Coffin, Frederick

Frederick Coffin

Frederick Coffin was born on January 16, 1943.  He was the son of actress Winifred Deforest Coffin (Winifred "Winnie" Collins was her stage name) and writer of musicals Dean Fisk Coffin. He had three brothers and one sister, Will (his fraternal twin), Tris and Howard (also twins) and Cella, respectively.

Mrs. Collins sent her boys to Western Reserve Academy, in Hudson, Ohio, primarily because of the food (her boys were hearty eaters and just big and athletic).  Coffin excelled in school, save for one bout of academic probation, and found activities beyond his studies quite agreeable.  In addition to theatre studies he was a member of many different social clubs, etc., including: the Senior Chapel Committee, Glee Club, R club, octet & prefect, Hardscrabble Staff, class secretary/treasurer and he was also the recipient of a Headmaster's award (Headmaster chooses a worthy student).  Furthermore he participated in football, basketball (team captain), baseball and even managed to work at Upward Bound (youth program) during a summer.  Coffin graduated from WRA in 1961 with a BA in Theatre.

In 1962 Coffin entered the University of Michigan where he intended to play football (as a walk-on). A week into football and he decided to quit to do a musical.  He never regretted his decision and never looked back. While studying at U of M he was a member of APA - Phoenix Repertory Company where he played many roles.  He graduated from U of M with a Masters in Theatre.

One of Coffin's first professional starts on stage was with the New York Public Theatre and for the following thirty years Coffin put his heart into all of his roles.

Coffin died on July 31, 2003 of lung cancer, survived by his wife, actress Barbara Monte-Britton (1977-2003 until his death) and by three brothers.

Film
Identity~2003 - Detective Varole
View from the Top~2003 - Mr. Stewart
Base, The~1999 (V) - Gen. Albert Becker
Memorial Day~1998 -  Senator Jerald Lancaster
Texas~1994 (V) - Zave
There Goes My Baby~1994 - Mr. Maran
Wayne's World~1992 - Officer Koharski
V.I. Warshawski~1991 - Horton Grafalk
If Looks Could Kill~1991 - Lt. Col. Larabee
Hard to Kill~1990 - Kevin O'Malley
Out Cold~1989 - Sgt. Haroldson
Time of Destiny, A~1988 - Ed
Shoot to Kill~1988 - Ralph
Bedroom Window, The~1987 - Jessup
Fine Mess, A~1986 - Traffic Cop
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling~1986 - Dr. Weissman
Nothing Lasts Forever~1984 - Lunar Shopping Observer
Without a Trace~1983 - Officer Coffin
Alone in the Dark~1982 - Jim Gable
Dead Ringer~1981 - Richard Monier
Mother's Day~1980 - Ike
King of the Gypsies~1978 - Basketball Coach
Dragonfly~1976 - Walter Craigle

