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Bruno Kirby

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Bruno Kirby
File:Brunokirby1.jpg
Kirby in City Slickers, 1991
Born
Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr.

(1949-04-28)April 28, 1949
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 14, 2006(2006-08-14) (aged 57)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesBruce Kirby, Jr.
B. Kirby, Jr.
OccupationActor
Years active1971-2006

Bruno Kirby (April 28, 1949 – August 14, 2006) was an American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally..., Good Morning, Vietnam, The Godfather Part II, and Donnie Brasco.

Early life

Kirby was born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr. in New York City, New York. His father is actor Bruce Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu). His brother, John Kirby, is a notable acting coach. Bruno Kirby attended Power Memorial Academy.

Career

Kirby was a popular character actor through the late 1980s and early '90s, although the frequency of his film appearances waned. Kirby's film debut was in the little-seen The Young Graduates (1971). Early television appearances included the series Room 222 and The Super, but it was his role in The Godfather Part II, as the young Pete Clemenza, that raised his profile in Hollywood. He can be glimpsed in the pilot episode of M*A*S*H, playing the character Boone, though he has no lines. He can also be found in the 1974 Columbo episode By Dawn's Early Light alongside his father Bruce Kirby. In The Super, Kirby portrayed Richard Castellano's son. Coincidentally, Castellano appeared in The Godfather (1972) as hefty Pete Clemenza, a prominent member of the Corleone crime family, and Kirby subsequently played a younger version of Clemenza in the sequel, The Godfather Part II.

Described by film critic Leonard Maltin as "the quintessential New Yorker or cranky straight man", Kirby displayed his talents in a series of comedies, typically playing fast-talking, belligerent, yet strangely likeable 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 (1984), the jealous, comedically-impaired U.S. Army officer Lt. Hauk in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) and a shifty assistant to Marlon Brando — a parody of his Godfather role — in The Freshman (1990). Kirby balanced comedies with dramatic roles such as that in Donnie Brasco as a double dealing mobster.

Kirby and comedian Billy Crystal made a popular screen team in When Harry Met Sally... (1989) and City Slickers (1991). Both featured Kirby's character as the opinionated best friend to Crystal's character. However, Kirby refused to sign on for the sequel City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold unless script changes were made.[citation needed] Kirby's character was replaced by a new character played by Jon Lovitz, and the movie, while successful commercially, it did not reach the popularity of the first and was panned by critics.

In 1991, Kirby made his Broadway debut to great critical acclaim when he replaced Kevin Spacey in Neil Simon's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play Lost in Yonkers. In the last decade of his life, Kirby (and his unforgettable voice) had a last great success in the animated children's classic Stuart Little (1999), and was increasingly working on television. He starred as Barry Scheck in a 2000 CBS drama American Tragedy about the O.J. Simpson case. He played a paroled convict out for revenge in a season three episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. He also directed the season four episode "Heartbeat" on Homicide: Life on the Street. More recently, he played Phil Rubenstein in the HBO series Entourage.

In The Larry Sanders Show, Kirby (as himself) first gets double-booked as first guest (with Steven Wright), then later gets 'bumped', as well as walking off on another episode. He appeared several other times as well as in the final two episodes of the series in which he was once again 'bumped,' from Larry's final talk show. His name became an in joke on the show and he was often referred to even when he wasn't appearing. The final episode of season 3, part 1 of Entourage (entitled: "Sorry, Ari") is dedicated to Kirby's memory as is his last cinematic role in the motion picture Played.

Personal life and death

Kirby married actress Lynn Sellers on September 29, 2003. Kirby died on August 14, 2006, at age 57 in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia. According to the Associated Press and other news reports, his widow stated that he had only recently been diagnosed with the disease.

Kirby, like his character in This Is Spinal Tap, was a fanatical fan of Frank Sinatra.[1] He enjoyed playing softball in the late 70's. He was also very allergic to horses, and needed daily allergy shots on the set of City Slickers.

In 2006, less than six months before his death, Kirby was invited to be a member of Actors Studio.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Year Result Award Category Film or series
1992 Nominated American Comedy Awards Funniest Supporting Actor City Slickers

References

  1. ^ Revealed in an interview on Bob Costas' Later show

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