Charles Tyner


Charles Tyner was an American film, television, and stage character actor known principally for his performances in the films Cool Hand Luke, Harold and Maude, The Cowboys, Emperor of the North Pole, The Longest Yard, Pete's Dragon, Hamburger: The Motion Picture, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Pulse.

Early life

Tyner was a native of Danville, Virginia and served in the United States Army as a combat infantryman in Germany and France during World War II.

Performing

In 1957, Tyner made his debut on Broadway in Orpheus Descending. In 1959, he appeared with Paul Newman in Sweet Bird of Youth on Broadway.
During 1959, Tyner had his film debut with an uncredited part in That Kind of Woman. He worked with Newman again in 1967 as Boss Higgins, the sadistic prison guard in Cool Hand Luke and became a regular character actor, appearing in films including The Reivers, Lawman, Harold and Maude, The Cowboys, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Emperor of the North Pole. One of Tyner's better known roles was opposite Burt Reynolds in the 1974 prison comedy The Longest Yard. Other roles included the evil Howard Rodman in the television series Father Murphy and Gus, the motel owner in Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Tyner returned to the stage in 1977 but continued to appear in films and frequently act on television. Tyner's last onscreen appearance was in the 2014 independent short film Lucidia. He died on November 8, 2017.

Filmography

  • That Kind of Woman as Young Sharecropper, Father
  • Fail Safe as Jet Fighter Pilot
  • Lilith as Patient
  • Cool Hand Luke as Boss Higgins
  • The Stalking Moon - Dace
  • The Sound of Anger as Rudolph Evans
  • Gaily, Gaily as Dr. Lazarus
  • The Reivers as Edmonds
  • The Cheyenne Social Club as Charlie Bannister
  • The Moonshine War as Mr. McClendon
  • The Traveling Executioner as Virgil
  • Monte Walsh as Doctor
  • Sometimes a Great Notion as Les Gibbons
  • Lawman as Minister
  • Harold and Maude as Uncle Victor
  • The Cowboys as Stonemason
  • Jeremiah Johnson as Robidoux
  • Fuzz as Pete Schroeder
  • Bad Company as Egg Farmer
  • Emperor of the North Pole as Cracker
  • The Stone Killer as Police Psychiatrist
  • The Midnight Man as Ewing
  • Winter Kill as Charley Eastman
  • The Longest Yard as Unger
  • The Greatest Gift as Amos Goodloe
  • Young Pioneers as Mr. Beaton
  • Family Plot as Wheeler
  • Rich Man, Poor Man as Matusik
  • The Outlaw Josey Wales as Zukie Limmer
  • Pete's Dragon as Merle Gogan
  • Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion as Lefty Slade
  • The Awakening Land as Reverend Hutchins
  • Lassie: A New Beginning as Asa Bluel
  • The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel as Doug Slocumb
  • Young Guy Christian as Doctor Gasss
  • A Matter of Life and Death as Joy's Father
  • Evilspeak as Colonel Kincaid
  • Deadly Messages as George Clark
  • Space as "Dracula"
  • Hamburger: The Motion Picture as Lyman Vunk
  • Best Seller as Cleve's Father
  • Planes, Trains and Automobiles as Gus Mooney
  • Pulse as Old Man Holger
  • I'll Be Home for Christmas as Isaiah Cawley
  • Enid Is Sleeping as Man at Indian Burial Site
  • Pastime as Arnold
  • Motorama as Dying Man
  • Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is as Mechanic
  • Lucidia as Father Gordon

    Television series

  • Danger – 2 episodes
  • The DuPont Show of the Month: ''"Ethan Frome" as Jotham Powell – 1 episode
  • The United States Steel Hour: "Shadow of a Pale Horse" as Weatherby – 1 episode
  • NBC Sunday Showcase: "The Sacco-Vanzetti Story" as Clerk – 2 episodes
  • Naked City as Hotel Manager / Veyo / Jerome "Apples" Seidner – 3 episodes
  • The Defenders as Captain MacDonald – 1 episode
  • Hawk as Drunk – 1 episode
  • Dundee and the Culhane as Guilfoyle – 1 episode
  • The Big Valley as Hemit – 1 episode
  • The High Chaparral as Gregg – 1 episode
  • Sarge as Hawley – 1 episode
  • Alias Smith and Jones as Turner – 1 episode
  • Kung Fu as Larraby – 1 episode
  • The Waltons as Graham Foster – 1 episode
  • Mannix as Jonah – 1 episode
  • The Manhunter as Joshua Grant – 1 episode
  • McCloud as William Lang – 1 episode
  • City of Angels as Undertaker – 1 episode
  • Charlie's Angels as Anton Tarloff – 1 episode
  • The Young Pioneers as Mr. Beaton – 1 episode
  • Family as Mr. Chadway – 1 episode
  • How the West Was Won as Eli Kelsay – 1 episode
  • Barnaby Jones as Sam Finney – 2 episodes
  • The Dukes of Hazzard as Claude Billings – 1 episode
  • Father Murphy as Mr. Howard Rodman – 10 episodes
  • The Incredible Hulk as Roy Darnell – 1 episode
  • Little House on the Prairie as Mr. Janes – 2 episodes
  • AfterMASH as Rivers – 1 episode
  • St. Elsewhere as Christopher Samus Payne – 1 episode
  • The Jeffersons as Bellboy – 1 episode
  • Highway to Heaven as Caleb Fish – 1 episode
  • Hill Street Blues as Al DiPiano – 2 episodes
  • Riptide as Building Manager – 1 episode
  • Dallas as Bovay – 1 episode
  • Paradise as Herb Applegate – 2 episodes
  • The Wonder Years as Mr. Nestor – 2 episodes
  • Matlock as E.J. Metcalf – 1 episode
  • On the Air as Professor R. Answer – 1 episode
  • ER as Barry Connelly – 1 episode
  • Diagnosis Murder as Harry Clark – 1 episode
  • 18th Screen Actors Guild Awards'' as Self / "In Memoriam" – 1 episode

    Selected theater credits

  • Johnny Johnson, playing "The Village Editor" / "Dr. McBray" / "An American Brigadier General" / "An Attendant", Carnegie Hall Playhouse, New York City – 1956
  • Orpheus Descending, playing "2nd Man", Martin Beck Theatre, New York City – 1957
  • Under Milk Wood, playing "Third Drowned" / "Evans the Death" / "Organ Morgan", Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City – 1957
  • Sweet Bird of Youth, playing "The Heckler", Martin Beck Theatre, New York City – 1959-1960
  • The Moon Besieged, playing "John Brown", Lyceum Theatre, New York City, NY – 1962
  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, playing "Sefelt", Cort Theatre, New York City – 1963-1964
  • Our Town, playing "Howie Newsome", Equity Library Theatre, New York City; Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Connecticut

    Accolades

  • The Cowboys — Winner — Western Heritage Award