Actor John Mahoney—a longtime Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member and someone known to millions for playing the title character’s father on the NBC television sitcom Frasier—died Feb. 4 of cancer at age 77, multiple outlets have reported.
Mahoney, who long lived in Oak Park, was born to British parents and grew up in England. He first visited Illinois in the 1950s, eventually settling in the state about a decade later, The Chicago Tribune noted. When Mahoney was in his 40s, John Malkovich and Gary Sinise invited him to join Steppenwolf.
According to the Steppenwolf website, Mahoney’s theater appearences included The Herd, The Seafarer, The Rembrandt and I Never Sang for My Father (Steppenwolf); The Outgoing Tide, A Life (Northlight Theatre); Prelude to a Kiss (Broadway) and Romance (Almeida Theatre), among others. He appeared in more than 30 Steppenwolf Theatre Company productions. In addition, he received a Tony Award for his performance in The House of Blue Leaves.
Film credits included Moonstruck, Tin Men, Say Anything, Primal Fear, Barton Fink and Flipped.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement, “John Mahoney was a fixture on the Chicago stage for over 30 years through countless award-winning performances. Even as his fame grew through his fantastic work in movies and television, John stayed connected to his artistic home here in Chicago in theaters and as a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Though he will be missed, his work and impact will endure for generations to come.”
The Tribune article is at www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-ent-john-mahoney-dead-steppenwolf-frasier-20180205-story.html.
—Andrew Davis