Bruce MacVittie, ‘American Buffalo,’ ‘Law and Order’ Actor, Dies at 65

Bruce MacVittie, the veteran character actor who was a mainstay on and off Broadway for 40 years and a guest star on TV series starting with Barney Miller in 1981, has died. He was 65.

He died on May 7 in a New York City hospital room, The New York Times reported on Thursday. No cause of death was available.

Born on Oct. 14, 1956 in Providence, Rhode Island, MacVittie began acting in high school and graduated from Boston University before a move to New York City in 1979. A year later, he became a member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre after playing Danny Bailey in Edward Allen Baker’s production of What’s So Beautiful About A Sunset Over Prairie Avenue?

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In 1983, MacVittie became an understudy to James Hayden in David Mamet’s American Buffalo production that starred Al Pacino and J.J. Johnston. And he subsequently toured with that stage play in the U.S. and appeared on London’s West End with Pacino and Johnson.

MacVittie also guest starred on a host of TV series, which included a recurring role as Danny Scalercio — the juror responsible for Uncle Junior’s acquittal –on The Sopranos during the fourth season in 2002. And he played in all 11 characters for the Law & Order franchise.

That included roles as Judge Harvey Frye and Arnie Cox in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, playing Kurt Mulhall and Mr Tandy on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and on the original Law & Order series MacVittie played characters like Frank Andreas, Bill Parker and Arvin Baker.

He also played Alan Miller, Miranda’s philandering date in Sex and the City, and co-starred opposite Stanley Tucci and Michael Beach in 40 episodes of The Street, which was shot in Newark, New Jersey.

His other TV credits included L.A. Law, Oz, Homicide Life on the Street, Gravesend, CSI: NY, Chicago Med and Bull. On the movie front, MacVittie appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Cotton Club, Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July and The Doors, Ridley Scott’s Hannibal and Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.

Other film credits included Nigel Finch’s Stonewall, Roger Hedden’s Hi Life, Lonelyhearts, directed by Todd Robinson, and Al Pacino’s Looking for Richard.

One of MacVittie’s last roles was in Ava DuVernay’s The Way They See Us for Netflix.