Denis Arndt, ‘Basic Instinct’ actor, dies at 86
Denis Arndt, an actor who appeared in nearly a hundred movies and television series and who earned a Tony nomination for his work in the theatre, has died aged 86.
Born in Issaquah, Washington in 1939, Arndt came to acting later than many, first serving as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, where he earned a Purple Heart for his service. He moved to Seattle after the war and began performing in regional theatre productions, quickly gaining critical attention.
By the late ’80s, Arndt had become an in-demand character actor, appearing in television series like Columbo, Murder, She Wrote, Ally McBeal, and 24, and movies like Basic Instinct, in which he played a police lieutenant who interrogates Sharon Stone’s character in the most notorious scene in the film, and How to Make an American Quilt.
On stage, he earned critical acclaim, particularly for his role as Alex Priest in Simon Stephens’s Broadway play Heisenberg. He earned a Tony nomination for his performance in 2017. Other theatre credits included lead roles in King Lear, Coriolanus, The Tempest, and Othello at the prestigious Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Arndt’s family announced his passing in an obituary, stating, “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our dad, Denis Leroy Arndt. He died peacefully in his bed in his beloved cabin home of almost 50 years in Ashland, Oregon; he wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
It continued, “Of course, Dad got the main role. And he was brilliant. He carried his brilliance, passion, and dedication into his second career as an actor, both on stage and on screen.”
No cause of death was provided. The actor is survived by his wife of 45 years, Magee Downey, as well as his seven children.
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