Pat Corley (June 1, 1930 – September 11, 2006) was an American actor. He was known for his role as bar owner Phil on the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown from 1988–1996. He also had a recurring role as Chief Coroner Wally Nydorf on the television drama Hill Street Blues (1981–1987). Additionally, he had supporting roles in a number of films, including Night Shift (1982), Against All Odds (1984), and Mr. Destiny (1990).
Corley was born Cleo Pat Corley in Dallas, Texas, the son of Ada Lee (née Martin) and R.L. Corley. He got his start in the entertainment business as a teenage ballet dancer for the Stockton Ballet where he performed for three seasons. While serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Corley helped put on entertainment shows for the brass while stationed in France. After his honorable discharge, he entered Stockton College on the G.I. Bill where he met his future second wife, Iris Carter, a younger student, champion debater and a locally acclaimed actress.
After moving to New York City he worked as a waiter, attended the esteemed American Theatre Wing, studied under Uta Hagen and auditioned for plays. Corley and his wife toured in summer stock in Indiana and New Jersey with his young daughter Troy in tow. His first Broadway appearance was in James Baldwin's Blues for Mr. Charlie, a production by the Actors Studio, where Corley had been accepted as a member. Early in his career he shared the stage with future stars Al Pacino and James Earl Jones in the Off-Broadway play The Peace Creeps. In the 1970s Corley appeared in several Broadway productions including Of Mice and Men with James Earl Jones and Sweet Bird of Youth with Christopher Walken.
Corley's Hollywood career began in 1969 in TV with a small role in N.Y.P.D. and a few television commercials. His first feature film roles were in Gordon Parks' The Super Cops and the comedy Law and Disorder with Carroll O'Connor and Ernest Borgnine. He also appeared in Coming Home and in Oliver Stone's first feature, The Hand, with Michael Caine.
Corley appeared on dozens of TV shows, among the earliest of which were:"The Wackiest Ship in the Army", Get Christie Love and Kojak. Other series on which Corley has guest-starred include Starsky and Hutch, Barnaby Jones, Hill Street Blues, Hart to Hart, St. Elsewhere, Simon & Simon, Murder, She Wrote, Magnum, P.I., Cagney & Lacey, Night Court, Moonlighting, L.A. Law, and Hey Arnold!. Corley also had roles in two mini-series, Roots and "Fresno". He provided the voice of Sheriff McGee in Tom Sawyer (2000).
Corley died of congestive heart failure in September 2006 at age 76 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. His wife, actress Iris Corley, died the year prior.
The Super Cops (1974) as Captain Bush
Get Christie Love! Episode: Highway to Murder (1974)
Kojak (1974) Episode: "Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die" as Mr. Miller
Law and Disorder (1974) as Ken
The Blue Knight (1974) episode: "Throwaway" as The Man
Delvecchio (1976) episode "Numbers" as Manny
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977) as Marty
Audrey Rose (1977) as Dr. Webster
Barnaby Jones 2 episodes Episode: “The Wife Beater” (1979) as Sid Markham, Episode: "The Price of Anger" (1980) as Sam Powell
Martinelli, Outside Man (1977) as Sally
Roots (1977) as Referee
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) as Morrie Slaytor
The Betty White Show (1977) Episode: "Mitzi's Cousin" as TV Repairman
The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (1977) as Roman
The Quinns (1977) as Eugene Carmody
A Death in Canaan (1978) as Judge Vincent
And I Alone Survived (1978) as Kaminsky
Coming Home (1978) as Harris
Starsky and Hutch (1978) Episode: "Moonshine" as Ben Meadows
The Amazing Spider-Man Episode: "The Con Caper" (1978)
The Paper Chase (1978) Episode: "The Seating Chart" as Plumber
Diary of A Teenage Hitchhiker (1979)
Family (1976 TV series) (1979) 2 episodes Episode: "Going Straight" (1979) as “Driver” and "Prelude" (1979) as “Umpire”
Flesh and Blood (1979 film) (1979)
Lou Grant 2 episodes, "Andrew Part 2"(1979) as Judge and "Dogs" (1980) as Organizer
The Best Place To Be (1979)
The Gift (1979 film) (1979)
The Last Word (1979 film) (1979) as Chief Norris
Nightwing (1979) as Vet
The Onion Field (1979) as Jimmy's Lawyer #2
