Actor Nicky Katt from ‘Dazed and Confused’ Passes Away at the Age of 54

Nicky Katt, who was a well-known presence in ’90s independent films and is most famous for his work in Dazed and Confused, has died at 54, as reported by various sources.

The news of his passing was verified by John Sloss, the founder and partner at Sloss Law, the agency representing Katt, in comments made to Deadline and The Wrap. The reason behind his death has not been revealed.

Having been born on May 11, 1970, in South Dakota, Katt established himself as a talented character actor. He frequently teamed up with filmmaker Richard Linklater and rose to fame for his portrayal of Clint Bruno in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused. Katt’s portfolio also includes multiple roles in the works of Steven Soderbergh, such as the 2002 group comedy Full Frontal (featuring Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt) and the 2013 biopic Behind the Candelabra.

In Full Frontal, Katt took on a provocative and darkly comedic role — an actor playing Adolf Hitler in a fictional stage production titled The Sound and the Fuhrer. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2002, Soderbergh praised Katt as being “absolutely fearless” in his performance.

Katt, reflecting on that project, told the Times the role allowed him to see the acting profession from a different angle.

“There’s so much desperation in the air, in Los Angeles especially. You don’t notice it in New York as much,” he said. “Everybody plays it a little cooler there, and people have a lot more interaction with each other. I think Stanley Kubrick called the vibe in L.A. a ‘low-level malevolence.’ It eats away at you at some point.”

In Dazed and Confused, Katt embodied high school tough guy Clint Bruno, a slick wannabe greaser who ends up brawling with Adam Goldberg’s character, Mike Newhouse.

Katt’s career spanned a wide range of notable roles. He appeared in 1999’s The Limey, the financial drama Boiler Room in 2000, and Christopher Nolan’s 2002 psychological thriller Insomnia. One of his more chilling turns came in A Time to Kill, where he played one of the film’s antagonists opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Matthew McConaughey.

On television, Katt earned acclaim for his work in the Fox drama Boston Public, where he portrayed Harry Senate, an unconventional geology teacher whose tough-love approach eventually won over his troubled students. He remained on the series for its first three seasons.

According to IMDb, Katt’s last credited role was in 2018, when he guest-starred in an episode of the Hulu comedy Casual.

Following the news of his passing, tributes from colleagues and fans began to pour in.

Beau Flynn, CEO of Flynn Picture Company, posted a heartfelt message on X:

“Heartbroken to learn about the way too early passing of the seriously talented actor #NickyKatt – God bless you my friend … What a privilege to know you and work with you on my first movie in 1995 – ‘johns.’ Rest in peace brother.”

Another fan echoed the sentiment, writing:

“Such a bummer. One of those character actors I was always hyped to see pop up in something. [He was] especially terrific in Dazed & Confused, The Doom Generation & The Limey. Rest in peace to a real deal actor.”