Dabney Coleman seems to have made his mark in Hollywood by playing sleazy, sexist authority figures in a career spanning nearly 50 years, but he’s quick to say he has played nice guys too, referring to On Golden Pond.

“About 50 percent are scoundrels and 50 percent are regular guys, but the scoundrels seem to have gotten all the attention,” said Coleman, 78, of Los Angeles, an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor.

A veteran of television and film, Coleman is best known for his role in the 1980 classic comedy Nine to Five – which he called a “transitional piece in my career” – alongside Detroit native and Wayne State University alumna Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton. Coleman played an abrasive, chauvinist named Franklin Hart, Jr., whom the three women kidnap after he crosses the line at the workplace.

“That was one of the first movies on the feminist angle, especially in the workplace – equal pay, equal rights... It was one of the very first and most successful motion pictures about that subject,” explained Coleman. “It was one of the first – if not the first – about that. It was palpable. It was also a comedy, so it didn’t step on too many toes because it was funny, but it was strong enough that it got the message across that improvements could be made socially in that area.”

While Coleman insists he’s nothing like his Nine to Five character, he does bring his dry sense of humor to his roles when the situation calls for it.

“I like to do humor straight. I like to be caustic and controversial… and curmudgeon-like – that’s my humor,” he said. “That much of me is me. That part of me is my humorous side; that’s what I lean toward.”

Coleman gained a reputation as a character actor on both the big and small screens, appearing in many TV series and alongside screen legends Steve McQueen, Tom Hanks, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman.

He spoke about his single scene with McQueen in 1974’s The Towering Inferno where he played McQueen’s superior in the fire department. “He came out of his trailer after a long week of filming and asked, ‘Which one of you is playing the chief?’

Coleman raised his hand and McQueen was surprised. “‘That one? Y’know, if this scene doesn’t come off, we’ve got no movie here,’ he said. I don’t think I had more than 15 lines in the movie,” recalled the actor. “(McQueen) put quite a burden on me. I told him, ‘It’s gonna be okay, Steve, I went to (New York-based Sanford Meisner’s Neighborhood Playhouse) also,’ and that made absolutely no difference to him at all.”

The two rehearsed the scene and McQueen liked Coleman’s performance, giving him a thumbs-up.

“Watching (McQueen) take charge of everything, this guy was way bigger than life – a strong, powerful, imposing figure,” said Coleman. “He was a dynamic guy.”

Coleman also has high praise for Oscar-winner Hanks, with whom he co-starred in 1985’s The One With One Red Shoe, 1987’s Dragnet, and 1998’s You’ve Got Mail.

“Tom’s a consummate talent and pro. It’s one of the easier tasks I’ve had because he’s always there, always prepared, always good. He always makes highly intelligent remarks; he’s a very, very talented guy and likeable guy. He’s that good,” said Coleman.

Currently, Coleman is filming Boardwalk Empire, an HBO series slated to debut in September. Dearborn High School alumnus Steve Turner, who cut his teeth in Hollywood working on Deadwood, Big Love, and Gilmore Girls, serves as an associate producer.

The series – which has been picked up for 12 episodes – occurs during Prohibition in Atlantic City stars Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs) in the lead role as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, who is based on political boss Enoch “Nucky” Johnson. Coleman plays a mafia boss called the Commodore. Oscar-winner Martin Scorsese (The Departed) directs the first episode.

“Our Nucky could be described as ‘half-politician/half-gangster’ who runs the bootlegged liquor trade through the Atlantic City port,” described Turner. “We're shooting the series in New York City, including building our own outdoor replica of a section of the boardwalk in a parking lot on the East River in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.”

Working with Scorsese was an amazing experience for Coleman and Turner.

“(Scorsese) has been wonderful to work with. A real gentleman. Also, (he’s) a non-stop working machine. He's got more energy than a man half his age. And his knowledge of film history is staggering,” praised Turner.

Coleman added: “He’s just phenomenal. It seems to be universally true: the better the director is, the least contact you have them. It’s fantastic, the better they are, the easier it is. The less they say, the better you do.”

When it comes to picking his roles, Coleman – who has appeared in more than 40 movies and headlined several TV series – stated it’s not a matter of choice.

“It’s a matter of making a living and you got luckier some times than other times,” he explained. “I haven’t turned down many things I regret, you take what comes along… I’ve turned down very few things, actually. You don’t get to choose very often… unless you’re a major, major star.”