David Dukes
Encyclopedia
David Coleman Dukes was an American character actor
.
, the son of a highway patrolman. He had a long career in films, appearing in 35; and as a television guest star, notably as the man who attempted to rape Edith Bunker on All in the Family
, a blind bully on Three's Company
, and during the 1980s in the dual miniseries The Winds of War
and War and Remembrance. He received an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor for his role in The Josephine Baker Story (1991) and appeared as Arthur Miller
in Norma Jean & Marilyn
(1996). He was also a regular in the first season of Sisters
as the transvestite doctor husband of oldest sister Alex (Swoosie Kurtz
), and appeared occasionally as the character in subsequent seasons. On Dawson's Creek
, he had a recurring role as Mr. McPhee, the father to Jack (Kerr Smith
) and Andie (Meredith Monroe
) from the second through fourth seasons.
Dukes had extensive stage experience, first appearing on Broadway
in 1971 and later in a revival of Molière
's The School for Wives
. He also played such colorful roles as Dracula
, Doctor Frankenstein
, and Antonio Salieri
in the original production of Amadeus
— replacing Ian McKellen
. He won plaudits when he replaced John Lithgow
in the original production of David Henry Hwang
's play M. Butterfly
and a Tony
nomination in 1980 for best featured actor in a play for Bent
.
David Dukes also recorded several audiobooks, most notably Isaac Asimov
's unabridged Prelude to Foundation
.
The father of a son and a daughter, Dukes died of a heart attack in Spanaway, Washington
, while on location shooting the Stephen King
mini-series Rose Red
. His widow Carol Muske-Dukes
' experiences with the Pierce County, Washington
, medical examiner's
office were so frustrating that she publicly spoke out against the office's lack of cooperation. The ME's office would not let her see her husband's body, did not inform her of her rights or honor some of the rights she did try to exercise, and failed to detect during his autopsy
the evidence of a previous heart attack.
Dukes was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
.
Life
Dukes was born in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, the son of a highway patrolman. He had a long career in films, appearing in 35; and as a television guest star, notably as the man who attempted to rape Edith Bunker on All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
, a blind bully on Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
, and during the 1980s in the dual miniseries The Winds of War
The Winds of War
The Winds of War is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny . Published in 1971, it was followed up seven years later by War and Remembrance; originally conceived as one volume, Wouk decided to break it in two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to...
and War and Remembrance. He received an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor for his role in The Josephine Baker Story (1991) and appeared as Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
in Norma Jean & Marilyn
Norma Jean & Marilyn
Norma Jean & Marilyn is a 1996 made-for-TV biographical film produced by Home Box Office and premiered on May 18, 1996. The film featured Ashley Judd as Norma Jean Dougherty and Mira Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe...
(1996). He was also a regular in the first season of Sisters
Sisters (TV series)
Sisters is a television drama which aired on NBC for six seasons, from 1991 to 1996. The series was created by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who also created the Showtime series Queer as Folk and wrote the acclaimed Emmy and Peabody Award winning drama An Early Frost, also for NBC...
as the transvestite doctor husband of oldest sister Alex (Swoosie Kurtz
Swoosie Kurtz
Swoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She began her career in theater during the 1970s and shortly thereafter began a career in television, garnering ten nominations and winning one Emmy Award. Her most famous television project was her role on the 1990s NBC drama Sisters...
), and appeared occasionally as the character in subsequent seasons. On Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
, he had a recurring role as Mr. McPhee, the father to Jack (Kerr Smith
Kerr Smith
Kerr Van Cleve Smith is an American actor best known for playing Jack McPhee on The WB drama series Dawson's Creek, Kyle Brody in The WB's, supernatural drama, Charmed and more recently Axel Palmer in My Bloody Valentine 3D...
) and Andie (Meredith Monroe
Meredith Monroe
Meredith Leigh Monroe is an American actress who portrayed Andie McPhee on Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2000. She was a series regular in Seasons 2-3, appeared in several episodes at the beginning and end of season 4, and was a special guest star in the final series episode in Season 6, though...
) from the second through fourth seasons.
Dukes had extensive stage experience, first appearing on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1971 and later in a revival of Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's The School for Wives
The School for Wives
The School for Wives is a theatrical comedy written by the seventeenth century French playwright Molière and considered by some critics to be one of his finest achievements. It was first staged at the Palais Royal theatre on 26 December 1662 for the brother of the King...
. He also played such colorful roles as Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, Doctor Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
, and Antonio Salieri
Antonio Salieri
Antonio Salieri was a Venetian classical composer, conductor and teacher born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, but who spent his adult life and career as a faithful subject of the Habsburg monarchy....
in the original production of Amadeus
Amadeus
Amadeus is a play by Peter Shaffer.It is based on the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, highly fictionalized.Amadeus was first performed in 1979...
— replacing Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
. He won plaudits when he replaced John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
in the original production of David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang is an American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S.He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at the Yale School of Drama and Stanford University...