TV
Jackie Chan Adventures~2002 - voice of Mr. MacDonald in When Pigs Fly
Presidio Med~2002 - in When Approaching a Let-Go
For the People~2002 - Mr. Cole in Our Own
American Family~2002 - in La Llorona: The Weeping Woman Part 2
Diagnosis Murder~2002 - Mathew Campbell in Town Without Pity
Family Law~2001 - Doug Perliss in Sacrifices
Providence~2001 - Steven Zeller in Home Sweet Home
District, The~2001 in A Southern Town
Rocket's Red Glare~2000 - Mitch Greer
18 Wheels of Justice~2000 - (see Actor Connections - TV)
Bull~2000 - Wayne Wesley in Final Hour
Invisible Man, The~2000 - Charlie Fogerty in The Catevari
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction~2000 - Sheriff Driscoll in The FBI Story
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: Jon Benét and the City of Boulder~2000 -
Days of our Lives~1999 - Warden in:
    Ep. #8558
    Ep. #8557
    Ep. #8556
Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century~1999 - Parker Wyndham
Night Man~1997 in  Face to Face
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman~1997 - Danforth in The Dam
Murder, She Wrote~1989-1996 -
     Lt. Roy Flint in Murder Among Friends
     Sanford Lomax in Deadly Assets
     Tony Sable in Night of the Coyote
     Tim Mulligan in The Sins of the Castle Cove
Murder One~1996 -  Wayne Cormier in Chapter Ten
The Siege at Ruby Ridge~1996 - FBI Special Agent Doug Wilks
Andersonville~1996 - Collins
Streetcar Named Desire, A~1995 - Steve
Texas~1995 - Zave
Dragstrip Girl~1994 - Mr. Bickford
Secret Sins of the Father~1994 - L.J. Thielman
Walker, Texas Ranger~1994 - Tate Bodie in Rainbow Warrior
Dragstrip Girl~1994 - Mr. Bickford
Adventures of Brisco County Jr., The~1994 - Father in Ned Zed
X Files, The~1993 -  Chief Joseph McGrath in Fallen Angel
L.A. Law~1993 -
     John Shale in
         Pacific Rimshot
         Safe Sex
         The Green, Green Grass of Home
     Bill Novicky in Fifty Way to Floss Your Lover
Renegade~1993 - Kavanaugh in Lyon's Roar
Commish, The~1992 - Joe McKellar in Adventures in the Skin Trade: Parts 1 & 2
MacGyver~1991 - Karl Meredith in  Deadly Silents
Young Riders, The~1990 - Sutro in Unfinished Business
Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501~1990 - Wes Goddard
Glory Days~1990 - Mr. Lovejoy in The Kids Are Allright
Fair Game~1989 - Rick Winchester
Settle the Score~1989 - Tucker
Lonesome Dove~1989 (mini) - Big Zwey (4 episodes)
Mancuso, FBI~1989 -  Sullivan in Little Saigon
A Peaceable Kingdom~1989 - Peter Latham in Chimp
Jake and the Fatman~1989 - Clark Beaudine in Side by Side
The Robert Guillaume Show~1989 - in Together Again
Something is Out There~1988 - Charles Calvin in Night of the Visitors
Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, The~1988 - Brian in Here's a Message from Your Local Bag Lady
Hunter~1987 - Lloyd Fredericks in City of Passion: Parts 1-3
Amazing Stories~1987 - Al Lewise in Such Interesting Neighbors
L.A. Law~1987 - Bill Novicky in Fifty Ways to Floss Your Lover
Crime Story~1987 - Slim Mahoney in The Battle of Las Vegas
Private Eye~1987 - Det. Dan Dibble
I Married Dora~1987 - Buck in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Forever?
Dallas~1987 - Alfred Simpson in:
    Two-Fifty
    Ruthless People
    War and Peace
    Some Good, Some Bad
    The Ten Percent Solution
     Revenge of the Nerd
Remington Steele~1986 - Joe Gullickson in Steele in the Running
Twilight Zone, The~1986 - Max in The Misfortune Cookie
Manhunt for Claude Dallas~1986 - Frank Weston
Comedy Factory~1986 - Lucas Hanlon in Chameleon
Deliberate Stranger, The~1986 - Jerry Thompson
Mr. and Mrs. Ryan~1986 - Beckerman
Under Siege~1986 - Dan Murphy
Amos~1985 - Roland
The Best Times~1985 - Thomas G. Lauck in Snake Meat
Moonlighting~1985 - Pawnbroker in Pilot Part 2
Scandal Sheet~1985
Concealed Enemies~1984 - Thomas Murphy
Hill Street Blues~1984 - Tony Yankovich in Ewe and Me, Babe
Edge of Night, The~1983 - Stephen Markham
Invasion of Privacy, An~1983 - Alvin
Muggable Mary, Street Cop~1982 - Used Car Salesman
Jilting of Granny Weatherall, The~1980 - Dr. Harry
Ryan's Hope~1980 - Jim Hurley in 1.1227/1.1230/1.1250
Death Penalty~1980 - Eddie
Once Upon a Classic~1978 - Sagramore in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Kojak~1977 - Lt. Bill Lee in:
     Sister Maria
     A Shield For Murder Parts 1 & 2
Great Performances~1974-1977 -
     Lt. Maxwell in Secret Service
     Oswald in King Lear
     Second Guard in Antigone
Much Ado About Nothing~1973 - Borachio

Theatre
Joy of Going Somewhere Definite, The~1997 - Merle (Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, CA)
God Bless You Mr. Rosewater~1979 - Mr. Elliott Rosewater (WPA Theatre, NY)
Secret Service~1976 - Lieutenant Maxwell and understudy: Berson/Arrelsford (Playhouse Theatre, New York, NY, US) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)
Boy Meets Girl~1976 - Larry Toms (Phoenix Theatre, NY)
We Interrupt This Program..l~1975 - Lieutenant Burke (Ambassador Theatre, New York, NY)
As You Like It~1973 - Jacques (Delacorte Theatre, New York, NY) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)
Boom Boom Room, The~1973 - Ralphie (Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York, NY)
Much Ado About Nothing~1972 - Borrachio, follower of Don John (Winter Garden Theatre, New York, NY)
Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel~ - Mickey (New York Shakespeare Festival, NY)
King Lear~ - Oswald (Shakespeare in the Park, NY) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)
Wonderful Town~ - Wreck (tour)

Theatre Director
Billy Bud~19?? - (Upward Bound youth theatre, Ohio)

Radio
Landing Strip in the Jungle, A~1986

Live Performances
Contact~1997-8 (WRA)
Views on a Muse~1997-8 (WRA)
Accordion player - toured France, Italy, Spain and Morocco

Audio Play
Canticle for Leibowitz, A~80's - Narrator/performer

Video Games
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast (2002)  (voice)  -  Stormtrooper 1
Lands of Lore III~1999 -

Miscellany
1993 - recorded three episodes as the father on CBS' Family Dog TV show when Spielberg replaced him with actor Martin Mull.

Formed a small moving company called IPMEOP (Intimate Personal Moving for the Elimination of Object Anguish)

Wrote songs and poetry - published a 45 (a small vinyl recording) of a song named 'Roach Nested' and also wrote a song while working in the play 'The Secret Service', it was called, 'You've Got to Work at Love to Keep it Warm'

A member of the Producing Artists in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Two years with the Classic Repertory Company in Detroit, Michigan.

Taught theatre and direction at Upward Bound in Ohio and also taught the same in Maryland.