American actor (1925–2021)
Bruce Kirby
Publicity Photo of Bruce Kirby
Born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu
(1925-04-28 ) April 28, 1925Died January 24, 2021(2021-01-24) (aged 95) Occupation Actor Years active 1950–2009 Spouses
Lucille Garibaldi
(
m. 1948;
div. 1973)
Rosalyn Heischuber
(
m. 1976)
Children 2, including Bruno Kirby
Bruce Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu ; April 28, 1925 – January 24, 2021) was an American character actor.[ 1]
Career
Bruce Kirby started his television career in the 1950s with appearances in Goodyear Television Playhouse . During the 1960s, he appeared in I Dream of Jeannie , The Nurses , The Defenders , Car 54, Where Are You? (in nine episodes), Hogan's Heroes (in three episodes), and The Patty Duke Show among others. He played in Bonanza (in three episodes), Ironside (in three episodes), Barney Miller (in three episodes), The Rockford Files (in three episodes), The Marcus-Nelson Murders , Kojak (in six episodes), M*A*S*H and Alice during the 1970s. In the 1980s, he appeared in Remington Steele , Hunter (in five episodes), Night Court , Matlock , Hill Street Blues , Lou Grant and Punky Brewster . His 1990s television credits include The Golden Girls , L.A. Law , In the Heat of the Night , Murphy Brown , Murder, She Wrote (in two episodes) and Chicago Hope . During 1999 to 2000, he appeared in eight episodes of the soap opera Days of Our Lives . During the 2000s, he appeared in The Sopranos , The Agency , Scrubs and The West Wing .
Kirby appeared a total of nine times in the long-running series Columbo , most notably in the role as the Sergeant George Kramer in six episodes.[ 2] In 1981–1982, he appeared as San Francisco police officer Schmidt in the crime drama Shannon . He played the part of District Attorney Bruce Rogoff in thirteen episodes of L.A. Law from 1986 until 1991. He also played minor roles in some films, including the film classics Catch-22 (1970) and Stand by Me (1986). He also appeared in the 1971 movie called How to Frame a Figg with Don Knotts and the 1972 comedy Another Nice Mess with Rich Little . A notable later appearance was as Pop Ryan, father of Officer John Ryan (played by Matt Dillon ) in the 2005 film Crash . Kirby was also active as an actor on New York's Broadway , appearing in Diamond Orchid (1965) and Death of a Salesman (1984).[ 3]
Personal life
Kirby had two sons, including Bruno Kirby (1949–2006) who was also an actor. Bruno appeared in one Columbo episode with his father, as Cadet Morgan (credited as B. Kirby, Jr.) in "By Dawn's Early Light ".
Kirby died in Los Angeles on January 24, 2021, at the age of 95.[ 4]
Filmography
Film
Television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1955
Goodyear Television Playhouse
Aide
Episode: "Visit to a Small Planet"
1956–1957
The Phil Silvers Show
Ice Cream Parlor Assistant / Gregory Chickering
2 episodes
1961–1963
Car 54, Where Are You?
Officer Kissel
9 episodes
1961–1965
The Defenders
Taxi Driver / Detective #2 / Italian Record
3 episodes
1965
The Doctors and the Nurses
Jack
Episode: "Sixteen Hours to Chicago"
1965
The Patty Duke Show
Mr. Haley / Theatre Manager
2 episodes
1968
I Dream of Jeannie
Passenger
Episode: "Jeannie and the Top Secret Secret"
1968
The Mothers-in-Law
Bill Trumbull
3 episodes
1968–1971
Bonanza
Mr. Loomis / Simms / Chad
1969
Judd, for the Defense
Arthur Kelly
Episode: "The Poisoned Tree"
1969
Night Gallery
Artist
Episode: "Pilot"
1969
Adam-12
Mike Fendel
Episode: "Log 123: Courtroom"
1969
Mission: Impossible
TV Newsman
Episode: "The Amnesiac"
1969, 1971
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Officer Gifford / Harry
2 episodes
1969–1970
Hogan's Heroes
Otto Baum / Gestapo Man / Franz
3 episodes
1970
The Other Man
Dr. Brookner
Television film
1970–1971
Ironside
Nick Kirby / Ben / Buyer
3 episodes
1970–1971
Room 222
Lester Considine / Frank Muzak / Arnold Stopps
1971
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Bert
Episode: "Hi!"
1971
Longstreet
Truck Driver
Episode: "The Way of the Intercepting Fist"
1971
Thief
Beffy
Television film
1971
Monty Nash
Mr. Miller
Episode: "Where Have All the Children Gone?"