's play M. Butterfly
M. Butterfly
M. Butterfly is a 1988 play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a male Peking opera singer....
and a Tony
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination in 1980 for best featured actor in a play for Bent
Bent (play)
Bent is a 1979 play by Martin Sherman. It revolves around the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany, and takes place during and after the Night of the Long Knives....
.
David Dukes also recorded several audiobooks, most notably Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's unabridged Prelude to Foundation
Prelude to Foundation
Prelude to Foundation is a Locus Award nominated 1988 novel written by Isaac Asimov. It is one of two prequels to the Foundation Series. For the first time, Asimov chronicles the fictional life of Hari Seldon, the man who invented psychohistory and the intellectual hero of the series.-Plot...
.
The father of a son and a daughter, Dukes died of a heart attack in Spanaway, Washington
Spanaway, Washington
Spanaway is a census-designated place in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 27,227 at the 2010 census. Spanaway is an unincorporated area near Tacoma, and is often identified together with the more urban, less wealthy Parkland....
, while on location shooting the Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
mini-series Rose Red
Rose Red (film)
Rose Red is a television miniseries scripted by horror novelist Stephen King. The series was premiered in the United States on ABC on January 27, 2002. The story involves a cavernous Seattle mansion called Rose Red, which is investigated by parapsychologist Dr. Joyce Reardon and a team of...
. His widow Carol Muske-Dukes
Carol Muske-Dukes
Carol Muske-Dukes is an American poet, novelist, essayist, critic, and professor, and the current poet laureate of California. Her most recent book of poetry, Sparrow , chronicling the love and loss of Muske-Dukes’ late husband, actor David Dukes, was a National Book Award finalist.-Life:She...
' experiences with the Pierce County, Washington
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
, medical examiner's
Medical examiner
A medical examiner is a medically qualified government officer whose duty is to investigate deaths and injuries that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictions to initiate inquests....
office were so frustrating that she publicly spoke out against the office's lack of cooperation. The ME's office would not let her see her husband's body, did not inform her of her rights or honor some of the rights she did try to exercise, and failed to detect during his autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
the evidence of a previous heart attack.
Dukes was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
Filmography
- The Strawberry StatementThe Strawberry Statement (film)The Strawberry Statement is a 1970 cult film about the counterculture and student revolts of the 1960s, loosely based on the non-fiction book by James Simon Kunen about the Columbia University protests of 1968.-Cast:* Bruce Davison: Simon...
(1970) - Guard - The Wild PartyThe Wild Party (1975 film)The Wild Party is a 1975 Merchant Ivory Productions film directed by James Ivory, produced by Ismail Merchant, and starring James Coco and Raquel Welch....
(1975) - James Morrison - 79 Park Avenue 79 Park Avenue79 Park Avenue was an American television miniseries broadcast in 1977. It was based on the Harold Robbins' novel by the same name.It starred Lesley Ann Warren and Marc Singer as a prostitute and a mobster struggling to survive in the 1930s...
(1977) - Mike Koshiko - How the West Was Won (TV series)How the West Was Won (TV series)How the West Was Won is an American western television series that featured an all star cast that included: James Arness, Eva Marie Saint, Fionnula Flanagan, Bruce Boxleitner, G. W. Bailey, Trisha Noble, William Shatner, Jack Elam, Woody Strode, Anthony Zerbe, Richard Kiley, Lloyd Bridges,...
- L'Affaire Riel (1979) - Louis Riel - A Little RomanceA Little RomanceA Little Romance is a 1979 romantic comedy film, starring Laurence Olivier and Diane Lane in her film debut. It was directed by George Roy Hill. The screenplay is written by Allan Burns and George Roy Hill, based on a novel by Patrick Cauvin...
(1979) - George de Marco - Mayflower: A Pilgrim Adventure (1979) - Capt. Myles Standish
- The First Deadly SinThe First Deadly SinThe First Deadly Sin is a 1980 American film produced by and starring Frank Sinatra, along with Faye Dunaway, David Dukes, Brenda Vaccaro, James Whitmore, Martin Gabel in his final acting role, and Bruce Willis in his film debut...
(1980) - Daniel Blank - Only When I LaughOnly When I Laugh (film)Only When I Laugh is a 1981 film based on Neil Simon's play The Gingerbread Lady.The story is about an alcoholic Broadway actress who tries to stay sober while dealing with the problems of her teenaged daughter and her friends: an overly vain woman who fears the loss of her looks and a gay actor...
(1981) - David - The Winds of WarThe Winds of WarThe Winds of War is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny . Published in 1971, it was followed up seven years later by War and Remembrance; originally conceived as one volume, Wouk decided to break it in two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to...
(1983) - Leslie Slote - Without a TraceWithout a Trace (film)Without a Trace is a 1983 dramatic film. It is based on the Beth Gutcheon novel Still Missing, which is loosely-based on the real-life disappearance of Etan Patz. The film stars Kate Nelligan, Judd Hirsch, David Dukes and Stockard Channing.-Plot:...
