THE HAT SQUAD: BRUNO KIRBY

From the New York Times:

Bruno Kirby, a longtime character actor known for playing the best friend in two of Billy Crystal’s biggest comedies, “When Harry Met Sally” and “City Slickers,” died here on Monday. He was 57.

The cause was complications related to leukemia, his wife, Lynn Sellers, said in a statement.

Born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu in 1949 in New York City, he was the son of the actor Bruce Kirby.

Here's what I just posted to TVSquad.com. I think it serves as well as anything in relating how I feel about the loss of Bruno Kirby:

I first saw him in "By Dawn's Early Light" (a 'Columbo' episode) and later that same year in "Godfather 2" as Peter Clemenza. (What's interesting about that is that Bruno also played Richard (the original Clemenza) Castellano's son in 'The Super'.

A few years later I saw him in "Between The Lines", still one of my top ten favorite movies and that sealed me as a fan of his.

That 'Columbo' episode was the first time his dad, Bruce Kirby, got the chance to play Sgt. Kramer. (He had played a cosmetics company janitor in an earlier episode.) And it must have been great fun to get the chance to not only work with greats like Peter Falk and Patrick McGoohan, but with his own Dad as well.

My sympathies go out to Bruce Kirby and to Bruno's wife and the rest of his family at this time.

TV SERIES
The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show (1995) (TV) .... Manager
"It's Garry Shandling's Show." (1986) TV Series .... Brad Brillnick (series 3 & 4)
"Buchanan High" (1984) TV Series
"The Super" (1972) TV Series .... Super's Son

TV MOVIES
Mastergate (1992) (TV) .... Abel Lamb
Million Dollar Infield (1982) (TV) .... Lou Buonomato
Some Kind of Miracle (1979) (TV) .... Frank Smiles
A Summer Without Boys (1973) (TV) .... Quincy
All My Darling Daughters (1972) (TV) .... Anthony Stephanelli

AS SEEN ON TV
"Entourage"
- Guys and Doll (2006) TV Episode .... Phil Rubenstein
Helter Skelter (2004) (TV) .... Vincent Bugliosi
American Tragedy (2000) (TV) .... Barry Scheck
Frank Nitti: The Enforcer (1988) (TV)

THE LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES
"The Larry Sanders Show"
- Flip (1998) TV Episode .... Himself
- Putting the 'Gay' Back in Litigation (1998) TV Episode .... Himself
- The Roast (1997) TV Episode .... Himself
- The Book (1997) TV Episode .... Himself
- Artie's Gone (1993) TV Episode .... Himself

TV RELATED MOVIES
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) .... Tommy Pischedda

TV GUEST APPEARANCES
"The Jury"
- Too Jung to Die (2004) TV Episode .... Carmen Pintozzi
"Mad About You"
- The Gym (1996) TV Episode .... Virgil
"Homicide: Life on the Street"
- The Gas Man (1995) TV Episode .... Victor Helms Sr.
"Frasier"
- Call Me Irresponsible (1993) TV Episode (voice) .... Marco
"Fallen Angels"
- I'll Be Waiting (1993) TV Episode .... Tony Reseck
"Tales from the Crypt"
- The Trap (1991) TV Episode .... Billy Paloma
"Hill Street Blues"
- The Russians Are Coming (1983) TV Episode .... Louis
"Fame"
- Homecoming (????) TV Episode .... Marty Shwartz
"Likely Stories, Vol. 1" (1981) TV Series
"Detective School"
- The Bank Job (1979) TV Episode
"Delvecchio"
- Board of Rights (1976) TV Episode (as Bruce Kirby Jr.)
"Kojak"
- Acts of Desperate Men (1975) TV Episode (as Bruce Kirby Jr.) .... Keith Wicks
Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light (1974) (TV) (as B. Kirby, Jr.) .... Cadet Morgan
"Emergency!" - Seance (1973) TV Epi .... Ken
"Room 222" (as B. Kirby Jr.) .... Herbie Constadine (1971-1973)
- Walt Whitman Goes Bananas (1972) TV Episode .... Herbie
"M*A*S*H"
- Pilot (1972) TV Episode (as B. Kirby Jr.) .... Pvt. Lorenzo Boone

BCnU.....
Tele-Toby