1971
The Doris Day Show
Vito Carlotti
Episode: "Happiness Is Not Being Fired"
1971, 1974
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Fred Bowers / Lou Rienzi
2 episodes
1972
Me and the Chimp
Cop # 1
Episode: "My Pet, the Thief"
1972
Banacek
Collier
Episode: "Project Phoenix"
1972
The Mod Squad
Col. Broidy
Episode: "Taps, Play It Louder"
1972, 1973
McCloud
Desk Clerk / PR Man
2 episodes
1972–1973
Medical Center
Henderson / Policeman / Patrolman Hildon
3 episodes
1973
The Marcus-Nelson Murders
Sgt. Dan McCartney
Television film
1973
The New Perry Mason
Hank Caroll
Episode: "The Case of the Wistful Widower"
1973
The Bob Newhart Show
Dr. Klein
Episode: "Fit, Fat and Forty One"
1973–1976
Kojak
Sgt. Al Vine
6 episodes
1973–1995
Columbo
Various
9 episodes
1974
Chopper One
Pete
Episode: "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"
1974
Man on the Outside
Scully
Television film
1974–1978
The Rockford Files
Sid Loft / Aaron Friedler / Carl Lemay
3 episodes
1975
Chico and the Man
Officer Kirby
Episode: "Out of Sight"
1975
The Streets of San Francisco
Carl Severn
Episode: "Ten Dollar Murder"
1975
M*A*S*H
Sergeant Kimble
Episode: "Hey, Doc"
1975
Harry O
FAA Chief
Episode: "Mayday"
1975
America, You're On
Charles Ralston
Television film
1975
Conspiracy of Terror
Sgt. Brisbane
1976
Delvecchio
Moretti
2 episodes
1976–1977
Holmes & Yoyo
Capt. Harry Sedford
13 episodes
1977
McNamara's Band
Gaffney
Television film
1978
Operation Petticoat
Admiral Bob Lawson
Episode: "The Best of Enemies"
1978
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
Lt. Floyd
2 episodes
1978–1979
Barney Miller
Frank Rossman / Franklin Claymore / Lt. Rossmore
3 episodes
1979
Alice
Mr. Lloyd
Episode: "Tommy's First Love"
1979
Turnabout
Al Brennan
5 episodes
1979
ABC Afterschool Special
Tom Denis
Episode: "Which Mother Is Mine?"
1979
Marie
Edgar Merton
Unsold pilot
1980
Vegas
Joe Culley
2 episodes
1981
The Other Victim
Mead
Television film
1981
The Greatest American Hero
Shorty Robinson
Episode: "The Two-Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Fast Ball"
1981–1982
Shannon
Det. George Schmidt
9 episodes
1981, 1982
Lou Grant
Captain Shackley / Gus Murray
2 episodes
1982
Code Red
Bert Simmons
Episode: "Trial by Fire"
1982
Tucker's Witch
Harmony
Episode: "The Corpse Who Knew Too Much"
1982
Remington Steele
Michael Dominick
Episode: "Steele Trap"
1983
Hill Street Blues
Jack Donleavy
Episode: "Moon Over Uranus"
1983
Lovers and Other Strangers
Priest
Television film
1983
Branagan and Mapes
Barney Sutter
1984
Three's a Crowd
Sgt. Collins
Episode: "A Matter of Money"
1985
Stir Crazy
Lou Flanders
Episode: "The Magnificent Repossesion"
1985, 1987
Night Court
Sgt. Braverman / Herb Gilpin
2 episodes
1986–1991
L.A. Law
D.A. Bruce Rogoff
13 episodes
1987
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Maury Rodman
2 episodes
1987–1988
Hunter
Chief Edward Stanmore
5 episodes
1987, 1988
Punky Brewster
Mr. Frank
2 episodes
1988
Frank Nitti: The Enforcer
Anton Cermak
Television film
1989
Anything but Love
Leo Miller
4 episodes
1989
Have Faith
Sgt. Rizzo
Episode: "The Confession"
1989
Matlock
Abe Forester
Episode: "The Ex"
1989
It's Garry Shandling's Show
Eddy King
Episode: "Dinner at Eddy King's House"
1990
Ann Jillian
Marsh Pearson
Episode: "It's a Mall World After All"
1990
In the Heat of the Night
Dep. Chief Harlan Cassidy
2 episodes
1990
The Fanelli Boys
Uncle Dom
Episode: "The Two Doms"
1990
Hull High
Wansley
Episode #1.6
1990, 1996
Murder, She Wrote
Jeremy Woods / Andy Butler
2 episodes
1991
Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion
Det. Lt. Brennan
Television film
1991
The Golden Girls
Bill
Episode: "From Here to the Pharmacy"
1991–1992
Reasonable Doubts
Don Morris
2 episodes
1993
The Odd Couple: Together Again
Zelnick
Television film
1994
Blue Skies
Sid
Episode: "Cat's in the Bag"
1994
Madman of the People
Benny DeLorenzo
Episode: "What a Big Mouth You Have, Grammy"
1995
Bless This House
Bill
Episode: "A Woman's Work Is Never Done"
1995
The Single Guy
Uncle Mike
Episode: "Gift"
1995
One West Waikiki
Earl Reynolds
Episode: "Past Due"
1995–2000
Days of Our Lives
Marco / Mr. Panetta / Doctor
12 episodes
1996
Murphy Brown
Judge
Episode: "Old Flames"
1996
Caroline in the City
Manny
Episode: "Caroline and the Comic"
1996
A Different Kind of Christmas
Santa Claus
Television film; uncredited
1997
The Sentinel
Herman Franklin
Episode: "His Brother's Keeper"
1997, 1998
Tracey Takes On...
Dean
2 episodes
1998
Players
Frank Macek
Episode: "Con-strained"
1998
Chicago Hope
Garner Hoversten
Episode: "One Hundred and One Damnations"
2000
Blood Money
Uncle Joe
Television film
2001
The West Wing
Barney Lang
Episode: "The Women of Qumar"
2004
The Sopranos
Dr. Russ Fegoli
Episode: "Marco Polo "
2007
Numbers
Numb3rs
Episode: "Burn Rate"
2007
Scrubs
Mr. Bilbray
Episode: "My Cold Shower"
References
External links