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Charles Kimbrough, ‘Murphy Brown’ Actor, Dead at 86

On Jan. 11, beloved actor Charles Kimbrough passed away in Culver City, California at the age of 86. He is best remembered for portraying Jim Dial on 10 seasons of Murphy Brown alongside Candice Bergen.

Jim Kimbrough, his son, confirmed his passing to the Associated Press.

Kimbrough achieved great success on the small screen for his portrayal of news anchor Jim Dial in the CBS sitcom, which ran for a decade.

In 1990, Charles was nominated for an Emmy for his outstanding performance as a supporting actor in a comedy series. Decades later, he reprised the same beloved role during the reboot of 2018 and enthralled audiences with three memorable episodes.

Charles Kimbrough, 'Murphy Brown' Actor, Dead at 86

Kimbrough had already solidified his reputation to the public before he stepped into television, as he was well-regarded in theater circles.

In 1971, he was honored with a Tony Award nomination for best featured actor due to his portrayal of Harry in Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”.

Kimbrough took the stage once again in Sondheim’s magnificent production of “Sunday in the Park with George.”

The Minnesota resident found joy in all aspects of the industry, and even lent his voice to the character Victor Gargoyle in Disney’s 1996 animated masterpiece “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

He leveraged his skills as a voice actor for the 2002 sequel and also in numerous video games.

The heartbreaking news of the passing of Beth Howland, Kimbrough’s wife and beloved actor who portrayed diner server Vera in iconic CBS sitcom “Alice” (1970s – 1980s), passed away back in 2016.

They married in 2002, more than a decade after his 1991 divorce from his first wife, Mary Jane (Wilson) Kimbrough, who died in 2007.

Kimbrough is survived by a sister, Linda Kimbrough, a son, John Kimbrough, and a stepdaughter, Holly Howland.

Charles’ cause of death has not been confirmed.

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