'Murphy Brown' Bartender Corley Dies

Zap2It.com | September 15, 2006

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Actor had congestive heart failure

Pat Corley, best known as the barkeep Phil on "Murphy Brown," has died at the age of 76.

The actor died of congestive heart failure on Monday, Sept. 11 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, report news sources.

Corley was born June 1, 1930 in Dallas, Texas. He first started his entertainment career as a ballet dancer for the Stockton Ballet for three seasons when he was a teen. He served in the army during the Korean War, went to Stockton College and then moved to New York to attend the American Theatre Wing to study acting.

He first started his five-decade acting career in summer stock and then hit Broadway in "Blues for Mr. Charlie."

On television he was also known as coroner Wally Nydorf on "Hill Street Blues." He also appeared on "Starsky and Hutch," "The Waltons," "Lou Grant," "Hart to Hart," "St. Elsewhere," "The Fall Guy," "Moonlighting," "LA Law," "Simon and Simon," "Cagney & Lacey" and "Murder One."

He also showed up on the big screen in "Coming Home," "True Confessions," "Night Shift" and "Against All Odds."

Corley is survived by sons Jerry and Kevin, daughters Troy and Christina, and 12 grandchildren. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday in Northridge.
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