Actor Hugh Dane was well known to fans of NBC's The Office for his role as Hank, the security guard at the building that housed Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Sadly, it was revealed that Dane recently passed away. He was 75 years old.
Hugh Dane actually passed away on May 16, 2018. No cause of death, or any further details surrounding the circumstances, have been made available to the press as of this story's publication. News of Dane's passing started circulating in the early days of June thanks to The Office star Rainn Wilson, though a Facebook posting by The Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center had announced Dane's passing on May 26, as well as the memorial service being planned for the actor. The service will be held on Saturday, June 9, and will celebrate the life of the "loving husband, father, grandfather and friend."
Having appeared in quite a few different shows across his career, Hugh Dane became a familiar presence on The Office after he made his debut in the fifth episode of Season 2, entitled "Halloween." Counting that episode, Dane appeared in 22 episodes of the popular comedy as the scene-stealing Hank, making periodic appearances around Dunder Mifflin until the series' end in 2013. Dane made his last appearance as Hank in the penultimate episode of the series, titled "A.A.R.M."
As mentioned earlier, fellow Office cast member Rainn Wilson paid tribute to Hugh Dane on his Twitter page, including a clip of one of Dane's memorable scenes as Hank alongside Wilson's Dwight K. Schrute and Steve Carell's Michael Scott. You can read Wilson's moving words and watch the scene below:
Hank's regular appearances, since his Season 2 debut on The Office, speak to his popularity with fans and producers, and scenes like the one highlighted by Rainn Wilson serve as a tender reminder of why that was so. Hugh Dane's Hank was generally a much-needed slice of straightforwardness when juxtaposed with all the more outlandish characters. Time and time again, he perfectly offset Michael, Dwight, and the other eccentric cast of characters with a brilliantly understated sensibility that gave the show a dose of authenticity.
Born October 21, 1942, Hugh Dane began his acting career in 1990 at the non-newcomer age of 48 years old, with his first credit being "The Father" in a two-part episode of the crime drama Hunter, which was followed by other roles on shows like Roc and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. His last credit came via the short-lived ABC comedy The Mayor, for which he appeared in two episodes, the pilot and Episode 11, entitled "The Lockdown." Dane played a police officer in both episodes.
While he was a familiar presence on television, the actor also had roles in movies. Following in the vein of his comic run on shows like The Office, Hugh Dane made appearances in big screen comedies such as 2010's Meet the Parents sequel Little Fockers, and the 2011 hit Bridesmaids.
We at CinemaBlend send our condolences to Hugh Dane's family and loved ones.
