After a heroic stint in the Army during World War II and a lengthy post-military career as a nightclub dancer and instructor, Charles Durning broke into acting in the early 1960s; nearly a decade later, he emerged as one of Hollywood’s most dependable character actors. A pugnacious personality made him ideal for tough authority figures, but he proved equally adept at comedies and musicals – most notably his show-stopping turns in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982), which netted him an Oscar nomination, and “Tootsie” (1982). Television proved to be his best showcase, where he earned
