Denis Arndt, an actor who stood out in roles at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, TV hits such as “L.A. Law” and “Picket Fences,” movies including “Basic Instinct,” and a Tony-nominated turn on Broadway in “Heisenberg,” has died, at age 86.

In an obituary, members of Arndt’s family announced that the actor “died peacefully in his bed” on March 25, “in his beloved cabin home of almost 50 years in Ashland, Oregon; he wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

As The New York Times reported, Arndt was born on Feb. 23, 1939, in, Clyde, Ohio, and later moved with his parents and two younger sisters to Spokane, Washington.

Arndt’s obituary notes that he was a Vietnam veteran helicopter pilot, who received two Purple Heart military decorations.
After his military discharge, Arndt lived for a time in Seattle, where he began pursuing an acting career. In the 1970s,

Arndt became a mainstay of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, appearing in multiple seasons and playing such roles as Lear in “King Lear,” Jamie Tyrone in “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” Iago in “Othello,” Archie Rice in “The Entertainer,” and many more.

In addition to his work in regional theater, including appearing in and directing productions in Portland, Arndt also acted in movies and TV series, including “Basic Instinct,” “How to Make an American Quilt,” “L.A. Law,” “Picket Fences,” “Ally McBeal,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Boston Legal,” and others.

Arndt made his Broadway debut at age 77 in the play “Heisenberg,” as The New York Times reported. He earned a 2017 Tony Award nomination as best actor in a play.

According to Arndt’s obituary, he is survived by his wife of 45 years, Magee Downey; the couple’s three children, Bryce, McKenna and Tanner; his four children, Scott, Tammy, Laurie, and Kirsten, from an earlier marriage; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.