Denis Arndt Dies: ‘Basic Instinct’ Actor And Tony Nominee Was 86
deadline.comCharacter actor Denis Arndt, who appeared in Basic Instinct, a slate of David E. Kelley shows and earned a Tony nomination for his role in Broadway’s two-hander Heisenberg, has died at the age of 86, his family announced in an obituary published Wednesday. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our dad, Denis Leroy Arndt,” the statement read. “He died peacefully in his bed in his beloved cabin home of almost 50 years in Ashland, Oregon; he wouldn’t have had it any other way.” Born Feb.
23, 1939 in Issaquah, Wash., Arndt served as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War and was awarded the Purple Heart twice.
Afterward, the soon-to-be prolific actor moved to Seattle, where a friend convinced him to audition for a local theater, paving the way to more onstage roles later in his career. “Of course, Dad got the main role.
And he was brilliant. He carried his brilliance, passion, and dedication into his second career as an actor, both on stage and on screen,” the obit read.
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