George Coe


George Coe was an American actor.
Coe was a regular actor on stage from the late 1950s, most notably having his big break with the 1963 cabaret show Money, which saw Coe play 22 different roles that ran for a year. He was a part of the original cast for Broadway shows such as What Makes Sammy Run? and Mame, with the latter seeing him do over a thousand performances. He served as a co-director and co-producer in the parody short The Dove, which garnered him an Academy Award nomination. Coe was also a regular in small roles for television since the late 1960s before Coe was cast in the starting cast of the first season of Saturday Night Live in 1975 to balance the relatively young cast. Coe appeared in brief parts for eight episodes of his only season, although he appeared on the show again in 1978 and 1986; he was the oldest freshman actor on the show for nearly four decades.
Coe continued to appear in bit parts for countless shows and films over the next couple of decades. In his later years, he voiced the character of Woodhouse in Archer.

Early life

Coe was born in New York, New York. The son of a diamond dealer, he graduated from the Admiral Farragut Academy, before attending Hofstra University in Hempstead. He served in the Navy during the Korean War. After serving in the military, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Career

Coe started out on Broadway in 1957. He played 22 roles in the Broadway show Money, which was praised by The New York Times.
Coe was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players", the original cast of Saturday Night Live. Following his initial stint, he made guest appearances for episodes in 1978 and 1986. At age 46, Coe was the oldest new SNL cast member until 2014, when 47-year-old Leslie Jones joined the cast.
He voiced the Autobot Wheeljack in Michael Bay's Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
He voiced the character of Woodhouse, the much-put-upon valet in the FX animated series Archer; "The Figgis Agency" was dedicated in his memory.

Death

Coe died on July 18, 2015, at the age of 86, after a long illness, in Santa Monica, California. He had a number of illnesses, including lymphoma, a condition he had for around 20 years. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and four grandchildren.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Video games

Theatre

Accolades