Actor Denis Arndt, best known for his roles in S.W.A.T. and Basic Instinct has died. He was 86.
An obituary shared by his family revealed Arndt passed “peacefully in his bed” at his home in Ashland, Oregon, adding “he wouldn’t have had it any other way”.
Arndt’s children wrote that his life “started out in black and white and blossomed into a life of colour, brilliance, daring adventure and passion”.
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“Dad lived his life as a full and generous performance, known for his incredible wit, charm, rebel spirit, irreverence, sense of humor, grittiness, and passion for his art,” they continued.
“His legacy, both on and off stage, will live on in the hearts of family, friends, and community members.
“He was charming, handsome, present in the moment, spontaneous, and magnetic – a true Renaissance man.
“As the final curtain falls, we bid farewell to our Dad, knowing he has earned a standing ovation for the remarkable life he led.”
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Arndt was a Vietnam veteran, receiving the Purple Heart twice, opting for a career as a helicopter pilot upon returning home.
However, his life changed forever when a friend convinced him to audition for a play at the local theatre and he landed the main role.
According to his family, Arndt went on to spend “multiple seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival” before becoming a Hollywood star in the early ’90s.
His on screen career began with guest roles on shows such as The Wonder Years, Murder, She Wrote, L.A. Law and Annie McGuire.
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Then, in 1992 he was cast as Lt. Phil Walker in Basic Instinct, leading the iconic scene in which he interrogates Sharon Stone’s character Catherine Tramell.
From there, Arndt landed the role of Warden Lipscom in the 2002 film Undisputed before going on to snag the role of Sgt. Howard in S.W.A.T..
Over the next few decades he continued to appear in several TV shows , most recently How To Get Away With Murder in 2018, but according to his family Arndt’s crowning achievement wasn’t the work he did on screen, but rather his work on stage.
In 2015 Arndt starred as Alex Priest in Simon Stephens’ Heisenberg, opening at the Manhattan Theatre Club before moving to Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre 15 months later.
At age 77 it was Arndt’s first and only Broadway appearance, for which he received critical acclaim and even a Tony nomination in 2017 for best actor in a play, which his family noted as “the pinnacle of his career”.
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“It’s just the highlight of so many things, it’s just amazing,” Arndt said during a red carpet interview at the awards ceremony.
“I mean, my goodness, what a great honour… you know, you don’t do it for awards do you, you do it for doin’ it, and what a nice thing to be recognised and I’m honoured.”
Ardnt is survived by his wife of 45 years Magee Downey, their three children Bryce, McKenna and Tanner and four children from his previous marriage, Scott, Tammy, Laurie and Kirsten.
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