Actor Bruno Kirby has died of leukemia at age 57.
Kirby was an actor we’ve often seen but seldom remember by name; he appeared in more than 60 films and TV shows. He played the young Peter Clemenza in Godfather II, Tommy Pischedda in This Is Spinal Tap, 2nd Lt. Steven Hauk (the not funny deejay) in Good Morning, Vietnam, Mouse in Tin Men, Jess in When Harry Met Sally and Ed Furillo in City Slickers.
Kirby’s real name is Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu Jr.
This is really devastating news, for fans of character actors like Kirby; it seems that kind of journeyman performer, who doesn’t care about name recognition but the story he’s serving, is increasingly rare. I watched Spinal Tap a few weeks ago and was struck by how hilarious Kirby is in his few scenes (singing Sinatra tunes in his underpants, e.g.). He’s definitely someone whose work will be missed.
And hey—nice site! Glad to see another New Mexican has refused to join the Dark Side (MT) and is a WordPresser. :o)