Veteran character actor Robert Prosky has passed away at the age of 77. His oldest son, Stefan, said the versatile actor passed away from complications from a heart procedure in Washington D.C.
Prosky had a long career, playing a variety of roles on both stage and screen. He may be best known to genre fans for his work in “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” and the theatrical version of “Dudley Do-Right.”
“He went gracefully last night, not in pain,” Stefan Prosky said Tuesday. “Everybody knows him as a fairly famous actor. My brothers and I know him as a marvelous father.”
Prosky appeared in more than 200 plays on Broadway and with Arena Stage, a regional theater company in Washington. He appeared in 38 films and numerous television shows.
A native of Philadelphia, Prosky studied economics at Temple University and served in the U.S. Air Force.
Prosky spent most of his life in Washington and raised his three sons in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Nearby Arena Stage was close to his heart. He spent 22 years affiliated with the theater and a small company of players, appearing in more than 120 plays.
“Arena Stage is where I learned to be an actor,” Prosky told The Associated Press in 2006.
Arena co-founder Zelda Fichandler said she has lost a part of her family.
“I don’t know of another American actor who has played in so many plays in so many styles in so many places in so many roles, and played them all to the hilt,” she said in a statement.
Prosky is survived by his wife, Ida Prosky, and three sons, Stefan Prosky of Washington, John Prosky of North Hollywood, Calif., and Andrew Prosky of New York. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
Instead of flowers, the family is asking for donations to The Actors Fund or for people to “just go see a play,” Stefan Prosky said.
Christine was and is one of my favorite movies today . After i watched the movie for the first time in 1999 , I bought an old 55′ cadillac fleetwood that was in ok condition . Anyway i look at this movie and look back at the main stars in it and started thinking , this movie never would have been this good to me if you didn’t see or hear mean ol’ will darnell . He played that part so well , me and all my friends love him . This also goes for the movie Hoffa. he gave everything he had for these roles. I am sorry he passed and you can tell he will be missed greatly . B.H.G
Robert was an awesome actor.My favorite was when he played in Mrs Doubtfire.My favorite part was when Robert and Robin Williams was drunk at the table and laughing at eachother.He played that part real good.I really thought he was drunk in the movie.He will be missed.He always gave the best of his heart in all the films he acted in.