choirboys (1977). Minor roles over the next decade until he really got noticed by filmįans as the sneering, corrupt cop "Lt. His start in guest appearances in early 1960's TV shows. Irish immigrant and his mother was of Irish descent. (Leonard), a laundress, and James Gerald Durning. Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York, to Louise Marie Hollywood's most dependable and sought after supporting actors. The stockily built Charles Durning was one of WWII veteran, dance instructor and diversely talented stage & screenĪctor were all inclusions on the resume of this perpetually busy USĪctor who didn't get in front of the cameras until around the time of
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