Daniel von Bargen
Updated: 12/10/2025, 4:46:39 PM Wikipedia source
Daniel von Bargen (June 5, 1950 – March 1, 2015) was an American character actor of film, stage and television. He was known for his roles as Mr. Kruger on Seinfeld (1997–1998), Commandant Edwin Spangler on Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2002), and Chief Grady in Super Troopers (2001).
Infobox
Born
(1950-06-05)June 5, 1950Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died
March 1, 2015(2015-03-01) (aged 64)Montgomery, Ohio, U.S.
Occupations
mw- .inline, .inline dl, .inline ol, .inline ul, dl dl, dl ol, dl ul, ol dl, ol ol dd dd dd , dd dt , dd li , dt dd , dt dt , dt li , li dd dd dd , dd dt , dd li , dt dd , dt dt , dt li , li dd dd ol li Actorcomedian
Years active
1970–2009
Spouse
mw- Margo Skinner (div. 1987)
Tables
· Filmography › Television
1976
Visions
Role(s)
Guard
Notes
Episode: "Life Among the Lowly"
1983
The Dean of Thin Air
Role(s)
George Berkeley
Notes
TV movie
1985
Role(s)
Detective Roberts
1985–1986
Role(s)
Spenser: For Hire
Notes
Al / Mr. Hurley
1990
1991–2004
Role(s)
Law & Order
Notes
Superintendent Cooper / Commander Billings / Lambrusco
1993
The Last Hit
Role(s)
Nordlinger
The Good Policeman
Role(s)
Frederic LeComte
With Hostile Intent
Role(s)
Officer Ted Campbell
Role(s)
Albert Magliocco
1994
The Gift of Love
Role(s)
Mr. Brady
Notes
TV movie
1994–1995
Role(s)
All My Children
Notes
Lieutenant Cody
1995
The Shamrock Conspiracy
Role(s)
Sternhardt
Notes
TV movie
Role(s)
General Douglas MacArthur
1995–1997
Role(s)
New York Undercover
Notes
Green / Omega Bomber / Duane
1996
The Writing on the Wall
Role(s)
Rockwell
Notes
TV movie
1997–1998
Role(s)
Seinfeld
Notes
Mr. Kruger
1998
Notes
Episode: "Whatever It Takes"
1999
2000
2000–02
Role(s)
Malcolm in the Middle
Notes
Commandant Edwin Spangler
2001
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | Great Performances | Wooldridge | Episode: "Feasting with Panthers" |
| 1976 | Visions | Guard | Episode: "Life Among the Lowly" |
| 1979 | The Scarlet Letter | Sailor | Unknown episodes |
| 1983 | The Dean of Thin Air | George Berkeley | TV movie |
| 1985 | Right to Kill? | Detective Roberts | |
| American Playhouse | Thomas | Episode: "Three Sovereigns for Sarah: Part I" | |
| 1985–1986 | Spenser: For Hire | Al / Mr. Hurley | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | H.E.L.P. | Whitehall | Episode: "Are You There, Alpha Centauri?" |
| 1991–2004 | Law & Order | Superintendent Cooper / Commander Billings / Lambrusco | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | Citizen Cohn | Clyde Tolson | TV movie |
| 1993 | The Last Hit | Nordlinger | |
| The Good Policeman | Frederic LeComte | ||
| With Hostile Intent | Officer Ted Campbell | ||
| Scam | Albert Magliocco | ||
| Guiding Light | Joe Morrison | Unknown episodes | |
| 1994 | One West Waikiki | Captain Charlie Dalton | Episode: Til Death Do Us Part" |
| The Gift of Love | Mr. Brady | TV movie | |
| 1994–1995 | All My Children | Lieutenant Cody | Unknown episodes |
| 1995 | The Shamrock Conspiracy | Sternhardt | TV movie |
| Truman | General Douglas MacArthur | ||
| 1995–1997 | New York Undercover | Green / Omega Bomber / Duane | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | The Writing on the Wall | Rockwell | TV movie |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue | Sergeant Ray Kahlins | 2 episodes |
| 1997–1998 | Seinfeld | Mr. Kruger | 4 episodes |
| 1998 | The Pretender | Captain Prentiss McClaren | Episode: "Collateral Damage" |
| Significant Others | David Lerner | Episode: "The Plan" | |
| The X-Files | Jacob Steven Haley | Episode: "The Pine Bluff Variant" | |
| Arliss | Episode: "Whatever It Takes" | ||
| Party of Five | Dr. Dick Grayson | Episode: "Love and War" | |
| 1999 | Fantasy Island | District Attorney Flynn | Episode: "Innocent" |
| The Practice | Detective Smiley | Episode: "Happily Ever After" | |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Stewart Rafferty | Episode: "Unhand Me" |
| Time of Your Life | Mr. Halloway | Episode: "The Time They Got E-Rotic" | |
