Bruno Kirby
Bruno Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu Jr.; April 28, 1949 – August 14, 2006) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally..., Good Morning, Vietnam, The Godfather Part II, and Donnie Brasco. He voiced Reginald Stout in Stuart Little.
Bruno Kirby | |
|---|---|
Kirby in When Harry Met Sally... (1989) | |
| Born | Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu Jr. April 28, 1949 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 2006 (aged 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Bruce Kirby Jr. B. Kirby Jr. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1971–2006 |
| Spouse | Lynn Sellers (m. 2003) |
| Parent | Bruce Kirby (father) |
Early life
Kirby was born in New York City on April 28, 1949. His father was actor Bruce Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu). His brother John Kirby is an acting coach.
Kirby attended Power Memorial Academy.
Career
Kirby was a character actor whose career spanned 35 years. In 1971 he made his screen debut in the drama The Young Graduates, although it was his role three years later as the young Peter Clemenza in epic crime film The Godfather Part II that raised his profile in Hollywood. In the summer of 1972, Kirby, in one of his early television appearances, portrayed Anthony Girelli, the son of Richard Castellano's character Joe Girelli, in The Super; Castellano had played the older Pete Clemenza in The Godfather.
His other television appearances included Room 222, and the pilot episode of M*A*S*H, portraying the character Boone (he had no lines). He also appeared in the 1974 Columbo episode "By Dawn's Early Light", alongside his father Bruce Kirby, and in the season 2 episode "Seance" of Emergency!, where he was credited as "B. Kirby Jr."
Described by Leonard Maltin as the "quintessential New Yorker or cranky straight man", Kirby appeared in a series of comedies, typically playing fast-talking, belligerent yet likable characters. His best known roles include a colleague of Albert Brooks' film editor in Modern Romance; a talkative limo driver in This Is Spinal Tap; the jealous, comedically impaired Lieutenant Hauk in Good Morning, Vietnam; and a shifty assistant to Marlon Brando—a parody of his Godfather role—in The Freshman. Kirby balanced comedies with dramatic roles like Donnie Brasco as a double-dealing mobster.
Kirby appeared with Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally... (1989)[1] and City Slickers (1991). Both featured Kirby's character as the opinionated best friend to Crystal's character. Kirby refused to sign on for City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold unless script changes were made, and was subsequently replaced by Jon Lovitz.
In 1991, Kirby made his Broadway debut when he replaced Kevin Spacey in Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers. In the last decade of his life, he had success in Stuart Little and was increasingly working in television. He starred as Barry Scheck in a 2000 CBS drama American Tragedy, played a paroled convict in a season three episode of Homicide: Life on the Street, and also directed an episode of that show.
He appeared on the HBO TV series Entourage in season 3, episode 4, "Guys and Doll", as movie mogul Phil Rubinstein.
He was invited to be a member of the Actors Studio in 2006, less than six months before his death.
Personal life and death
Kirby, like his character in This is Spinal Tap, was a fan of Frank Sinatra.[2] He enjoyed playing softball in the late 1970s. He was also strongly allergic to horses and needed daily allergy shots on the set of City Slickers (part of the reason he declined to return for City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold).[3]
Kirby married Lynn Sellers on September 29, 2003. They remained married until his death in 2006.
He shared the same birthday, April 28, with his father, actor Bruce Kirby, who was born in 1925.
