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).

Early life Von Bargen was born to Juanita J. (née Bustle) and Donald L. von Bargen, and was of German and English descent. He was born in Cincinnati, where he grew up for most of his childhood before moving with his family to Southern California. In 1968, von Bargen graduated from Reading High School. He graduated from Purdue University in Indiana.

Career In 1974, von Bargen made his television debut in Feasting with Panthers, a play about Oscar Wilde's imprisonment at the Reading Gaol, on PBS's Great Performances anthology series.

Von Bargen's film credits included The Silence of the Lambs, London Betty, RoboCop 3, Basic Instinct, Broken Arrow, Truman, The Majestic, Philadelphia, O Brother, Where Art Thou?,"At the movies" The Cincinnati Enquirer (12 Jan, 2001) Retrieved from O Brother, Where Art Thou? review by Todd McCarthy at variety.com Snow Falling on Cedars, Thinner, A Civil Action, Disney's The Kid, Super Troopers and Universal Soldier: The Return.

Von Bargen played the maniacal sorcerer Nix in Clive Barker's Lord of Illusions and the Sheriff in The Postman. He played a terrorist in a season 5 episode of The X-Files. Von Bargen had played Mr. Kruger, George Costanza's boss, in the ninth season of Seinfeld, and also played the recurring antagonist Edwin Spangler, the eye patch wearing Commandant in charge of Marlin Academy who would always clash with Francis, in the Fox comedy Malcolm in the Middle for the first three seasons.

Von Bargen's stage career included a long residency with Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. He made his Off-Broadway debut in 1981 in Missing Persons. He also appeared in the debut of Larry Gelbart's Mastergate and other plays at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He made his Broadway debut when the show went to New York City. In 1990, he won a Theatre World Award for Outstanding New Performer for his role in Mastergate. His last film roles were as George Burgess in Things That Hang from Trees and Maury in London Betty.R.I.P. Daniel von Bargen Dies At Age 64, bloody-disgusting.com; accessed March 8, 2015.

In 1993, von Bargen narrated the unabridged Streets of Laredo audiobook.

Personal life Von Bargen married actress Margo Skinner in the mid-1970s, and they moved to New York in 1980. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1987.

Health issues and death On February 20, 2012, von Bargen shot himself in the temple in an apparent suicide attempt. He managed to call 911, and an ambulance was dispatched to his apartment in Montgomery, Ohio. He suffered from diabetes and had previously had a leg amputated. When calling 911, he told the operator that he was scheduled to have two of his remaining toes amputated but did not want to undergo another surgery. "I have no children and no life, and I'm tired," he said. Von Bargen played fewer and fewer roles as his diabetes worsened. His last role was in the comedy London Betty in 2009.

Von Bargen then died on March 1, 2015, of undisclosed causes at 64 years old. The Washington Post reported that his death "came after an unspecified long illness."

Filmography

Television 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 P.F. 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"

Film Year Title Role Notes 1991 The Silence of the Lambs SWAT Communicator Company Business Mike Flinn Shadows and Fog Hacker's Vigilante #4 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 G.I. 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)

Stage 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

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