Actor Best Known For His Role On ‘Murphy Brown’ Dies At 86

Actor Charles Kimbrough was probably best known for his role as Jim Dial on the hit sitcom “Murphy Brown.” The role earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination in 1990, a Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination in 1995 and a TV Land Awards nomination in 2008.

“Murphy Brown” was far from the beginning or end of Kimbrough’s career. His first role came in 1988 on “Another World,” and his last role was on the reboot of “Murphy Brown” in 2018. In between, other notable credits include “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame II” and “The Wedding Planner.”

Kimbrough’s acting career is now officially over. His son, Jim Kimbrough, confirmed to Deadline that his father died in Culver City, California, on January 11, 2023. He was 86 years old. No cause of death was mentioned.

The agency that represented Kimbrough, SMS Talent, Inc., released a statement about his death explaining, “Whether on stage or in front of the camera he was a joy to behold.” According to the agency, Kimbrough died at the hospital of natural causes.

Both Kimbrough’s first and second wives preceded him in death. He divorced his first wife, Mary Jane (Wilson) Kimbrough, in 1991, and she later died in 2007. In 2002, he remarried. His second wife, Beth Howland, died in 2016.

Kimbrough is survived by his sister, Linda Kimbrough, his son, John Kimbrough, his stepdaughter, Holly Howland, and his granddaughter, Cody.

Before ever acting in Hollywood, Kimbrough acted on stage. In 1971, he was nominated for a Tony award for his role in the Stephen Sondheim musical “Company.”