| The Fearing Mind | O'Horgan | Episode: "Good Harvest" | |
| The West Wing | Air Force General Ken Shannon | 2 episodes | |
| 2000–02 | Malcolm in the Middle | Commandant Edwin Spangler | 15 episodes (Seasons 1–3) |
| 2001 | Ally McBeal | Judge William Kopesky | Episode: "The Ex-Files" |
| Judging Amy | Judge | Episode: "Grounded" | |
| 2003 | Without a Trace | Chief Patrick Finn | Episode: "Trip Box" |
· Filmography › Film
1991
Role(s)
SWAT Communicator
Role(s)
Mike Flinn
Role(s)
Hacker's Vigilante #4
1993
Role(s)
Moreno
Role(s)
Chief Olson / Interrogator
Role(s)
Boat Captain
Role(s)
Detective
Role(s)
Jury Foreman
1996
Role(s)
Air Force General Creely
Role(s)
Police Chief Fran Conklin
Role(s)
Chief Duncan Hopley
1997
Role(s)
Secretary of the Navy Theodore Hayes
Role(s)
Devon
Role(s)
Cecil, The butcher
Role(s)
Warden Pendleton
Role(s)
Pineview Sheriff Briscoe
1998
Role(s)
Sheriff Jackson
Role(s)
Dr. Litvak
Inferno
Role(s)
General Craig Maxwell
Role(s)
Mr. Tate
Role(s)
Mr. Granger
1999
Role(s)
Police Chief Yardley
Role(s)
General Radford
Role(s)
Carl Heine Sr.
2000
Role(s)
Adrian
Role(s)
Sheriff Cooley
Role(s)
Lieutenant Kearney
Role(s)
Sam Duritz
2001
Role(s)
Chief Bruce Grady
Trigger Happy
Role(s)
Harold
Role(s)
Federal Agent Ellerby
2004
Dead Horse
Role(s)
Stu Conklin
2005
Drip
Role(s)
Daniel
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | The Silence of the Lambs | SWAT Communicator | |
| Company Business | Mike Flinn | ||
| Shadows and Fog | Hacker's Vigilante | ||
| 1992 | Complex World | Malcom | |
| Basic Instinct | Lieutenant Nilsen | ||
| 1993 | RoboCop 3 | Moreno | |
| Rising Sun | Chief Olson / Interrogator | ||
| The Saint of Fort Washington | Boat Captain | ||
| Six Degrees of Separation | Detective | ||
| Philadelphia | Jury Foreman | ||
| 1994 | I.Q. | Secret Service Agent | |
| 1995 | Crimson Tide | Vladimir Radchenko | |
| Lord of Illusions | Nix | ||
| 1996 | Looking for Richard | Ratcliffe | Documentary |
| Broken Arrow | Air Force General Creely | ||
| Before and After | Police Chief Fran Conklin | ||
| Thinner | Chief Duncan Hopley | ||
| 1997 | Jane | Secretary of the Navy Theodore Hayes | |
| The Real Blonde | Devon | ||
| Trouble on the Corner | Cecil, The butcher | ||
| Amistad | Warden Pendleton | ||
| The Postman | Pineview Sheriff Briscoe | ||
| 1998 | Desert Blue | Sheriff Jackson | |
| I'm Losing You | Dr. Litvak | ||
| Inferno | General Craig Maxwell | ||
| The Faculty | Mr. Tate | ||
| A Civil Action | Mr. Granger | ||
| 1999 | The General's Daughter | Police Chief Yardley | |
| Universal Soldier: The Return | General Radford | ||
| Snow Falling on Cedars | Carl Heine Sr. | ||
| 2000 | A Question of Faith | Adrian | |
| O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Sheriff Cooley | ||
| Shaft | Lieutenant Kearney | ||
| Disney's The Kid | Sam Duritz | ||
| 2001 | Super Troopers | Chief Bruce Grady | |
| Trigger Happy | Harold | ||
| The Majestic | Federal Agent Ellerby | ||
| 2002 | Coastlines | Sheriff Tate | |
| Simone | Chief Detective | ||
| 2003 | Artworks | Howard Deardorf | |
| 2004 | Dead Horse | Stu Conklin | |
| 2005 | Drip | Daniel | |
| 2006 | Things That Hang from Trees | George Burgess | |
| 2009 | London Betty | Maury | (final film role) |
· Filmography › Stage
1981
Missing Persons
Role(s)
Tucker
1986
Good by C. P. Taylor
Role(s)
John Halder (lead)
Notes
Dallas Theater Three
1987
Uncle Vanya
Role(s)
Vanya
Notes
Hasty Pudding Theater
1988
Platonov
Role(s)
Pavel Petrovich Scherbuk
Life is a Dream
Role(s)
King Basilio
Nobody
Role(s)
Carl
1989
Mastergate
Role(s)
Maj. Manley Battle
Notes
American Repertory Theater
1992
Angel of Death
Role(s)
Gunther Ludwig
Notes
American Jewish Theater
1993
The Treatment
Role(s)
Andrew
Notes
Joseph Papp Public Theater
2003
Secret Order
Role(s)
Robert Brock
Notes
Laguna Playhouse
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
| 1981 | Missing Persons | Tucker | |
| 1986 | Good by C. P. Taylor | John Halder (lead) | Dallas Theater Three |
| 1987 | Uncle Vanya | Vanya | Hasty Pudding Theater |
