George Coe Passes On

Actor George Coe died on July 18 2015 at the age of 86. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live and provided the voice of Woodhouse on Archer. He also appeared in films from The Stepford Wives (1975) to The Mighty Ducks (1992).

George Coe was born George Cohen on May 10 1929 in New York City. He attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York for four years before serving aboard a submarine in the United States Navy during the Korean War. He was involved with radio broadcasting while in the Navy, and after once discharged he studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Starting in 1957 he appeared on stage in various productions. He made his television debut in 1963 in various episodes of the soap opera The Doctors. In the Sixties he also appeared in an episode of For the People. Mr. Coe made his Broadway debut in What Makes Sammy Run? in 1964. He also appeared in the productions Mame and Company. In 1968 he made his film debut in the short "De Düva: The Dove", a parody of Ingmar Bergman films in which he starred and that he also directed and produced.  It was nominated for the Oscar for best live action short.

In the Seventies George Coe was a semi-regular on Saturday Night Live. He was also a regular on the soap opera Somerset from 1971 to 1972. He appeared in the films The Stepford Wives (1975), French Postcards (1979), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), and The First Deadly Sin (1980). He appeared on Broadway in On the Twentieth Century.

In the Eighties George Coe appeared in such films as Bustin' Loose (1981), The Amateur (1981), The Entity (1982), The House of God (1984), Micki + Maude (1984), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Blind Date (1987), Cousins (1989), and The End of Innocence (1990). He was a regular on Goodnight Beantown and the short lived American version of Max Headroom. He guest starred on such shows as Hill Street Blues, Moonlighting, Family Ties, Simon & Simon, The Paper Chase, Dallas, The Scarecrow & Mrs. King, The Golden Girls, The Tracy Ullman Show, Columbo, Matlock, and Murphy Brown.

In the Nineties George Coe was a regular on the TV shows Equal Justice and Working, and had a recurring role on L.A. Law. He guest starred on such shows as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Night Court, Nurses, Murder She Wrote, Law & Order, Home Improvement, The Pretender, The Practice, The Nanny, and Two Guys and a Girl. He appeared in such films as The Mighty Ducks (1992), Nick and Jane (1997), and Diamond Men (2000). He appeared on Broadway in a revival of Company.

 In the Naughts Mr. Coe had a recurring role on The West Wing. He guest starred on such shows as The Lone Gunmen, Becker, Smallville, Crossing Jordan, Gilmore Girls, The King of Queens, Supernatural, Nip/Tuck, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He appeared in such films as Corporate Affairs (2008), Slice of Water (2009), and Funny People (2009).  In the Teens George Coe provided the voice of Woodhouse on Archer. He guest starred on Two and a Half Men and Wilfred.

George Coe was a remarkable actor with a good range. He could play a wide variety of roles, from the advertising agency head in Kramer vs. Kramer to Uncle Phil in Cousins. He also had a remarkable voice. He was much more than the voice of Woodhouse on Archer. He provided voices for several video games in the Star Wars franchise and was the voice on Toyota commercials for years. If George Coe was particularly prolific, it was because he had the sort of talent that made him very much in demand.