Bruno Kirby: Rest in Peace, Pal
Published August 24, 2006
Character actor Bruno Kirby died on August 14 of leukemia at the age of 57, according to an announcement by his wife, actress Lynn Sellers.
Born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, the son of actor Bruce Kirby (who was best known for playing Bassett hound-faced Det. Sgt. Kramer on the original Columbo), and brother of acting coach John Kirby, Kirby also performed early in his career as "Bruce Kirby Jr."
Kirby had been diagnosed with leukemia only shortly before his death. Sellers asked that contributions be made in Bruno Kirby's name to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at 6033 West Century Blvd., Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
Sellers and Kirby married in 2004; Kirby was also survived by his father, brother, stepmother Roz Kirby, and stepbrother Brad Sullivan. Bruno Kirby generally played characters who were either working-class, or whose working-class roots were visible in their voices and mannerisms. Prior to Kirby’s death, millions of people knew his name, but millions more knew his face and his irritating, high-pitched, nasal voice. Now the numbers match much more closely.
In 1991, Kirby had an even more substantial role in City Slickers, a dramedy dealing with three men’s midlife crises, which was also a critical and commercial success, as Crystal’s character’s macho friend, who goes with him and the character played by Daniel Stern on a modern-day cattle drive for yuppies. That same year, Kirby also won acclaim on Broadway, replacing Kevin Spacey as the male lead, playing the smallest of small-timers, would-be gangster Uncle Louie in Neil Simon’s memory play, Lost in Yonkers, which won four Tony awards.
At that point, Kirby was one of the top character actors in the business, his career on a trajectory that was leading inexorably to Oscar nominations, and perhaps even a golden statuette. And then his career tanked. Following City Slickers, the names of most of the pictures he was in were so forgettable – obscure, direct-to-video duds that I had never even heard of – that I instantly forgot them.
- Bruno Kirby: Rest in Peace, Pal
- Published: August 24, 2006
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Video: News, Video: Film and TV Business, Culture: Celebrity
- Writer: Nicholas Stix
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Comments on this articleComments
Excellent article Nicholas, and the best that I've read to date. He was a tremendous actor, and so obviously touched the hearts of all who knew and met him.
You gave him a great tribute, and I for one greatly appreciated reading it. Very heartfelt. He would approve I'm sure.
I'm a huge movie buff (more than a fan, something less than a scholar), and your "In Appreciation" piece about Bruno Kirby was beautifully written. In many ways, this is a tribute not just to Kirby, but to all the characters actors the public knows by face, even voice, but not the name. A fine, fine job. Thank you.
Wow, that was in-depth and well written! I am no fan of Billy Crystal, he's too east coast for my taste. If I want to see a short, self-effacing comedian, I'll watch Richard Dryfus. He's much more talented and versatile.
VERY informative, well-written, well-deserved tribute to a real star...Kudos, Nicholas!
Roberta Rosenberg: I'm a huge movie buff (more than a fan, something less than a scholar), and your "In Appreciation" piece about Bruno Kirby was beautifully written. In many ways, this is a tribute not just to Kirby, but to all the characters actors the public knows by face, even voice, but not the name. A fine, fine job. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Roberta.
When I was a little boy, maybe eight years old, the first time I ever heard the term "character actor" applied to anyone, it was my Nana speaking. She said it, as if it were the greatest thing in the world. And it was.
We used to watch 1930s classics on regular, afternoon TV in those days (40 years ago), and I believe Nana's favorite character actor was Thomas Mitchell (her favorite star was Jimmy Stewart, who's high up the ladder for me, too).
For many years, Mitchell was my favorite, too. (In 1939, he had the greatest year any actor has ever had, with central roles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach and Gone with the Wind.)
These days, I lean towards Walter Brennan, whom I've seen dominate scenes with the likes of Bogey (in To Have and Have Not), Coop (in The Westerner), and Spence (in Bad Day at Black Rock), the latter of whom was one of the first character actors to make it to the marquee (just after, I believe, Marie Dressler).
And yet, I love 'em all. I could name 100 (alright, maybe not 100) great character actors off the top of my head, and most of them would be the kind of guys you were talking about -- the ones whom few people know by name, but whom everyone knows by face or voice - the Elisha Cook Jrs., Eugene Pallettes, Ward Bonds, Marjorie Mains (I'm not counting Thelma Ritter, because she actually became famous in her day, and was nominated for a passel of best supporting actress Oscars), John Cazales, George Dzundzas, James Edwardses, Jane Darwells, Victor McLaglens, Charley Grapewins, Emil Meyers, Willis Boucheys (confession: I couldn't remember Bouchey's last name, and had to look it up), Strother Martins, Bonnie Hunts, Robert Loggias, et al.
Bruno is an actor Billy is a stand up comic.
I heard that Billy tried to give Bruno some acting crtiticism and Bruno pointed out that he started in The Godfather II and Billy started as a stand up comic then in Soap and rabbit test
I was an usher working with Bruce Kirby in 1968 for the stage musical "Hair." Bruce took another job at the Vine St. Theater which was running "Romeo and Juliet," which he was stuck with for 51 weeks! He left the Aquarius Theater so he could work at a movie theater to "see more free movies" but no one thought R&J would run a year. I moved to NYC for ten years and ran into Bruce when I returned, about 1981. I told him I'd seen him in lots of movies and I was proud of him. He was always a nice guy. At least I can always see him in movies, here and there.
That's it.
Nice article, Nicholas...very enjoyable reading...and your additional message regarding Hollywood second bananas -- top notch!
I hope that these actors know how much they are appreciated by the folks outside the golden inner circle.
Thanks again for your great writing! I'm going to click away on your links and see if I can find more!
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beatiful, informative, touching job Nicholas, thanks!