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John-Mahoney

John Mahoney

Born: June 20, 1940

Died: February 4, 2018

Growing up in Manchester, England, Mahoney enjoyed acting in school plays. Decades later, he sought to scratch that creative itch by taking an acting class with David Mamet. In 1977, at age 37, Mahoney quit his medical editor job to give acting a shot, joining Steppenwolf Theater, a renowned troupe in Chicago, and started collecting awards and nominations for his craft. He landed plum stage roles, then TV spots, and soon enough Hollywood called, bearing parts in Oscar-winning Moonstruck (1987), Say Anything (1989), and a slew of others. By 1993, he landed his most widely known role as Martin Crane, the lovable curmudgeon on NBC’s Frasier, earning him an Emmy nomination and a spot on the list of favorite TV dads.

However, before he was the domineering dad, before he was Martin Crane, before he was an actor at all, John Mahoney was driven by his actions as they relate to others. He took care and purpose to make sure his behavior in the everyday centered on charity and kindness. In a conversation with a friend, Mahoney reportedly said, “I have a little mantra that I say probably 20 or 30 times throughout the day: ‘Dear God, please help me to treat everybody—including myself—with love, respect, and dignity.’ That’s why it’s important for me to be liked.”

Jennon Bell Hoffman


More about John Mahoney:

Faith had a starring role in actor John Mahoney’s life

Even when he played the bad guy, John Mahoney imbued his characters with his personal faith.


Image: YouTube