Nicky Katt, Actor of ‘Dazed and Confused,’ Dies at 54
Nicky Katt, who played teacher Harry Senate on Boston Public, has died. He was 54.
After starting as a child actor, he played various tough guys in movies including “Dazed and Confused” and “Boiler Room.”
His death, on April 8 in Burbank, was reported by friends and attorney John Sloss.
Often playing heavies and villains, Katt worked with Richard Linklater, appearing in “Waking Life,” “SubUrbia” and “School of Rock.”
For director Soderbergh, he appeared in “The Limey” as Stacy the Hitman, as Hitler in “Full Frontal,” and had one of his final roles in “Behind the Candelabra.”
Chris Nolan cast him in “Insomnia” and “The Dark Knight,” in which he played a S.W.A.T. team member.
In Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused,” Katt played the tough guy Clint Bruno, who threatens Mike (Adam Goldberg) and then beats him up.
He went on to appear in Gregg Araki’s “Doom Generation,” Kathryn Bigelow’s “Strange Days,” in Neil Jordan’s “The Brave One” and in two Joel Schumacher movies, “A Time to Kill” and “Batman & Robin.”
Katt was memorable in Christopher McQuarrie’s directorial debut, the 2000 Western “The Way of the Gun,” as a bodyguard who gets injured in a shootout.
Katt, who lived part time in Austin, Texas, worked with Robert Rodriguez on “Sin City.” He also appeared in Tarantino’s “Death Proof.”
About his role in David Gordon Green’s “Snow Angels,” he told Todd Gilchrist, “I kind of am notorious for bringing a lot of humor to stuff, and not in a scene-stealing way, but especially if something is really kind of heavy subject matter, I’m kind of like oxygen for a drowning man.”
“I mean, everyone also says that the bad guys are the most fun, but I’ve definitely gone through streaks where that’s all that people wanted me to play, the bad guy, especially after ‘Dazed and Confused.’ But I’ve been really lucky because I get to play all different types of guys,” he said.
On television, he appeared on shows including a recurring role on the “Herbie, the Love Bug” series, “V,” “Quincy M.E.,” “Father Murphy” and “Law and Order.” His last credited appearance was on the series “Casual” in 2018.
