Bruno Kirby

Bruno Kirby
Kirby in City Slickers, 1991
Born	Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr. April 28, 1949(1949-04-28) New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	August 14, 2006 (aged 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other name(s)	Bruce Kirby, Jr. B. Kirby, Jr.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1971—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, and The Godfather Part II.

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.

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 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 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 City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold 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 Homicide: Life on the Street. 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 as is his last cinematic role in the motion picture Played.

Personal life

Kirby married actress Lynn Sellers on September 29, 2003.

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.

Death

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.

Filmography

• Superdad - (1973)
• Cinderella Liberty - (1973)
• The Harrad Experiment - (1973)
• The Godfather: Part II - (1974)
• Between the Lines - (1977)
• Almost Summer - (1978)
• Where the Buffalo Roam - (1980)
• Borderline - (1980)
• Modern Romance - (1981)
• Kiss My Grits - (1982)
• This Is Spinal Tap - (1984)
• Birdy - (1984)
• Flesh and Blood - (1985)
• Tin Men - (1987)
• 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

• Bruno Kirby at the Internet Movie Database
• MSNBC article on Kirby's death
• Washington Post obituary
• BBC News obituary
• Cinema2000 obituary (in Portuguese)