Charles Tyner (June 8, 1923[citation needed] – November 8, 2017) was an American film, television and stage character actor best known, principally, for his performances in the films Cool Hand Luke (1967), Harold and Maude (1971), The Cowboys (1972), Emperor of the North Pole (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), Pete's Dragon (1977), Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) and Pulse (1988).
Tyner was a native of Danville, Virginia and served in the United States Army as a combat infantryman in Germany and France during World War II.
Two years later, he appeared with Paul Newman in Sweet Bird of Youth on Broadway.
He worked with Newman again in 1967 as Boss Higgins, the sadistic prison guard in Cool Hand Luke and became a regular character actor, appearing in films such as The Reivers, Lawman, Harold and Maude, The Cowboys, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Emperor of the North Pole.
Other roles include the evil Howard Rodman in the television series Father Murphy and Gus, the motel owner in Planes, Trains and Automobiles.