Actor John Cunningham dies at 93 after nearly 70 years on stage and screen

In 1960, at just 27 years old, before he’d even signed with an agent, Cunningham was cast by legendary director Moss Hart as Zoltan in the national and international tours of My Fair Lady, while also serving as the understudy for Henry Higgins.

His final stage appearance came in 2012, at age 80, in Painting Churches — closing a theatrical journey that had defined his life.

Familiar face in iconic films

While theater was his home, Cunningham was unforgettable on screen as well. Movie audiences remember him as the buttoned-up father in Mystic Pizza (1988) and as Ethan Hawke’s stern yet loving dad in Dead Poets Society (1989).

He appeared in films including School Ties, For Love or Money, Nixon, The Jackal, Shaft, and Roommates, often cast as corporate executives, authority figures, or quietly imposing fathers; roles he elevated with nuance and warmth.

Offscreen, he delighted audiences with voice work, including the motivational “How to Be a Man” tape in In & Out and the Fed Net announcer in Starship Troopers.

In 1986, The New York Times captured Cunningham’s essence perfectly, describing him as “ever-reliable and ever-employed” — praise he cherished.

Despite decades of success, Cunningham remained humble, often joking that he had “never worked a day” in his life.

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