Kirby died on August 14, 2006, at age 57, from complications related to leukemia.[4][5]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Young Graduates | Les | Credited as B. Kirby Jr. |
| 1973 | The Harrad Experiment | Harry Schacht | |
| 1973 | Superdad | Stanley Schlimmer | |
| 1973 | Cinderella Liberty | Alcott | |
| 1974 | The Godfather Part II | Young Peter Clemenza | Credited as B. Kirby Jr. |
| 1976 | Baby Blue Marine | Pop Mosley | |
| 1977 | Between the Lines | David Entwhistle | |
| 1978 | Almost Summer | Bobby DeVito | |
| 1980 | Where the Buffalo Roam | Marty Lewis | |
| 1980 | Borderline | Jimmy Fante | |
| 1981 | Modern Romance | Jay | |
| 1982 | Kiss My Grits | Flash | |
| 1984 | This Is Spinal Tap | Tommy Pischedda | |
| 1984 | Birdy | Phil Renaldi | |
| 1985 | Flesh and Blood | Orbec | |
| 1987 | Tin Men | Mouse | |
| 1987 | Good Morning, Vietnam | Lt. Steven Hauk | |
| 1989 | Bert Rigby, You're a Fool | Kyle DeForest | |
| 1989 | When Harry Met Sally... | Jess Fisher | |
| 1989 | We're No Angels | Deputy | |
| 1990 | The Freshman | Victor Ray | |
| 1991 | City Slickers | Ed Furillo | |
| 1992 | Hoffa | Nightclub Comic | Uncredited |
| 1993 | Golden Gate | Agent Ron Pirelli | |
| 1995 | The Basketball Diaries | Swifty | |
| 1996 | Sleepers | Mr. Carcaterra | |
| 1997 | Donnie Brasco | Nicky Santora | |
| 1999 | A Slipping-Down Life | Kiddie Acres Manager | |
| 1999 | Spy Games | Max Fisher | Alternate title: History Is Made at Night |
| 1999 | Stuart Little | Reginald "Reggie" Stout (voice) | |
| 2001 | One Eyed King | Mickey | |
| 2006 | Played | Detective Allen | Final film appearance |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–1973 | Room 222 | Herbie Constadine | 5 episodes Credited as B. Kirby Jr. |
| 1972 | The Super | Anthony Girelli | 10 episodes |
| 1972 | M*A*S*H | Pvt. Lorenzo Boone | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1973 | Emergency! | Ken | Episode: "Seance" |
| 1974 | Columbo | Cadet Morgan | Episode: "By Dawn's Early Light" |
| 1975 | Kojak | Keith Wicks | Episode: "Acts of Desperate Men" |
| 1976 | Delvecchio | Episode: "Board of Rights"; uncredited | |
| 1979 | Detective School | Marvin | Episode: "The Bank Job" |
| 1981 | ABC Afterschool Special | Official | Episode: "Run, Don't Walk" |
| 1982 | Million Dollar Infield | Lou Buonomato | Television movie |
| 1982 | Fame | Marty Shwartz | Episode: "Homecoming" |
| 1983 | Hill Street Blues | Louis | Episode: "The Russians Are Coming" |
| 1984 | Buchanan High | Mr. Prescott | 2 episodes |
| 1989–1990 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Brad Brillnick | 8 episodes |
| 1991 | Tales from the Crypt | Billy Paloma | Episode: "The Trap" |
| 1992 | Mastergate | Abel Lamb | Television movie |
| 1993 | Fallen Angels | Tony Reseck | Episode: "I'll Be Waiting" |
| 1993 | Frasier | Marco (voice) | Episode: "Call Me Irresponsible" |
| 1993–1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 1994 | Late Show with David Letterman | Cop on the Edge | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Victor Helms | Episode: "The Gas Man" |
| 1996 | Mad About You | Virgil | Episode: "The Gym" |
| 1999 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | The Great One (voice) | Episode: "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" |
| 2000 | American Tragedy | Barry Scheck | Television movie |
| 2001 | Biography | Narrator | Episode: "Bobby Darin: I Want to Be a Legend" |
| 2004 | Helter Skelter | Vincent Bugliosi | Television movie |
| 2004 | The Jury | Carmen Pintozzi | Episode: "Too Jung to Die" |
| 2006 | Entourage | Phil Rubenstein | Episode: "Guys and Doll" Final television appearance |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Nominated | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Supporting Actor | City Slickers |
References
- ^ Ragusa, Gina (December 27, 2020). "'When Harry Met Sally ...': Director Rob Reiner Describes Carrie Fisher's Four-Way Call as a 'Magic Trick'". www.cheatsheet.com. Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ Revealed in an interview on Bob Costas' Later show[episode needed]
- ^ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 978-1-4236-0587-4.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (August 17, 2006). "Bruno Kirby, 57; Movie, TV and Stage Character Actor". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ "Bruno Kirby dies at 57". today.com. Associated Press. August 16, 2006.
External links
- Bruno Kirby at IMDb
- Bruno Kirby at the Internet Broadway Database
- Bruno Kirby at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Washington Post obituary