Bruce MacVittie, character actor in ‘Sopranos,’ ‘Law & Order,’ dead at 65

Bruce MacVittie, a prolific character actor who had roles in “The Sopranos,” “Law & Order” and was a mainstay on Broadway for four decades, died Saturday. He was 65.

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He died in a New York City hospital room, his wife, Carol Ochs, told The New York Times. No cause of death was given.

MacVittie made his Broadway debut in “American Buffalo” opposite Al Pacino in 1983 and was a mainstay on off-Broadway stages for more than 40 years, the newspaper reported.

MacVittie also was a guest star on many television shows, including a recurring role as Danny Scalercio -- the juror responsible for Uncle Junior’s acquittal -- during the fourth season of “The Sopranos” in 2002, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

MacVittie had character roles in the “Law & Order” franchise, playing Frank Andreas, Bill Parker and Arvin Baker on the original series, Judge Harvey Frye and Arnie Cox in “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” and Kurt Mullhall and Mr. Tandy in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2021.

MacVittie began his TV career in 1981 with an appearance on “Barney Miller,” Deadline reported. He also had roles on “Miami Vice,” “The Equalizer,” “Spencer For Hire,” “LA Law,” “The Stand,” “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Oz,” the website reported.

In 1988, MacVittie got his first big TV job, starring with Stanley Tucci in 40 episodes of “The Street,” a police show set in Newark, New Jersey, according to the Times.

In the mid-1980s, MacVittie helped found Naked Angels, a troupe of young film and theater hipsters that included Matthew Broderick and Marisa Tomei, the newspaper reported.

On film, MacVittie appeared in “The Cotton Club,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” “The Doors,” “Hannibal” and “Million Dollar Baby.”

Born on Oct. 14, 1956, in Providence, Rhode Island, MacVittie began acting in high school and graduated from Boston University before moving to New York City in 1979, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

After 75 roles in film and television, MacVittie left acting to train as a nurse, the Times reported. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Hunter College in Manhattan in 2013.

“I loved Bruce MacVittie,” Pacino told the Times. “His performances were always glistening and crackling; a heart and a joy to watch. He was the embodiment of the struggling actor in New York City, and he made it work. We will miss him.”

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