Hugh Dane
Despite coming to screen acting late, American actor Hugh Dane found staying power on television, thanks, in part, to his recurring role on "The Office" (NBC, 2005-13). Born in Arizona, the actor began his career working in theater productions around Los Angeles. He began diversifying his experience by working on the video game "It Came from the Desert" in the late-1980s. His first foray into television came shortly after with a role on a two-part episode of "Hunter" (NBC, 1984-91). He made his feature film debut in the Denzel Washington crime drama "Ricochet" (1991). A string of guest parts in TV shows like "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" (NBC, 1990-96), "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" (ABC, 1992-97), "Boy Meets World" (ABC, 1993-2000), and "Martin" (FOX, 1992-97) followed. He graduated to steadier work when he became a recurring contributor to the critically acclaimed sitcom "Roc" (FOX, 1991-94). After the show ended, Dane continued appearing in guest roles on a variety of television programs including "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004), "Sister, Sister" (ABC/The WB, 1994-99), and "Malcolm and Eddie" (UPN, 1996-2000). He also continued appearing in features with small roles in films such as "Restraining Order" (1999), "The Visit" (2000), and "Joy Ride" (2001). After additional TV appearances on shows like "Monk" (USA, 2002-09) and "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006), Dane began the role that earned him the greatest recognition of his career. While never a primary character, his role as the security guard Hank on the American version of "The Office "(NBC, 2005-13) allowed him to play straight man to the sitcom's oddball paper company employees. He continued acting in films such as "Little Fockers" (2010) and "Bridesmaids" (2011), as well as television on programs like "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" (Netflix, 2015) and "The Carmichael Show" (NBC, 2015-17). Dane passed away on May 19, 2018 in Los Angeles. His last TV appearance came on "The Mayor" (ABC, 2017-18).
