Denis Arndt

Denis Leroy Arndt (February 23, 1939 – March 25, 2025) was an American actor, best known for his starring role as Alex Priest in the play Heisenberg for which he earned a 2017 Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play.

Life and career Denis Arndt served in the Vietnam War as a United States Army helicopter pilot, earning a Purple Heart and Commendation Medal. After the war, Arndt flew helicopters in Alaska for several years before completing a degree at the University of Washington. He joined the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon where he completed 15 seasons and was a charter member of Seattle's Intiman Theatre.

After Kenneth Welsh exited rehearsals of the play Heisenberg, Arndt was cast and joined the Manhattan Theater Club's production, which opened June 3, 2015. The production moved to Broadway's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on October 13, 2016.

Arndt had also appeared in guest roles on a number of television shows including The Good Fight, Grey's Anatomy, Supernatural and Vanished. He had a regular role on Annie McGuire and recurring roles on Picket Fences and L.A. Law. He appeared in films including Basic Instinct and How to Make an American Quilt.

Arndt died on March 25, 2025, at the age of 86.

Filmography Film Year Title Role 1974 The Magical World of Disney John Peterson 1988 Distant Thunder Larry 1992 Basic Instinct Lieutenant Phillip Walker 1992 We're Talking Serious Money Jacubick 1995 How to Make an American Quilt James 1997 Metro Captain Frank Solis 1997 Payback Neil Stanfill 2000 Blast Sheriff 2002 Undisputed Warden Lipscom 2002 Dead Heat Dr. Ivan Barnes 2003 S.W.A.T. Sergeant Howard 2004 Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid CEO 2004 Sniper 3 CIA Director Bill Avery 2006 Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil CIA Director Weylon Armitage 2006 Bandidas Ashe 2014 Dolphin Tale 2 Dennis / Disabled Vet 2018 Mr. Mercedes Merrill D. Shields

Television + Year Title Role Notes 1974 The Magical World of Disney John Peterson Episode: Runaway on the Rogue River 1986 Crime Story Mr. Al Novak 3 Episodes 1988 Wiseguy Walker Episode: Dirty Little Wars 1988 TV 101 Officer Checker Episode: Rolling 1988-1989 Annie McGuire Nick McGuire 10 Episodes 1989 The Wonder Years Mr. Tyler Episode: Walk Out 1989 Mancuso, F.B.I. Ambassador Burton Kessler Episode: Suspicious Minds 1989 Till We Meet Again Swede Castelli 2 Episodes 1989-1990 Life Goes On Earl/Coach Delano 2 Episodes 1990 Murder, She Wrote Lt. Vincent Palermo Episode: Murder, According to Maggie 1990 Columbo Paul Mackey Episode: Agenda For Murder 1990-1991 L.A. Law Jack Sollers 11 Episodes 1991 Stat Dr. Deardorf Episode: High Society 1991 Herman's Head Russell Boswell Episode: Fear and Loathing in Manhattan 1992 Cruel Doubt Leith Von Stein 2 Episodes 1993 Bodies of Evidence Harris Devlin 3 Episodes 1993 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Dr. Sam Clark Episode: Requiem for a Superhero 1993-1996 Picket Fences Franklin Dell 14 Episodes 1994 SeaQuest 2032 Navy Quartermaster Bickle 2 Episodes 1996 The Beast Osborne Manning 2 Episodes 1996 The Burning Zone Dr. Thurman Rhinehart Episode: Pilot 1997 Savannah Martin Corelli 2 Episodes 1997 The Pretender Nick Avani Episode: Scott Free 1999 Turks Glen Williams Episode: Friends & Strangers 1999 Ally McBeal Michael Mannix Episode: The Green Monster 1999 Chicago Hope Attorney Jason Sollers Episode: Curing Cancer 1999 Time of Your Life Archer Fitzwith 3 Episodes 1999 Wasteland Mr. Baskind Episode: Thanks For Nothin' 1999-2003 The Practice Roland Hill/Quentin Reynolds 6 Episodes 2000 Touched By An Angel Darrell Episode: A Perfect Game 2000 Get Real Stewart Green Episode: History Lessons 2000 The District Owen Mitchell Episode: The Real Terrorist 2001 Family Law Szabo Episode: Film at Eleven 2001 Citizen Baines Frank Starr 2 Episodes 2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Larry Maddox Episode: Chasing the Bus 2002 Providence Dr. Bill Augustine 9 Episodes 2002 For Your Love Earl Episode: The Missing Link 2003 Boston Public A.D.A. Roland Hill Episode: Chapter Sixty-Two 2003 JAG Rear Admiral Richard La Porte Episode: Shifting Sands 2005 24 Don Ashton Episode: Day 4: 4:00 a.m.-5:00 a.m 2006 Boston Legal A.D.A. Joshua Wendt Episode: Can't We All Get A Lung 2006 Vanished Senator Eugene Collins 2 Episodes 2007 Supernatural Father Reynolds Episode: Houses of the Holy 2010 Past Life Henry Episode: Regressing Henry 2011 Grey's Anatomy Colonel Daniel Robbins Episode: White Wedding 2017 The Good Fight Ron Episode: The Schtup List 2018 How To Get Away With Murder Justice Strickland Episode: Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 2018 Mr. Mercedes Merrill D. Shields Episode: Fade to Blue

Stage + Year Title Role Notes 1976 King Lear King Lear Oregon Shakespeare Festival 1978 Ballymurphy Seamus O'Neil ACT Theatre 1978 Makassar Reef Weeks Brown ACT Theatre 1984 The Ballad of Soapy Smith Soapy Smith The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1987 Richard II Earl of Northumberland Delacorte Theater, Off-Broadway 2007 The Pillowman Tupolski The Studio Theatre 2009 The Seafarer Lockhart Artists Repertory Theatre 2010 God of Carnage Alan Raleigh Seattle Repertory Theatre 2012 Red Mark Rothko Seattle Repertory Theatre 2014 The Tempest Prospero Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2014 The Great Society Appel Daley Wheeler Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2015 The Night Alive Maurice Geffen Playhouse 2016 Heisenberg Alex Priest Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway 2017 Fireflies Abel Brown Long Wharf Theatre