Charles Durning, Dead at 89 Entertainment 8:08 AM PST, December 26, 2012 - Inside Edition Well-known character actor Charles Durning has died in New York City. He was 89.One of his best known roles was in the movie Tootsie where he did his best to win the heart of the character played by Dustin HoffmanDurning was born in upstate New York in 1923.