John Patrick Mahon (February 3, 1938[2] – May 3, 2020) was an American film, stage and television actor. He was perhaps best known for playing "Captain Gillette" in the 2007 film Zodiac.[3]
John Mahon | |
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Born | John Patrick Mahon[1] (1938-02-03)February 3, 1938 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | May 3, 2020(2020-05-03) (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Alma mater | University of Scranton |
Occupation | Film, stage and television actor |
Years active | 1973–2020 |
Children | 2[1] |
Mahon was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania,[2] the son of an attorney.[4] He attended at University of Scranton, where Mahon had studied about classical languages, in which he also studied about the English literature.[2] At the age of 12, he contracted polio, in which Mahon he was paralyzed, with not having full recovering on his left arm, in 1950.[1][2] Mahon then met playwright, Jason Miller.[5]
With Miller, Mahon was suggested to audition on stage plays at the Marywood University.[5] After graduating from University of Scranton, he went into a train, in which Mahon was moving to New York City.[5] He began his career in 1973, where Mahon appeared in the film The Exorcist.[2][5] Mahon was nominated for a New York Drama Critics Award in the category Best Actor, for his performance in the play Nobody Hears a Broken Drum, in 1971.[2] He continued his career, where Mahon directed on plays, with also performing on plays, which includes, King Richard III, in which starred actor and filmmaker, Al Pacino.[3][6]
In his film and television career, Mahon guest-starred in numerous television programs, Frasier, Cagney & Lacey, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (7 episodes), Just Shoot Me!, Jake and the Fatman, Steambath, Knots Landing, Generations, The X-Files, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Diagnosis: Murder, Hunter and The Rockford Files.[1][2][3] He also co-starred and appeared in films, such as, The People Under the Stairs, One False Move, Bad Influence, L.A. Confidential, The Couch Trip, Armageddon, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Zodiac.[3][1][2] In 1995, Mahon played the role of the "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs" in the film The American President.[4]
Mahon also provided the voice of Gnorris in the 1995 educational video game, I.M. Meen.
In 2014, Mahon wrote a memoir, titled, A Life of Make Believe: From Paralysis to Hollywood, in which was about his life and career.[2][5]
Mahon died in May 2020 of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 82.[1][2][3][7]