# Bruce Kirby (actor)

Bruce Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu; April 28, 1925 – January 24, 2021) was an American character actor.

## 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. 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).

## 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.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1970 | Catch-22 | Doctor |
| 1971 | How to Frame a Figg | Dale Groat |
| 1971 | J. W. Coop | Diesel Tanker Driver |
| 1972 | Another Nice Mess | Adolph |
| 1976 | The Commitment | Simon Benson |
| 1979 | Fyre | Father |
| 1979 | The Muppet Movie | The Gate Guard |
| 1985 | Sweet Dreams | Arthur Godfrey |
| 1986 | Stand by Me | Mr. Quidacioluo |
| 1986 | Armed and Dangerous | Police Captain |
| 1987 | Happy New Year | Taxi Driver |
| 1987 | Throw Momma from the Train | Detective DeBenedetto |
| 1988 | The In Crowd | Morris |
| 1988 | Lady in White | Cabbie |
| 1989 | The Big Picture | Businessman |
| 1990 | Bad Jim | Customer |
| 1992 | Another Time, Another Place | Cotton Traynor |
| 1993 | Mr. Wonderful | Dante |
| 1994 | Rave Review | Milton Mandler |
| 1997 | Cadillac | Augustine |
| 1998 | Interlocked: Thrilled to Death | Walter |
| 2000 | Vinnie and Angela's Beauty Salon and Funeral Parlor | Big Tony |
| 2004 | Crash | Pop Ryan |
| 2008 | 2:22 | Norman Penn |

### 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 | 3 episodes |
| 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 | 3 episodes |
| 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 | Television film |
| 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 | Television film |
| 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" |