Character actor Nicky Katt, widely known for his performances in Dazed and Confused, Boston Public, and Boiler Room, passed away at 54. John Sloss, his attorney, confirmed the news to Entertainment Weekly, though the cause of death was not disclosed. Variety reports that Katt passed away on April 8.
Born on May 11, 1970, Katt began his career in entertainment as a child actor at just seven years old, appearing in television series such as Code Red, Father Murphy, Fantasy Island, and Herbie, the Love Bug.
His breakout role came in Richard Linklater’s 1993 cult classic Dazed and Confused, where he played the aggressive bully Clint Bruno. The film, which follows a group of Austin, Texas teens on the last day of high school in 1976, featured a cast of future stars including Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, and Ben Affleck. Katt later reunited with Linklater for the films SubUrbia and Waking Life.
Over the years, Katt charmed the audience with his roles as a supporting actor. He recreated volatile high school teacher Harry Senate on the Fox drama Boston Public, and portrayed sleazy stockbroker Greg Weinstein in Boiler Room. He also had pivotal roles in A Time to Kill, Sin City, and Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s double feature Grindhouse, appearing in the Planet Terror segment.
Katt also lent his voice to the popular video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords, portraying the fan-favorite character Atton Rand. In 2004, he appeared off-Broadway in Woody Allen’s play A Second Hand Memory.
The actor reunited with his Dazed and Confused co-stars in 2020 for a live script reading of the film. His final on-screen appearance came in a 2018 episode of Hulu’s Casual.
Katt was briefly married to actress Annie Morse (Get Over It) from 1999 to 2001. He never remarried.
Throughout his decades-long career, Katt remained a steady presence in both film and television, known for his edgy characters and compelling screen presence.
