# Frederick Coffin

Frederick D. Coffin (January 16, 1943 – July 31, 2003) was an American film actor, singer, songwriter, and musician.

## Early life

Coffin was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1943 to actress Winifred Deforest Coffin and writer Dean Coffin, and was one of five children. He was educated at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, where he studied theater and was also a serious athlete, graduating in 1961. He enrolled the University of Michigan in 1962, where he intended to play football but instead decided to focus on acting, earning a B.A. then a master's degree in theater.

## Career

Coffin made his screen debut in 1973 when he appeared in the television film Much Ado About Nothing, an adaptation of the play, in which he also starred. He appeared in his first feature film in 1976 in the drama Dragonfly, with Beau Bridges and Susan Sarandon. His second feature was the Golden Globe nominated King of the Gypsies, with Shelley Winters. During the 1980s, Coffin appeared in several films: the horror film Alone in the Dark, which starred Donald Pleasence, Without a Trace, Mother's Day, Credited as Holden McGuire Nothing Lasts Forever, the biography film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling with Richard Pryor, the action comedy A Fine Mess with Ted Danson, and The Bedroom Window. In the 1990s, Coffin continued to appear in films, one of which he is known for is the comedy film Wayne's World, with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, and the Steven Seagal film Hard to Kill. In 1999, Coffin would appear, in perhaps his best known role among millennials, as corrupt business man Parker Wyndham in the Disney Channel original movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. He would appear in two final films before his death in 2003: View from the Top with Gwyneth Paltrow, and Identity with John Cusack.
Although, it was in fact television that Coffin appeared in mostly throughout his career, his first appearance in a television series was in Great Performances, which starred actors such as Walter Cronkite, who presented the series, Julie Andrews and Liza Minnelli. He also made guest appearances in many well known series including Kojak, Hill Street Blues, Moonlighting, The Twilight Zone, Remington Steele, Dallas, in which he appeared for six episodes, L.A. Law, The X-Files, Walker, Texas Ranger, Murder, She Wrote, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and the soap operas Ryan's Hope and The Edge of Night. He appeared as Buffalo hunter Big Zwey in the epic mini-series, Lonesome Dove.
Coffin starred in many television films including Under Siege, the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove and the 1995 film adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire. He was originally cast as the voice of the father in the series Family Dog, he was later replaced by actor Martin Mull.
He also had roles in theater, including playing Eliot Rosewater in the 1979 premier of Ashman and Menken's musical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.
In 1997, he returned to his alma mater as that year's Knight Fellow, one of Western Reserve Academy's most distinguished honors.
Coffin was also a talented singer, songwriter, and musician.

## Personal life and death

Coffin was married to actress Barbara Monte-Britton from September 25, 1977, to his death on July 31, 2003, from lung cancer; he was a long-time chain smoker.

