Nicky Katt took his own life, the actor’s family says.
“Today, with the heaviest of hearts, I share the devastating news of my brother’s passing,” Katt’s sister Elise Ravenscroft told Deadline Monday. “He died by suicide after battling with depression—one that he fought bravely but quietly.”
“This is a pain no family should endure, yet far too many do,” Ravenscroft added. “Mental illness is real, it is powerful, and it is often invisible. We hope that by sharing this, we can help break the silence and stigma that so often surrounds mental health struggles.” Read the full statement from Katt’s family below.
The Dazed and Confused actor was found dead in his Burbank apartment on April 8 by his landlord, who was attempting to collect overdue rent. The 54-year-old Katt died by hanging, law enforcement sources tell us.
Known as an actor’s actor, as our colleague Mike Fleming Jr. wrote on April 12 with the announcement of Katt’s passing, the 54-year-old left no note or explanation for his fatal action at the scene. It appears Katt had been dead for at least a couple of days before his body was discovered.
As of Monday, L.A. County’s Department of Medical Examiner says it “has not positively identified a decedent by that name.” Officially, when contacted by Deadline about Katt’s passing, police today said they could not “confirm the death of a person by that name.”
A regular of sorts in Richard Linklater films, Katt was perhaps known best for his turn as the high school Texan bully Clint Bruno in the director’s Bicentennial based Dazed and Confused from 1993. His lines of “I only came here to do two things, man: kick some ass and drink some beer” and “Looks like we’re almost out of beer” have become part of quotable movie canon.
On the small screen, Katt rose to prominence as unorthodox teacher Harry Senate during the 2000-2004 run of Boston Public on Fox.
On the big screen, as well as his work with Linklater, Katt also had prominent supporting roles in films by Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez and Christopher Nolan. His filmography included The Limey, Sin City and Insomnia. Other other credits were The Way of the Gun, SubUrbia, School of Rock, and the Woody Allen play A Second Hand Memory among many others.
Katt also guest-starred in dozens of television series including Friends, King of the Hill, Monk, Law & Order and most recently, Casual in 2018. His latest appearance on film was in 2013 in HBO’s award-winning Beyond the Candelabra directed by Soderbergh.
News of Katt’s suicide was first reported by TMZ.
Read the full statement from Nicky Katt’s sister here:
Personal Statement on the Loss of My Brother
I am deeply saddened that the details of my brother’s passing were made public without my consent at a time when our family was still trying to process the shock and grief of his loss.
Today, with the heaviest of hearts, I share the devastating news of my brother’s passing. He died by suicide after battling with depression—one that he fought bravely but quietly.
This is a pain no family should endure, yet far too many do. Mental illness is real, it is powerful, and it is often invisible. We hope that by sharing this, we can help break the silence and stigma that so often surrounds mental health struggles.
In this moment of grief, we kindly ask for compassion—not only for our family as we mourn this unimaginable loss—but for every person who is silently struggling. We also ask for privacy to navigate this tragedy and begin the process of healing.
If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, please reach out. You are not alone, and help is available.
Let us honor my brother’s memory by approaching one another with greater understanding, kindness, and care.
Thank you.
Elise Ravenscroft
Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. contributed to this report.
If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
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