- Born
- Died
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- A character actor who seems to pop up everywhere as the stereotypical cop, military officer and/or tough guy, von Bargen could turn in performances of stunning complexity when given the chance.
Daniel von Bargen was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 5, 1950 to Juanita (Bustle) and Donald L. von Bargen. Of German and English descent, he grew up in Cincinnati for most of his childhood before moving with his family to Southern California. He attended Purdue University, majoring in drama. He joined the Trinity Repertory Theatre in Providence, Rhode Island, after graduation and worked with them for many years. A breakthrough role in Mastergate (1992) by Larry Gelbart launched him onto Broadway. He starred in off-Broadway productions of "Beggars in the House of Plenty", "Macbeth", "The Cherry Orchard", "Hurlyburly", and "Uncle Vanya." On TV, he was best-known for his roles in Malcolm in the Middle (2000) and The West Wing (1999).
His role in The Postman (1997) as the Pineview sheriff who suspects Kevin Costner's character of being a fraud, was a stand-out as von Bargen infused the role with the pathos of a man caught between just trying to survive and wanting to believe in the hope the Postman represents. In an otherwise mediocre film, audiences were moved to tear up as his character shouts, "Ride Postman! Ride!", just before being put to death for assisting in the rebellion. His more evil side was brought out in Clive Barker's Lord of Illusions (1995) as he played Nix, an older, wiser, more magical and supernaturally gifted type of Charles Manson character rising from the dead to "murder the world".
- IMDb mini biography by: buzzcutbuddha
- SpouseMargo Skinner (divorced)
- Often played villains
- Usually cast as a military or police officer, or other authority figure
- 20 February 2012, called 911 (emergency) after shooting himself in the temple with a .38 caliber gun. Was listed as in a critical condition after the shooting.
- When he was filming The Postman (1997), he was forced to remain on location in Washington State and was unable to go to his parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Kevin Costner, director/star of the film, took time out from filming and helped him make a video for his parents to make up for his absence.
- He has coincidentally appeared with husband and wife actors Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford in four different projects. Along with Kaczmarek, he appeared in Malcolm in the Middle (2000). With Whitford, he was in RoboCop 3 (1993), Philadelphia (1993) and The West Wing (1999).
- I don't necessarily like going to the movies. It's a little nerve-wracking to see your head the size of a house. I'm getting used to it, but there's still a little uneasiness when you walk into the theater and think "Oh, God, am I going to suck?'
- [on his role in Seinfeld (1989)] When you start becoming a commodity because of your face or your stature or whatever, those opportunities become fewer and fewer. So it's nice to get on a comedy and have people go, "You're funny!'"
- [on being typecast as an authority figure] Thank God for the white male power structure.
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