| 1988 | Platonov | Pavel Petrovich Scherbuk | |
| Life is a Dream | King Basilio | ||
| Nobody | Carl | ||
| 1989 | Mastergate | Maj. Manley Battle | American Repertory Theater |
| 1990 | Macbeth | Ross | Joseph Papp Public Theater |
| 1991 | Beggars in the House of Plenty | Pop | |
| 1992 | Angel of Death | Gunther Ludwig | American Jewish Theater |
| 1993 | The Treatment | Andrew | Joseph Papp Public Theater |
| 2003 | Secret Order | Robert Brock | Laguna Playhouse |
| 'Tis Pity She's a Whore | |||
| The Changeling |
References
- Yahoo! Movieshttps://movies.yahoo.com/person/daniel-von-bargen
- The Cincinnati Enquirerhttp://www.legacy.com/obituaries/cincinnati/obituary.aspx?n=juanita-j-von-bargen&pid=153006774
- The Cincinnati Enquirerhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-reading-grad-acq/170182202/
- The Cincinnati Enquirerhttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/17913464/the_cincinnati_enquirer/
- Theatre Worldhttps://books.google.com/books?id=IvQZAQAAIAAJ
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2015/tv/news/seinfeld-actor-dead-daniel-von-bargen-dies-at-64-1201446372/
- "At the movies" The Cincinnati Enquirer (12 Jan, 2001) Retrieved from ProQuest 237257173https://www.proquest.com/docview/237257173
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? review by Todd McCarthy at variety.comhttps://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/o-brother-where-art-thou-2-1200462257/
- The Hollywood Reporterhttp://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/daniel-von-bargen-dead-seinfeld-778494
- Journal & Courierhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/journal-and-courier-seinfeld-coming-to-i/170182913/
- "Theatre World Award"https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123226/http://www.playbill.com/reference/awards/category/theatre-world-award/news/section/all/P240
- R.I.P. Daniel von Bargen Dies At Age 64, bloody-disgusting.com; accessed March 8, 2015.http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3334711/r-p-daniel-von-bargen-dies-age-64/
- Philly.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20150402161749/http://articles.philly.com/1993-10-31/news/25936506_1_larry-mcmurtry-joey-garza-buffalo-girls
- The Atlanta Constitutionhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-woolf-star-ca/170180324/
- "'Seinfeld' actor attempts suicide at his Ohio home; Whitney Houston open-casket photo sparks anger; and more"https://www.cleveland.com/people/2012/02/seinfeld_actor_survives_suicid.html
- Peoplehttps://people.com/celebrity/daniel-von-bargen-in-failed-suicide-attempt/
- Anchorage Daily Newshttps://www.newspapers.com/article/anchorage-daily-news-ohio-police-seinf/170181696/
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/05/death-of-seinfeld-actor-highlights-dangers-of-diabetes-and-depression/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2015/tv/news/seinfeld-actor-dead-daniel-von-bargen-dies-at-64-1201446372/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/07/arts/television/daniel-von-bargen-character-actor-dies-at-64.html?_r=0
- WLWThttp://www.wlwt.com/news/cincinnati-native-seinfeld-malcolm-actor-passes-away/31587198
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/21/theater/theater-craig-lucas-s-missing-persons.html
- The American Repertory Theatre Reference Book: The Brustein Yearshttps://books.google.com/books?id=qmSpZhZ7tW4C
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/14/arts/review-theater-gelbart-s-scorn-for-scandals.html
- New Yorkhttps://books.google.com/books?id=YrUA24_g1QQC&pg=PA68
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9D0CE7D6113DF937A15753C1A967958260&_r=1&
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/18/theater/review-theater-josef-mengele-recast-as-a-nightclub-star.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/03/theater/review-theater-treatment-city-so-relentlessly-abusive-its-residents-decide-not.html
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jun-03-et-shirley3-story.html