John Cunningham, the respected character actor whose career spanned nearly seven decades across Broadway, film, and television, has died at age 93. He passed away Tuesday morning at his home in Rye, New York, his family confirmed.
Often called a “working actor’s actor,” Cunningham appeared in 15 Broadway productions, including Company, Cabaret, 1776, Titanic, and Six Degrees of Separation, originating the role of Flan Kittredge before reprising it on screen. His stage career began in 1960 with My Fair Lady and ended in 2012 with Painting Churches.
Film audiences remember him from Mystic Pizza and Dead Poets Society, along with roles in Nixon, The Jackal, and Shaft. He was also a familiar presence on television, appearing repeatedly on Law & Order and shows like 30 Rock and The Good Wife.
Born in 1932, Cunningham studied at Dartmouth and Yale Drama School after serving in an Army acting troupe. Offstage, he was deeply involved in arts education in Rye, co-founding the Playwrights and Players series.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Carolyn Cotton Cunningham, their three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.