John Patrick Mahon (February 3, 1938 – May 3, 2020) was an American film, stage and television actor. He was perhaps best known for playing Captain Gillette in the 2007 film Zodiac.
Early life and education
Mahon was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the son of an attorney. Mahon had acted while at high school, and at university he met playwright Jason Miller, who encouraged him to audition for stage plays at Marywood College. Shortly after, Mahon joined the University Players.
Mahon studied classical languages and English literature at the University of Scranton. In 1950 he contracted polio, which paralyzed him for a time and left him without the full use of his left arm.
Acting career
After graduating from college, Mahon moved to New York City, where he worked as the supervisor of two paper mills. After two years, he decided to try acting as a profession, appearing in off-Broadway productions while working as a taxi driver and waiter. In 1971, Mahon was nominated for a New York Drama Critics Award in the category Best Actor, for his performance in the play Nobody Hears a Broken Drum. He continued to appear on stage through the 1970s, also directing plays.
Mahon guest-starred in television programs including Frasier, Cagney & Lacey, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (7 episodes), Just Shoot Me!, Jake and the Fatman, Steambath, Knots Landing, Generations, The X-Files, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Diagnosis: Murder, Hunter and The Rockford Files. In 1973 Mahon appeared in a small role in the film The Exorcist. Other film appearances included The People Under the Stairs, One False Move, Bad Influence, L.A. Confidential, The Couch Trip, Armageddon, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Zodiac. In 1995, Mahon played the role of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the film The American President.
In 2014, Mahon wrote a memoir titled A Life of Make Believe: From Paralysis to Hollywood.
Personal life
Mahon had two children. He died in May 2020 of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 82.