Bruno Kirby

Infobox actor
name = Bruno Kirby


imagesize =
caption = Kirby in "City Slickers", 1991
birthname = Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr.
birthdate = birth date|1949|4|28|mf=y
birthplace = New York City, New York, U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|2006|8|14|1949|4|28
deathplace = Los Angeles, California
othername = Bruce Kirby, Jr.
B. Kirby, Jr.
yearsactive = 1971-2006
spouse =
homepage =
academyawards =
emmyawards =
tonyawards =

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" and "When Harry Met Sally...".

Biography

Early life

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

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. 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 most well-known roles include a fellow colleague to 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 in "Donnie Brasco" as a double dealing mobster.

On television, Kirby was memorable as Garry Shandling's agent Brad Brillnick in seasons three and four of the comedy cult classic "It's Garry Shandling's Show".

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 "" unless script changes were made. Kirby's character was replaced by a new character played by Jon Lovitz, and the movie, while successful both critically and commercially, did not reach the popularity of the first.

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 an episode of "". More recently, he played Phil Rubenstein in the HBO series "Entourage".

In "The Larry Sanders Show", Kirby (as himself) gets 'bumped' in the last episode. The final episode of season 3, part 1 of "Entourage" (entitled: "Sorry, Ari") is dedicated to Kirby's memory.

Personal life and death

Kirby married actress Lynn Sellers in 2004. He 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. [Revealed in an interview on Bob Costas' "Later" show] 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 The Actors Studio.

Filmography

*Superdad - (1973)
*Cinderella Liberty - (1973)
*The Harrad Experiment - (1973)
* - (1974)
*Between the Lines - (1977)
*Almost Summer - (1978)
*Where the Buffalo Roam - (1980)
*Borderline - (1980)
*Modern Romance - (1981)
*Kiss My Grits - (1982)
*Tin Men (1983)
*This Is Spinal Tap - (1984)
*Birdy - (1984)
*Flesh and Blood - (1985)
*Good Morning, Vietnam - (1987)
*When Harry Met Sally... - (1989)
*We're No Angels - (1989)
*The Freshman - (1990)
*City Slickers - (1991)
*Mastergate - (1992)
*Hoffa - (1992)
*Fallen Angels - Vol. 2 - (1993)
*Golden Gate - (1994)
*The Basketball Diaries - (1995)
*Sleepers - (1996) "(as Shakes' Father)"
*Donnie Brasco - (1997)
*Stuart Little - (1999) - Voice
*American Tragedy (film) - (2000)
*Spy Games - (2000)
*One Eyed King - (2001)
*Helter Skelter - (2004)
*Played - (2006)

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0456124|name=Bruno Kirby
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14367305/ MSNBC article on Kirby's death]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/16/AR2006081601817.html Washington Post obituary]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4797207.stm BBC News obituary]
* [http://www.cinema2000.pt/ficha.php3?id=5727&area=noticias Cinema2000 obituary (in Portuguese)]