Bruce French, an experienced stage actor and distinguished character actor known for his work with David E. Kelley and his role in NBC’s early 2000s drama series Passions, where he appeared throughout its nine-year run, passed away on February 7 at the age of 79.
His death occurred in Los Angeles due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease, which he was diagnosed with about four years ago, his wife of 34 years, Eileen Barnett, who is also a long-time Days of Our Lives actress, informed The Hollywood Reporter.
“Today, the world shines a little less brightly without this wonderful soul,” his niece, Claire French, expressed on Facebook. “Uncle Bruce will be profoundly missed, but we take comfort in knowing he is joyfully reunited with his cherished mother and has taken his reserved seat next to my father ”
His friend and fellow actor Barry Cutler reminisced about French on Facebook, remembering their first encounter during a stage production of A Christmas Carol in the late 1970s: “Bruce was like a best friend who appeared magically. He supported me, gifting a delightfully hideous Scrooge mug on opening night. For many years, despite his superior talent, intellect, and taste, he included me in classical music concerts and author talks. He invited me to movie nights during the Oscars to avoid the inevitable disappointment, and to dinners at his house to meet his amazing friends and his lovely, talented wife, Eileen Barnett. We would brainstorm screenplay ideas until he decided to stop buying writing guides, preferring to read more captivating books instead.”
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Born on July 4, 1945, in Iowa, the son of a funeral director, French attended the University of Iowa. He later served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War before studying acting at the prestigious NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Throughout his career, French accumulated over 150 acting credits, according to IMDb. His roles spanned popular David E. Kelley shows such as L.A. Law, Picket Fences, Ally McBeal, The Practice, Boston Public, and Boston Legal, along with appearances in Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Mad Men, Gilmore Girls, House, West Wing, Night Court, Cheers, Moonlighting, Matlock, and many others. He was often cast as a preacher, with Barnett noting that he would bring a priest’s collar to auditions.
French also featured in several Star Trek series, including Enterprise, Voyager, and The Next Generation, as well as in the 1998 movie Star Trek: Insurrection. From 1999 to 2008, he portrayed Father Lonigan in Passions, the blind priest who had visions of evil.
On the cinematic front, he was seen in Thank You for Smoking, Jurassic Park III, Wildcats, and Fletch. Despite his film and TV success, as Cutler pointed out, “his finest performances were on stage.” French’s stage work included performances at the Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Repertory, Seattle Rep, Pacific Resident Theatre, and Ralph Waite’s Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre, where he played Lucky in Waiting for Godot—a performance that was captured for KCET’s Theatre in America series in 1977.
“Beyond everything, he was among the kindest and most gentle souls I’ve ever met. Truly a lovely and magnificent man,” Cutler added in his homage.
French is survived by his wife, Eileen, and nieces Claire and Paula.
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