## Filmography

Film :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | Dragonfly | Walter Craigle | |
| 1978 | King of the Gypsies | Basketball Coach | |
| 1980 | Mother's Day | Ike | Credited as Holden McGuire |
| 1981 | Dead Ringer | Himself | Documentary film |
| 1982 | Alone in the Dark | Jim Gable | |
| 1983 | Without a Trace | Officer Coffin | |
| 1984 | Nothing Lasts Forever | Lunar Shopping Observer | |
| 1986 | Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling | Dr. Weissman | |
| 1986 | A Fine Mess | Traffic Cop | |
| 1987 | The Bedroom Window | Detective Jessup | |
| 1988 | Shoot to Kill | Ralph | |
| 1988 | A Time of Destiny | Ed | |
| 1989 | Out Cold | Sergeant Haroldson | |
| 1990 | Hard to Kill | Lieutenant Kevin O'Malley | |
| 1991 | If Looks Could Kill | Lieutenant Colonel Larabee | |
| 1991 | V.I. Warshawski | Horton Grafalk | |
| 1992 | Wayne's World | Officer Koharski | |
| 1994 | There Goes My Baby | Mr. Maran | |
| 1998 | Memorial Day | Senator Jerald Lancaster | |
| 1999 | The Base | General Albert Becker | Direct-to-video |
| 2003 | View from the Top | Mr. Stewart | |
| 2003 | Identity | Detective Varole | (final film role) |
| Television ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973 | Much Ado About Nothing | Borachio | Television film |
| 1974 | Great Performances | Second Guard / Oswald | Episodes: "Antigone", "King Lear" |
| 1977 | Secret Service | Lieutenant Maxwell | Television film |
| 1976–1977 | Kojak | Lieutenant Bill Lee | Episodes: "A Shield for Murder: Parts 1 & 2", "Sister Maria" |
| 1978 | Once Upon a Classic | Sagramore | Episode: "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" |
| 1980 | The Jilting of Granny Weatherall | Dr. Harry | Television film |
| 1980 | Death Penalty | Eddie | Television film |
| 1980 | Ryan's Hope | Jim Hurley | Episodes: #1227, #1230, #1250 |
| 1982 | Muggable Mary, Street Cop | Used Car Salesman | Television film |
| 1983 | An Invasion of Privacy | Alvin | Television film |
| 1983 | The Edge of Night | Stephen Markham | |
| 1984 | Concealed Enemies | Thomas Murphy | Television film |
| 1984 | Hill Street Blues | Tony Yankovich | Episode: "Ewe and Me, Babe" |
| 1985 | Scandal Sheet | | Television film |
| 1985 | Moonlighting | Pawnbroker | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1985 | Amos | Roland | Television film |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Max | Episode: Season 1.14 - segment: "The Misfortune Cookie" |
| 1986 | Under Siege | Dan Murphy | Television film |
| 1986 | Remington Steele | Joe Gullickson | Episode: "Steele in the Running" |
| 1986 | Mr. and Mrs. Ryan | Beckerman | Television film |
| 1986 | The Deliberate Stranger | Jerry Thompson | Television film |
| 1986 | Comedy Factory | Lucas Hanlon | Episode: "Chameleon" |
| 1986 | Manhunt for Claude Dallas | Frank Weston | Television film |
| 1987 | Private Eye | | Television film |
| 1987 | Crime Story | Slim Mahoney | Episode: "The Battle of Las Vegas" |
| 1987 | Amazing Stories | Al Lewis | Episode: "Such Interesting Neighbors" |
| 1987 | Dallas | Alfred Simpson | 6 episodes |
| 1987 | Hunter | Lloyd Fredericks | Episodes: "City of Passion: Parts 1, 2 & 3" |
| 1987 | I Married Dora | 'Buck' | Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Forever?" |
| 1988 | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | Brian | Episode: "Here's a Message from Your Local Bag Lady" |
| 1988 | Something Is Out There | Charles Calvin | Episode: "Night of the Visitors" |
| 1989 | Fair Game | Rick Winchester | Television film |
| 1989 | Lonesome Dove | 'Big Zwey' | 4 episodes |
| 1989 | The Robert Guillaume Show | | Episode: "Together Again" |
| 1989 | Jake and the Fatman | Clark Beaudine | Episode: "Side by Side" |
| 1989 | A Peaceable Kingdom | Pete Latham | Episode: "Chimp" |
| 1989 | Mancuso, F.B.I. | Sullivan | Episode: "Little Saigon" |
| 1989 | Settle the Score | Tucker | Television film |
| 1990 | The Young Riders | Sutro | Episode: "Unfinished Business" |
| 1990 | Glory Days | Mr. Lovejoy | Episode: "The Kids Are Allright" |
| 1990 | Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 | Wes Goddard | Television film |
| 1991 | MacGyver | Karl Meredith | Episode: "Deadly Silents" |
| 1992 | The Commish | Joe McKellar | Episodes: "Adventures in the Skin Trade: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 1987–1993 | L.A. Law | Bill Novicky / John Shale | 4 episodes |
| 1993 | Renegade | | Episode: "Lyon's Roar" |
| 1993 | The X-Files | Chief Joe McGrath | Episode: "Fallen Angel" |
| 1994 | Secret Sins of the Father | L.J. Thielman | Television film |
| 1994 | Secret Sins of the Father | Father | Episode: "Ned Zed" |
| 1994 | Dragstrip Girl | Mr. Bickford | Television film |
| 1994 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Tate Brodie | Episode: "Rainbow Warrior" |
| 1994 | Texas | Zave | Television film |
| 1995 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Steve | Television film |
| 1989–1996 | Murder, She Wrote | Tim Mulligan / Tony Sable / Stanford Lomax / Lieutenant Roy Flint | 4 episodes |
| 1996 | Murder One | Wayne Cormier | Episode: "Chapter Ten" |
| 1996 | Andersonville | Collins | Television film |
| 1996 | The Siege at Ruby Ridge | Doug Wilks | Television film |
| 1997 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Danforth | Episode: "The Dam" |
| 1997 | Night Man | | Episode: "Face to Face" |
| 1999 | Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century | Parker Wyndham | Television film |
| 1999 | Days of Our Lives | Warden | Episode: #8556 |
| 2000 | Perfect Murder, Perfect Town | | Television film |
| 2000 | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Sheriff Driscoll | "The FBI Story" |
| 2000 | The Invisible Man | Charlie Fogerty | Episode: "The Catevari" |
| 2000 | Rocket's Red Glare | Mitch Greer | Television film |
| 2000 | Bull | Wayne Wesley | Episode: "Final Hour" |
| 2001 | The District | | Episode: "A Southern Town" |
| 2001 | Providence | Steven Zeller | Episode: "Home Sweet Home" |
| 2001 | Family Law | Doug Perliss | Episode: "Sacrifices" |
| 2002 | Diagnosis: Murder- Town without Pity | Mathew Campbell | Television film |
| 2002 | American Family | | Episode: "La Llorona: Part 2" |
| 2002 | For the People | Mr. Cole | Episode: "Our Own" |
| 2002 | Presidio Med | | Episode: "When Approaching a Let-Go" |
| 2002 | Jackie Chan Adventures | Mr. MacDonald | Episode: "When Pigs Fly" |
| Video Games ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | Land of the Lore III | Innkeeper/Morrison/The Last Man | Voice |
| 2002 | Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast | Stormtrooper 1 | Voice |