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Nicky Katt

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Nicky Katt
Katt in Boiler Room (2000)
Born
Agustin Islas

(1970-05-11)May 11, 1970
Acapulco, Mexico
DiedApril 8, 2025(2025-04-08) (aged 54)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor
Years active1980–2018
Spouse
Annie Morse
(m. 1999; div. 2001)

Nicky Katt (born Agustin Islas; May 11, 1970 – April 8, 2025)[1] was an American actor.[2] He began his career as a child actor, and as an adult, frequently played unsympathetic characters or villains.

He was most known for his starring role in the television show Boston Public, and his prominent supporting roles in multiple films by Richard Linklater, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez, and Christopher Nolan, including Dazed and Confused, The Limey, Sin City, and Insomnia. His other film credits included A Time to Kill, Boiler Room, The Way of the Gun, and Secondhand Lions.

Early life

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Katt was born Agustin Islas in Acapulco, Mexico, on May 11, 1970, to American costume designer Carol Katt and musician Agustin Islas, the bassist for the Latin rock band El Klan. He was raised in the Los Angeles area, where he graduated from Providence High School in Burbank.[3]

Career

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Katt began his career as a child actor, professionally taking his mother's surname. He adopted the name Nicky at the suggestion of comedian Harvey Korman.[3] He made his screen debut in a 1980 episode of Fantasy Island, followed by the film Underground Aces, and episodes of CHiPs and V.

As an adult, he was known for his role as unorthodox teacher Harry Senate on David E. Kelley's Fox drama series Boston Public.[4] He was often cast as a villain, including as a murderous cop on the take in Monk, an irascible motorhead in Dazed and Confused, an ill-fated white supremacist child rapist in A Time to Kill, and an embittered business rival in Boiler Room.[5] Katt's other roles include Tim in SubUrbia (1996),[6] Stacy the hitman in The Limey (1999),[7] Adolf Hitler in Full Frontal (2002),[8] Fred Duggar in Insomnia (2002),[9] Stuka in Sin City (2005), and Nate Petite in Snow Angels (2008).[10] He voiced the character Atton Rand in Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.[11]

In 2004 he appeared in the Off-Broadway production of the Woody Allen play A Second Hand Memory.[12]

Personal life and death

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Katt was married to Annie Morse from 1999 until their divorce in 2001.[13]

Katt resided in Ben Lomond, California, in his final years, where he cared for his mother until her death in 2023.[3] He died by suicide on April 8, 2025, in Burbank, California, at the age of 54.[11][14]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1981 Underground Aces Son
1984 Gremlins Schoolchild
1989 The 'Burbs Steve Kuntz, Ricky's Friend
1990 Martians Go Home Hippie
1992 Sister Act Waiter
1993 Dazed and Confused Clint Bruno
American Yakuza Vic
1995 The Doom Generation Carnoburger Cashier
The Cure "Pony" [15]
Strange Days Joey Corto
The Babysitter Mark
1996 A Time to Kill Billy Ray Cobb
subUrbia Tim
Johns "Mix"
1997 Batman & Robin "Spike"
1998 Phantoms Deputy Steve Shanning
One True Thing Jordan Belzer
Delivered Barry
1999 The Limey Stacy, The Hitman
2000 Boiler Room Greg Weinstein [16]
Rules of Engagement Hayes Lawrence Hodges III
The Way of the Gun Obecks
2001 Waking Life Himself
2002 Insomnia Detective Fred Duggar
Full Frontal Hitler
Speakeasy Frank Marnikov
2003 I Love Your Work Goateed Man
Secondhand Lions Stan
School of Rock "Razor"
2004 Riding the Bullet Ferris
2005 Sin City Stuka
2006 World Trade Center Volunteer Fireman
2007 Snow Angels Nate Petite
Planet Terror Joe
Death Proof Counter Guy
The Brave One Detective Vitale
2008 Harold Police Officer #1
The Dark Knight S.W.A.T. Member Uncredited
2011 The Sitter NYPD Officer

