Phil Bruns

Phil Bruns
Born	Philip Bruns (1931-05-02)May 2, 1931 Pipestone, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	February 8, 2012(2012-02-08) (aged 80) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actor, writer
Years active	1959–2012
Spouse	Laurie Franks (?–2012) (his death)

Philip Bruns (May 2, 1931 – February 8, 2012) was an American television actor and writer, best remembered for portraying George Shumway, the father of Mary Hartman on the 1970s comedic series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

Life and career

Bruns was born in Pipestone, Minnesota, the youngest of three children of Margie Evelyn Solon (née Trigg) and Henry Phillip Bruns. His ancestry was German and Irish.

He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from Augustana College in South Dakota. He earned his Master's Degree from the Yale School of Drama in New Haven, Connecticut. He also studied at the Old Vic Theatre School in London, England. He appeared as Morty Seinfeld in the sitcom Seinfeld, in a first-season episode entitled "The Stake Out", but was replaced in the role by Barney Martin.

He also appeared in Sanford and Son, Columbo: Exercise in Fatality, Barney Miller, Night Court, Airwolf, Just Shoot Me!, and M*A*S*H

He appeared in dozens of films, TV commercials, and on and Off-Broadway plays (winning an Obie Award for "Mr. Simian" in the 1963-64 season). He played the Warlock in Werner Liepolt's "The Young Master Dante" at The American Place Theater in 1968.

Films in which Bruns appeared include A Thousand Clowns (1965), Jenny (1970), The Out-of-Towners (1970), The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972), Harry and Tonto (1974), The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), Nickelodeon (1976), Corvette Summer (1978), The Stunt Man (1980), My Favorite Year (1982), Flashdance (1983), Amazon Women on the Moon (1987), Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988), Dead Men Don't Die (1991), The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them (1993), Love Bites (1993), Pentathlon (1994), The Trigger Effect, and Ed (1996). He wrote The Character Actor's Do's, Don't and Anecdotes', which was published in early November 2008.

Death

Until his death, Bruns resided in Hollywood with his wife, former Broadway musical actress Laurie Franks. He died of natural causes on February 8, 2012, aged 80.

Partial filmography

• A Thousand Clowns (1965) - The Man in the Restaurant
• All Woman (1967) - Drunken Man
• The Swimmer (1968) - Biswangers' Pool Party Guest (uncredited)
• Midnight Cowboy (1969) - Man in TV Montage (uncredited)
• Jenny (1970) - Fred
• The Out-of-Towners (1970) - Officer Meyers
• Taking Off (1971) - Policeman
• The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971) - Gallagher
• Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) - Wilfred Butler (1929)
• Harry and Tonto (1974) - Burt
• The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) - Dillhoefer
• Flash and the Firecat (1975) - Mr. Walley
• Nickelodeon (1976) - Duncan
• Corvette Summer (1978) - Gil
• The Stunt Man (1980) - Ace
• My Favorite Year (1982) - Fed. Marshal Holt
• Flashdance (1983) - Frank Szabo
• The Christmas Star (1986) - Lucky
• Amazon Women on the Moon (1987) - French Ventriloquist Dummy - Manager
• Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988) - Doc Mandel
• Dead Men Don't Die (1990) - Nolan
• The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them (1992) - Irv Crown
• Love Bites (1993) - Vinnie Helsting
• Pentathlon (1994) - Vic
• Digital Man (1995) - Bob
• Ed (1996) - Clarence
• The Trigger Effect (1996) - Mr. Schaefer
• Johnny Skidmarks (1998) - Old Coot
• Inferno (1999) - Old Man Buyer (final film role)

Sources

• Calvin, "Going Out of Business," Sanford and Son, NBC, 1974
• Calvin, "My Kingdom for a Horse" (also known as "First Night Out"), Sanford and Son, NBC, 1974

External links

• Phil Bruns at IMDb
• Philip Bruns;(Aveleyman)