(1983) - Graham Selky - Kane and Abel (novel)Kane and Abel (novel)Kane and Abel is a 1979 novel by British author Jeffrey Archer. The title and story is a play on the Biblical brothers, Cain and Abel.Released in the United Kingdom in 1979 and in the United States in February 1980, the book was an international success. It reached No...
(1985) - David Osbourne - Rawhead RexRawhead Rex (film)Rawhead Rex is a 1986 Irish horror film directed by George Pavlou and written by Clive Barker. The film is about a monstrous pagan god's bloody rampage through the Irish countryside, and based on the short story by Clive Barker that originally appeared in vol. 3 of his Books of Blood series...
(1986) - Howard Hallenbeck - The Men's ClubThe Men's ClubThe Men's Club is a 1986 drama film directed by Peter Medak, based on the novel of the same name by Leonard Michaels. It stars Roy Scheider, Harvey Keitel, Frank Langella, Treat Williams, David Dukes and Richard Jordan...
(1986) - Phillip, Professor - Catch the Heat (1987) - Waldo Tarr
- Date with an AngelDate with an AngelDate with an Angel is an American film which was released in 1987, starring Emmanuelle Béart, Phoebe Cates and Michael E. Knight. The romantic fantasy/comedy was an updated reworking of the 1942 film I Married an Angel and released by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. The film was written and...
(1987) - Ed Winston - War and RemembranceWar and RemembranceWar and Remembrance is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in 1978, which is the sequel to The Winds of War. It continues the story of the extended Henry family and the Jastrow family starting on 15 December 1941 and ending on 6 August 1945. This novel was adapted into a mini-series presented on...
(1988) - Leslie Slote - See You in the MorningSee You in the Morning (film)See You in the Morning is a 1989 romantic comedy film written and directed by Alan J. Pakula, and starring Jeff Bridges, Alice Krige and Farrah Fawcett. It features music by Nat "King" Cole and Cherri Red. The original music score was composed by Michael Small.-Plot:Larry Livingstone falls in love...
(1989) - Peter Goodwin - Killer InstinctKiller InstinctKiller Instinct is a fighting game developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. Initially released in arcades in 1994, and rumored to use an "Ultra 64" hardware engine, in reality the proprietary arcade hardware was co-developed by Rare and Midway. The game received a high profile launch...
(1990) - Bo Petersen - The Handmaid's TaleThe Handmaid's Tale (film)The Handmaid's Tale is a 1990 film adaptation of the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name. Directed by Volker Schlöndorff the film stars Natasha Richardson , Faye Dunaway , Robert Duvall , Aidan Quinn , and Elizabeth McGovern . The screenplay was written by Harold Pinter...
(1990) - Doctor (cameo) - Under Surveillance (1991) - Actor
- The Josephine Baker StoryThe Josephine Baker StoryThe Josephine Baker Story is a 1991 television movie that debuted on the TV Broadcasting System, HBO. The movie told the life of that of Josephine Baker, an African-American, who rose to popularity in France, in the late-1920s, with her "banana dance"; meaning she wore only bananas on her bottom,...
(TV film) (1991) - Jo Boullion - Me and the KidMe and the KidMe and the Kid is a 1993 comedy film directed by Dan Curtis. It stars Danny Aiello and Alex Zuckerman.-Cast:*Danny Aiello as Harry*Alex Zuckerman as Gary*Joe Pantoliano as Roy*Cathy Moriarty as Rose*David Dukes as Victor Feldman...
(1993) - Victor Feldman - FledFledFled is a 1996 action film directed by Kevin Hooks. A remake of the 1958 film The Defiant Ones, the film stars Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin as a pair of escaped criminals on the run from the police, corrupt officials and the Cuban Mafia....
(1996) - D.A. Chris Paine - Tinseltown (1997) - Jake
- Gods and MonstersGods and MonstersGods and Monsters is a 1998 drama film that recounts the last days of the life of troubled film director James Whale, whose homosexuality is a central theme. It stars Ian McKellen as Whale, along with Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich, and David Dukes...
(1998) - David Lewis - Slappy and the Stinkers (1998) - Spencer Dane Sr.
- Goosed (1999) - Steffon Stevens
- Tick Tock (2000) - Holden Avery
- Dawson's CreekDawson's CreekDawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
(1999–2000; seven episodes) (TV) - Mr. McPhee - Alex in Wonder (2001) - Joseph Bloomfield (filmed in 1999)
- Rose Red (TV film) (2002) - Dr. Carl Miller (filmed in 2000)
Further reading
- "David Dukes." Variety. October 11, 2000.
- Emily Eakin. "David Dukes, Chameleon of an Actor, 55." The New York Times. October 12, 2000.
- Susan King and Don Shirley. "David Dukes; Versatile Character Actor on Screen, Stage." Los Angeles Times. October 11, 2000.
- Tom Vallance. "David Dukes." The Independent (London). October 17, 2000.
External links
- Remembering David Dukes and Problems with the county medical examiner, from his wife's official website
- Broadway Actor David Dukes Is Dead at 55, from PlaybillPlaybillPlaybill is a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most Playbills are printed for particular shows to be distributed at the door...