Television roles

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1980 Fantasy Island Bookie Episode: "The Devil and Mandy Breem/Instant Millionaire"; uncredited
1981 CHiPs Pat McGuire Episode: "Diamond in the Rough"
Father Murphy Chester 2 episodes
1982 Code Red Kenny Episode: "Burnout"
Herbie, the Love Bug Matthew MacLane 5 episode
Voyagers! Jack, The Artful Dodger Episode: "The Day the Rebs Took Lincoln"
Trapper John, M.D. Scott Spencer Episode: "The Good Life"
1983 Quincy, M.E. Jeff Reano Episode: "Suffer the Little Children"
1984 V Sean Donovan 2 episodes
The Get Along Gang Leland Lizard (voice) 7 episodes
CBS Schoolbreak Special Jeff Anastas Episode: "Contract for Life: The S.A.D.D. Story"
1988 The Facts of Life Mark Episode: "Present Imperfect"
1989–1990 Dear John Amorous Male Student 2 episodes
1990 Lifestories Paul Albertson Episode: "The Hawkins Family"
1991 Uncle Buck Tommy Episode: "In Tia We Trust"
1992 Love & War Clerk Episode: "Bustiers and Body Points"
1994 Knight Rider 2010 Johnny Television film
1995 Double Rush Nicky Episode: "The Show We Wrote the Day We Found Out We Were Going on Opposite Roseanne"
1996 Friends Arthur Episode: "The One with the Bullies"
Kindred: The Embraced Starkweather Episode: "Nightstalker"
2000–2002 Boston Public Harry Senate 49 episodes
2003 The Guardian Evan Piscarek 2 episodes
2003–2004 King of the Hill Various voices 3 episodes
2006 Monk Sergeant Ryan Sharkey Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage"
Love Monkey Nathan Kitt Episode: "Confidence"
2007 Law & Order Isaac "Iced Out Ike" Krantz Episode: "Bling"
2013 Behind the Candelabra Mr. Y Television film
2018 Casual Cyril Episode: "Polytropos"; final role

Video games

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Year Title Voice role Notes Ref.
2004 Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Atton Rand [17]

References

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  1. ^ "Today's Birthdays". Times-Union. The Associated Press. May 11, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2025. Actor Nicky Katt is 50.
  2. ^ Smith, Lynn (August 1, 2002). "Nicky Katt, a Go-To Guy with a Can-Do Attitude". The Los Angeles Times Calendar Weekend. p. 34. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Fleming Jr., Mike (April 14, 2025). "Nicky Katt Tributes From Directors Linklater, McQuarrie, Robert Rodriguez, David Gordon Green, Adam Goldberg & More". Deadline. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  4. ^ Zoller Seitz, Matt (March 26, 2001). "Compelling lunacy". The Star-Ledger. p. 45. Retrieved April 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  5. ^ Fine, Marshall (February 17, 2000). "'Boiler' updates moral lessons from 'Wall Street'". Press and Sun-Bulletin. p. 3. Retrieved April 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  6. ^ Fine, Marshall (February 6, 1997). "Once paradise, 'burbs give vent to teen envy, despair". Potomac News. p. D5. Retrieved April 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  7. ^ Wilmington, Michael (October 8, 1999). "Soderbergh Puts Style and Feeling Back Into Modern Noir". Herald News. p. B8. Retrieved April 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  8. ^ King, Dennis (September 21, 2002). "Low-budget indie film 'Full Frontal' boasts high-wattage star power". Tulsa World. p. D4. Retrieved April 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  9. ^ Howard, Andrew (June 4, 2002). "'Insomnia' won't put you to sleep". Post-Bulletin. p. 3C. Retrieved April 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  10. ^ Wilmington, Michael (March 21, 2008). "Small-town poetry doesn't mask the madness in 'Snow'". The Daily Herald. p. 50. Retrieved April 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  11. ^ a b Saperstein, Pat (April 12, 2025). "Nicky Katt, Actor in 'Boston Public,' 'Dazed and Confused,' Dies at 54". Variety. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  12. ^ Rooney, David (November 22, 2004). "A Second Hand Memory". Variety. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  13. ^ Hornik, Caitlin (April 12, 2025). "Nicky Katt death: Dazed and Confused actor dies aged 54, according to reports". The Independent. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  14. ^ "'Dazed and Confused' actor Nicky Katt died by suicide at home: report". New York Daily News. April 12, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  15. ^ Holden, Stephen (April 23, 1995). "'The Cure' an exceptionally well-acted tale of childhood". The Californian. p. C5. Retrieved April 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  16. ^ Ebert, Roger (February 18, 2000). "Boiler Room Movie Review & Film Summary (2000)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  17. ^ "Nicky Katt − Voice Actor". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 12, 2025. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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