Golden Globe-winning actor Harve Presnell died Tuesday of pancreatic cancer; he was 75. Perhaps best known for his role as William H. Macy’s father-in-law in the Coen Brothers’ 1996 hit Fargo, Presnell was also a respected presence on the stage, portraying Johnny “Leadville” Brown on Broadway in The Unsinkable Molly Brown — he also appeared in the screen version — and touring as Daddy Warbucks in Annie and its sequel, Annie Warbucks. In 1965, alongside George Segal and Topol, he won the Golden Globe for “Most Promising Male Newcomer.”
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He was so amazing. Check out Saving Private Ryan. He is the general who has the Lincoln letter memorized and says the line “going to get him the hell outta there”. Also, check out Paint Your Wagon, he sings one of the most beautiful songs, “they call the wind Mariah”.
‘Best known for is subjective’….I remember him in an episode of Charmed but most for Paint Your Wagon or The Unsinkable Molly Brown when I was very young. I can’t get that dang Mariah song out of my head now…Thanks jj11
So now the celebrity death toll is nine? Oh well. Harve was brilliant as Gundersens father in law. “No Jean, no money!” He played the character so well that after that film, you could not see him as any other character.
Auntie: i feel your pain. I have been running around the house singing/slaughtering the song around the house today. Ohhhhhhh Blowwwww my looooove to meeeeee…….
Does no one remember The Pretender anymore? He played Mr. Parker!
What the hell is going on in Hollywood?
Thinning of the herd.
Harve was in a production of South Pacific I did in Kansas City at Starlight Theater. He played de Beque–the French guy that falls for Nellie Forbush. He was a bit of a womanizer, but very nice and extremely professional and gifted. I am surprised he wasn’t more famous. God bless him and his family…
Olivia,
Exactly! I loved the Pretender. Unfortunately, when i mentioned Harve Presnell’s passing to a friend all she had was “wasn’t he the guy who willed Dawson all that money?”
Yeesh.
Goodbye Rotten LucK Willie
I’m terribly saddened over the lost of this great actor. I fell in love with him the first time I saw “Showboat” and the “Unsinkable Molly Brown” “Paint Your Wagon” and then he was also in the Dallas TV series which seems to be omitted from all the news announcements. What a booming beautiful voice and handsome leading man, even in his later years of life. There is not anyone out there today that can compare to the quality of a person and actor he was. My heart goes out to his family and friends. He will be deeply missed. The lights should go out on Broadway for him.
I got to see him live with Debbie Reynolds in 1989 when both of them toured the country in a stage version of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.”
Beth, that was Howard Keel in “Dallas,” not Presnell. Both of them tend to be mistaken for each other, since they both did musicals and had similar voices and personalities.
I bet Harve has 100 + film and stage performances. He was so accomplished in Film, Stage, Opera …in everything he did. He was a good person and touched so many with is honest good will. He will be dearly missed.
Beth, that was also Howard Keel in Showboat.
Along with Howard Keel & John Raitt, Harve Presnell was one of the GREAT voices of Broadway and musicals in general. It really is the end of an era. I always enjoyed his work and, like others, couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t a huge star. His tremendous voice still brings tears to my eyes. Check out “Andy Barker, P.I.” to see Harve’s great comedy chops, too. He was a huge star in my book.
I actually had the honor of working with Mr. Presnell in the mid 90’s. He did some voice-over for a show I was producing. He was such a nice guy and a real professional.
Harve, you were a pleasure to work with!
You will be missed!!!