Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Bye Bye Bruno Kirby. You Were a Great Character Actor & You Will Be Missed!


Man, I was so, so sorry to read this. Bruno Kirby was one of my favorite character actors ever. I will always remember him as the limo driver in “Spinal Tap” and as the uptight lieutenant in “Good Morning Vietnam.” He also played the young Clemenza in "Godfather II." He always gave a great performance and consistently brought so much to the roles he played. I just saw him recently on one of my favorite TV shows, “Entourage”, and I can’t believe he died so young. Goodbye, Bruno. I’ll miss you just like I’m sure a lot of other people will.

Here’s the wire story/obit on Bruno Kirby:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Bruno Kirby, a veteran character actor who costarred in "When Harry Met Sally," "City Slickers" and many other films, has died at age 57, his wife said Tuesday. Kirby died Monday in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, according to a statement from his wife, Lynn Sellers. He had recently been diagnosed with the disease. "We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from Bruno's fans and colleagues who have admired and respected his work over the past 30 years," his wife said. "Bruno's spirit will continue to live on not only in his rich body of film and television work but also through the lives of individuals he has touched throughout his life." Kirby was perhaps best known for his roles opposite Billy Crystal in 1989's "When Harry Met Sally" and 1991's "City Slickers." Other film credits included "Good Morning, Vietnam," "The Godfather: Part II" and "Donnie Brasco." More recently, he played Phil Rubenstein on the HBO series "Entourage."

It's a Love Haight Relationship!


Yesterday I met with Jeremy Bates, the owner and editor of the Haight-Ashbury Beat and he gave me my first writing assignment! The Haight Ashbury-Beat is a monthly community newspaper dedicated to news and features about the Haight Street section of SF. This means that I have now received a total of three writing gigs since I started this blog. I am also writing for a new Web site about SF and its many sites and attractions called “City Hike”, and I am in the process of working with Jerry Hart, the brother of Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, on a book called, “Grateful but Not Dead.” This blog has really helped me get my writing seen and if you’re reading this right now, thanks! Everything I write for the Beat will also appear on my blog, so stay tuned. This could get very interesting. For an online version of the Haight-Ashbury Beat, visit: http://www.haightashburybeat.com/.