Charles Tyner

Charles Tyner (June 8, 1923—November 8, 2017) was an American film, television, and stage character actor known for his roles The Cowboys (1972), Emperor of the North Pole (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) and Pulse (1988).

Charles Tyner was born Charles Vivian Tyner Jr. on June 8, 1923, in Danville, Virginia, to Charles Vivian Tyner Sr. and Pearl Irene Hicks. He served in the United States Army as a combat infantryman in Germany and France during World War II. After the war, he studied acting with Stella Adler.

Tyner started his acting career on stage, appearing in 1957 on the Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' three-act play Orpheus Descending. Two years later, he appeared with Paul Newman and Geraldine Page in Sweet Bird of Youth on Broadway. Newman and Tyner formed a lasting bond and worked in several movies together later.

Tyner's silver screen debut came in 1959 with a minor, uncredited role in Sidney Lumet's romance-drama That Kind of Woman starring Sophia Loren, Tab Hunter, and Jack Warden.

In the following years, Tyner had episodic roles in such TV series as The DuPont Show of the Month (1960), Sunday Showcase (1960), The United States Steel Hour(1960), The Defenders (1962), and Naked City (1961–1963).

In 1967, he was seen playing a sadistic prison guard in Stuart Rosenberg's crime-drama Cool Hand Luke alongside Paul Newman, George Kennedy, and Strother Martin.

Two years later, Tyner was seen playing "Edmonds" in Mark Rydell's comedy The Reivers starring Steve McQueen, Sharon Farrell, and Ruth White. After this, he appeared as a character actor in several films, including Lawman (1971), Harold and Maude (1971), The Cowboys (1972), The Stone Killer (1973), and Emperor of the North Pole (1973). For his work in The Cowboys, he shared the Bronze Wrangler award at the Western Heritage Awards with Tim Zinnemann, Mark Rydell, Harriet Frank Jr., William Dale Jennings, Irving Ravetch, Lonny Chapman, Roscoe Lee Browne, Colleen Dewhurst, and Bruce Dern.

In 1974, Tyner landed one of his most memorable roles, "Unger", in Robert Aldrich's prison comedy The Longest Yard alongside Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, and Ed Lauter.

Tyner returned to the stage in 1977 but continued to appear in films and television series. In 1981-1982, he had the recurring role as "Howard Rodman" in Michael Landon's western TV series Father Murphy starring Merlin Olsen and Katherine Cannon.

His last screen appearance was in 2014 in the role of Father Gordon in Micah Stuart's independent short film Lucidia alongside Bryce Johnson, Elizabeth June, and Adam Marcinowski.

Tyner passed away on November 8, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 92.

• That Kind of Woman (1959) - Young Sharecropper, Father (uncredited)
• Fail Safe (1964) - Jet Fighter Pilot (voice, uncredited)
• Lilith (1964) - Patient (uncredited)
• Cool Hand Luke (1967) - Boss Higgins
• The Stalking Moon (1968) - Dace
• Gaily, Gaily (1969) - Dr. Lazarus
• The Reivers (1969) - Edmonds
• The Cheyenne Social Club (1970) - Charlie Bannister
• The Moonshine War (1970) - Mr. McClendon
• The Traveling Executioner (1970) - Virgil
• Monte Walsh (1970) - Doctor
• Sometimes a Great Notion (1970) - Les Gibbons
• Lawman (1971) - Minister
• Harold and Maude (1971) - Uncle Victor
• The Cowboys (1972) - Stonemason
• Jeremiah Johnson (1972) - Robidoux
• Fuzz (1972) - Pete Schroeder
• Bad Company (1972) - Egg Farmer
• Emperor of the North (1973) - Cracker
• The Stone Killer (1973) - Police Psychiatrist
• The Midnight Man (1974) - Ewing
• The Longest Yard (1974) - Unger
• Family Plot (1976) - Wheeler
• The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) - Zukie Limmer
• Pete's Dragon (1977) - Merle Gogan
• The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel (1979) - Doug Slocumb
• Evilspeak (1981) - Colonel Kincaid
• Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986) - Lyman Vunk
• Best Seller (1987) - Cleve's Father
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) - Gus Mooney
• Pulse (1988) - Old Man
• Enid Is Sleeping (1990) - Man at Indian Burial Site
• Pastime (1990) - Arnold
• Motorama (1991) - Dying Man