David Dukes

David Coleman Dukes (June 6, 1945 – October 9, 2000) was an American character actor. He had a long career in films, appearing in 35. Dukes starred in the mini-series The Winds of War and War and Remembrance in the 1980s, and he was a frequent television guest star. Later in life, Dukes had recurring roles on shows such as Pauly, Sisters and Dawson's Creek.

Dukes was born in San Francisco, California, the son of a highway patrolman. Dukes had a son Shawn by his first wife Carolyn McKenzie and a daughter Annie by his second wife Carol Muske.

David Dukes was the eldest of four boys: David, James, Robert and Joe Paul. He married his first wife while a student at the College of Marin on October 9, 1965. Their son Shawn David Dukes was born on March 31, 1966.

Dukes' film career included 35 movies. Throughout his career, he was a television guest star, notably as the man who attempted to rape Edith Bunker on All in the Family and as a blind bully on Three's Company. During the 1980s, Dukes appeared in the dual miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. He received an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor for his role in The Josephine Baker Story (1991) and appeared as Arthur Miller in Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996). He was a regular in the first season of Sisters, playing the transvestite husband of oldest sister, Alex (Swoosie Kurtz). Dukes' role became a recurring character in subsequent seasons. On Dawson's Creek, he had the recurring role of Mr. McPhee, father to Jack (Kerr Smith) and Andie (Meredith Monroe) from the second through fourth seasons.

Theater

Dukes had considerable stage experience, first appearing on Broadway in 1971. He later appeared in a revival of Molière's The School for Wives. Dukes' theatrical roles included as Dracula, Doctor Frankenstein, and Antonio Salieri in the original production of Amadeus, replacing Ian McKellen. He also replaced John Lithgow in the original production of David Henry Hwang's play M. Butterfly, and he received a Tony nomination in 1980 for best featured actor in a play for Bent.

Audio

David Dukes recorded several audiobooks, most notably Isaac Asimov's unabridged Prelude to Foundation.

Dukes died of a heart attack in Spanaway, Washington while on location shooting the Stephen King mini-series Rose Red. His widow Carol Dukes' experiences with the medical examiner's office in Pierce County, Washington were so frustrating that she publicly spoke against the office's lack of cooperation. The ME's office would not let her see her husband's body, did not inform her of her rights or honor some of the rights she did try to exercise, and failed to detect evidence of a previous heart attack during his autopsy.

Dukes is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Movies

• The Strawberry Statement (1970) as Guard
• The Wild Party (1975) as James Morrison
• A Fire in the Sky (1978) as David Allan
• A Little Romance (1979) as George de Marco
• Mayflower: A Pilgrim Adventure (1979) as Capt. Myles Standish
• The First Deadly Sin (1980) as Daniel Blank
• Only When I Laugh (1981) as David Lowe
• Without a Trace (1983) as Graham Selky
• Madame in Manhattan (1984) as Himself
• Rawhead Rex (1986) as Howard Hallenbeck
• The Men's Club (1986) as Phillip, Professor
• Catch the Heat (1987) as Waldo Tarr
• Date with an Angel (1987) as Ed Winston
• See You in the Morning (1989) as Peter Goodwin
• Killer Instinct (1989) as Bo Petersen
• The Handmaid's Tale (1990) as Doctor (cameo)
• Under Surveillance (1991) as Actor
• The Josephine Baker Story (TV film) (1991) as Jo Boullion
• Me and the Kid (1993) as Victor Feldman
• Fled (1996) as D.A. Chris Paine
• Last Stand at Saber River (1997) as Edward Janroe
• Tinseltown (1997) as Jake
• Gods and Monsters (1998) as David Lewis
• Slappy and the Stinkers (1998) as Spencer Dane Sr.
• Goosed (1999) as Steffon Stevens
• Tick Tock (2000) as Holden Avery
• Alex in Wonder (2001) as Joseph Bloomfield (filmed in 1999)

Television

• Beacon Hill (TV series) (1975), 13 episodes as Robert Lassiter
• One Day at a Time (1976) The Maestro, in season 2, episode 26 as Byron de Veer
• All in the Family (1977) in two-part episodes "Edith's 50th Birthday" as Lambert
• Family (1977)
• Three's Company (1978) in episode "Jack's Navy Pal" as Jim Walsh
• 79 Park Avenue (1977 miniseries) as Mike Koshiko
• How the West Was Won in episode "L'Affaire Riel" (1979 miniseries) as Louis Riel
• The Winds of War (1983 miniseries) as Leslie Slote
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1984 TV movie) as Gooper (Brother Man)
• George Washington (1984 miniseries) as George William Fairfax
• Kane & Abel (1985 miniseries) as David Osbourne
• War and Remembrance (1988 miniseries) as Leslie Slote
• Spies (1993 TV movie) as Robert Prescott
• The Love Letter (1998 TV movie) as Everett Reagle
• Dawson's Creek (1999–2000) in seven episodes as Mr. McPhee
• Sliders (1999) in episode "Roads Taken" as Thomas Michael Mallory
• Diagnosis: Murder in season 4, episode 13 "In Defense of Murder" (1996) as Darren Worthy
• Rose Red (TV film) (2002) as Professor Carl Miller (filmed in 2000)

Audio

• Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov