Nicky Katt, ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘Boston Public’ actor, dies at 54

Nicky Katt, a character actor who costarred in Richard Linklater’s indie classic “Dazed and Confused” and the Fox series “Boston Public,” died at his Burbank apartment on April 8. He was 54.

Katt’s death was confirmed Saturday by his lawyer John Sloss.

According to the L.A. County medical examiner’s office, Katt died by suicide.

Born May 11, 1970, in South Dakota, Katt started out as a child actor, appearing in such TV series as “Quincy, M.E.,” “Father Murphy,” “Fantasy Island” and “CHiPs.”

As an adult, Katt developed a reputation for taking on roles that required him to play unsavory types. In a 2002 interview with The Times, director Steven Soderbergh described Katt’s work as “dangerously out of control” but rigorously prepared for his performances.

Katt’s breakthrough came in “Dazed and Confused,” playing bully Clint Bruno in the 1993 coming-of-age stoner comedy about students in Austin, Texas, celebrating the last day of high school in 1976. The film helped propel the careers of Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck and Parker Posey.

Nicky Katt during “Solaris” Los Angeles premiere at Pacific Cinerama Dome in Hollywood in 2002.

(Steve Granitz / WireImage)

For Katz, it led to steady work that included playing villain Billy Ray Cobb in the John Grisham adaptation “A Time to Kill,” a cutthroat stockbroker in “Boiler Room,” a hitman in Soderbergh’s “The Limey” and a theater actor who portrays Adolf Hitler in the director’s 2002 film “Full Frontal.” He also appeared in “Batman & Robin” and “The Dark Knight.”

Katt continued to do television, landing his biggest prime-time role on “Boston Public,” a drama from David E. Kelley set in an urban high school. Katt played teacher Harry Senate for the first three seasons. His last listed acting credit is a role on the 2018 Hulu series “Casual.”

In a 2002 interview with The Times, Katt expressed ambivalence about chasing success in Hollywood.

“Sometimes I think if I did more sit-ups and went to the tanning salon, I could have a lot more power than I do now,” he said. “At the end of the day, you do what your gut tells you to do.”