The Rose (1979) as Police Chief Morrison
The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan (1979) as Realtor
Act of Love as Sgt. Waterson
Loving Couples (1980) as Delmonico Clerk
Mark, I Love You (1980) as Bucky Sims
On the Nickel (1980)
City In Fear (1980) as Supermarket Manager
Callie and Son (1981) as Deputy Sheriff
Darkroom (TV series) (1981) Episode: “Siege of 31 August” as Colonel/Sheriff
Hart To Hart (1981) Episode “The Hartbreak Kid” as Monty
Of Mice and Men as Carlson
Mr. Merlin (1981) Episode: “The Cloning of The Green” as Roy Oakland
The Best Little Girl in the World (1981) as Store Manager
The Black Marble (1980) as Itchy Mitch
The Waltons (1980) Episode: “The Idol” as The Bartender
The Hand (1981) as Sheriff
True Confessions (1981) as Sonny McDonough
Cagney & Lacey (1982) Episode: “High Steel” as Tom
Flamingo Road (1982) Episode: “Old Friends”
Hanky Panky (1982) as Pilot
Hill Street Blues (1982–1986) 6 episodes as Coroner Wally Nydorf
House Calls (TV series) (1982) Episode: “Ducks of Hazzard”
Kiss My Grits (1982) as Sheriff Joe Cozy
McClain's Law (1982) Episode: “What Patrick Doesn’t Know”
Night Shift (1982) as Edward Koogle
The Executioner's Song (1982) as Val Conlan
Bay City Blues (1983) 8 Episodes as Ray Holtz
Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) as Lt. Palmyra
I Want To Live (1983) as Bartender
St. Elsewhere (1983) Episode: “Release” as Norman Wyler
The Fall Guy (1983) Episode: “Spaced out” as Sheriff Nick Baker
Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land (1983) as Joe Pedowski
The Powers of Matthew Star (1983) Episode: “Matthew Star D.O.A” as Donzelli
Against All Odds (1984) as Ed Phillips
Calendar Girl Murders (1984) as Lt. Tony
Domestic Life (1984) as Coach
Hawaiian Heat (1984) Episode: “Missing In Hawaii” as Charlie
Scorned And Swindled (1984) as Ty Jenkins
Simon & Simon 3 episodes (1984) Episode: “Our Fair City” as Mayor K.K. Drinkman
Hardcastle and McCormick (1985) Episode: "She Ain’t Deep but She Sure Runs Fast" as Buzz Bird
Moonlighting (1985) Episode: “Gunfight At The So-so Corrall” as Farley Wrye/Frankie Tate
Robert Kennedy & His Times (1985) as Andy McLaughlin
Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1985) Episode “A Little Sex, A Little Scandal” as Detective Tuggey
Silent Witness (1985) as Brad Huffman
Stark (1985) as Wichita Police Chief Waldron
Stormin’ Home (1985) as Broker
A Year in the Life (1986) as George Bilzarian
Falcon Crest (1986) Episode: “The Stranger Within’’ as James Saunders
Fresno (1986) as Earl Duke
He's the Mayor (1986) 13 Episodes as Chief Walter Padget
Joe Bash (1986) Episode: “Tour of Duty” as Ernest Janowitz
Magnum, P.I. (1986) Episode: "A Little Bit of Luck...A Little Bit of Grief” as Dennis Mackenzie
Murder, She Wrote (1986) Episode: “Powder Keg” as Frank Kelso
Simon & Simon (1986) Episode: “Still Phil After All These Years” as Don Burton
Stark: Mirror Image (1986) as Wichita Police Chief Waldron
The Christmas Gift (1986) as Bud Sawyer
CBS Summer Playhouse (1987) Episode: “Day to Day” as Bob
L.A. Law (1987) Episode: “Pigmallion” as Uncle Willard Sabrett
Poker Alice (1987) as Mccarthy
Simon & Simon Episode: “Desperately Seeking Dacody” as Sheriff McKenzie
The Stepford Children (1987) as Sheriff Weston
Cagney & Lacey (1988) Episode “A fair Shake Part 1” as Sheriff Craddock
J.J. Starbuck (1988) Episode: “Cactus Jack’s Last Call” as Cactus Jack
Mr. Belvedere (1988) Episode: “Commentary” as Mr. Franklin
Murphy Brown (1988-1998) as Phil the Bartender
Night Court (1988) Episode “Another Day in the Life” as Otis Edwards
In Defense of a Married Man (1990) as Det. Brendan Bradley
Mr. Destiny (1990) as Harry Burrows
Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy, and Blue as Lucky Herb
Saved By The Bell: Wedding In Las Vegas (1994) as Sheriff Myron Thorpe
Murder One (TV series) (1995) Episode: “Chapter Four" as Marvin Siegalstein
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996) as Officer McDowell
Coach (1997) Episode: “It’s a Swamp Thing” as Jeb
When Time Expires (1997) as TV car salesman, Becks Interface
Walking Across Egypt (1999) as Sheriff Tillman
Tom Sawyer (2000) as Sheriff McGee (voice)
Hey Arnold! (2002) Episode: On the Lam/Family Man as Mr. Camacho (voice)
Purgatory Flats (2003) as Roy
Come Early Morning (2006) as Papa
