Actor Brian Dennehy, who starred in Rambo film 'First Blood', dead at 81

December 5,2009 File photo of US actor Brian Dennehy at a rally by the 9/11 Never Forget Coalition in New York. Photo: AFP

Brian Dennehy, the burly actor who started in films as a macho heavy and later in his career won plaudits for his stage work in plays by William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill and Arthur Miller, has died. He was 81.

Dennehy died Wednesday night of natural causes in New Haven, Connecticut, according to Kate Cafaro of ICM Partners, the actor's representatives.