John Cunningham, a Broadway actor who appeared in films beloved by generations of moviegoers, has died.
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Cunningham, who appeared in 1980s classics like Mystic Pizza and Dead Poets Society, passed on Jan. 6 in his Rye, New York, home.
His death was confirmed by his family, who shared that the 93-year-old passed away “in his beloved Victorian home aside the 11th hole at Rye Golf Club.”
1- John Cunningham, a prolific Broadway actor who appeared in such acclaimed productions as the original stagings of Cabaret, 1776, Company, Six Degrees of Separation and The Sisters Rosensweig, and whose many screen credits included roles in Mystic Pizza, Dead Poets Society & pic.twitter.com/XdqYidAyGI
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Cunningham was born in Auburn, New York, on June 22, 1932, and grew up in New Paltz. After serving in the Army, he attended the Yale School of Drama. He earned a master’s degree and became lifelong friends with his classmate, future talk show host Dick Cavett.
Following Yale, Cunningham began a 70-year career in film, stage, and television. Per IMDb, his early TV work included roles on soap operas such as The Secret Storm, The Doctors, Another World, and Search for Tomorrow.
Cunningham launched his stage career at 27, debuting in the 1960 touring company of My Fair Lady as Zoltan and the Henry Higgins understudy. In 1968, he made his second Broadway appearance in the original production of Cabaret, succeeding Bert Convy as Clifford Bradshaw.
A series of notable Broadway roles followed, including Nikos in Zorba, Peter (and understudy for Bobby) in Company, John Adams in 1776, Flan Kittredge in Six Degrees of Separation (opposite Stockard Channing), Nicholas Pym in The Sisters Rosensweig, and Captain E.J. Smith in Titanic.
Cunningham’s final New York stage appearance was in 2012, at age 80, in an Off-Broadway revival of Tina Howe’s Painting Churches. It was one of many off-Broadway productions he starred in throughout his career.
John Cunningham Appeared Alongside Actors Like Donald Sutherland, Matt Damon and Samuel L. Jackson
Meanwhile, in film, Cunningham played the supporting role of John in the 1993 movie version of Six Degrees of Separation (Donald Sutherland was cast as Flan).
He also cornered the market on “paternal authority figures” in the 1980s and 90s. He played the grandfather of Matt Damon’s character in Mystic Pizza (1988), the father of Ethan Hawke’s character in Dead Poets Society (1989), and apparently had such a knack for paternal roles that he played Damon’s father again in School Ties (1993).
His other film credits include the Michael J. Fox comedy For Love or Money (1993) and the Shaft remake (2000).
Meanwhile, Cunningham’s powerful voice was featured in the 1997 Kevin Kline comedy In and Out as the voice of the “Be A Man” instructional guide. His voice also popped up as a newsreel announcer in Starship Troopers, the same year.
His TV credits also include Law & Order, 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Damages and Blue Bloods.
Cunningham is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Carolyn Cotton Cunningham. He’s also survived by his children, Christopher, Catherine, and Laura; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.