Cliff Notes – School of Rock star Nicky Katt’s tragic cause of death revealed
- Nicky Katt, aged 54, died by suicide at his home after a long battle with depression, as confirmed by his sister.
- His family hopes to raise awareness about mental health issues and the importance of compassion for those struggling silently.
School of Rock star Nicky Katt’s tragic cause of death revealed
Nicky Katt’s cause of death has been revealed following his death at age 54 (Picture: SGranitz/WireImage)
Nicky Katt’s cause of death has been revealed following his death this past weekend.
The 54-year-old actor, best known for appearing in Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, and Friends, appeared in dozens of popular movies and TV shows from the ’70s onwards.
His sister has now confirmed that he died of suicide in his home.
In a statement, she said: ‘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.’
The statement continued: ‘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 honour my brother’s memory by approaching one another with greater understanding, kindness, and care. Thank you. Elise Ravenscroft.”
Nicky played Clint Bruno in Dazed and Confused (Picture: Universal Pictures)
He also appeared in Friends (Picture: Getty Images)
Katt was born in South Dakota 1970 and made his acting debut when he was just 10 years old.
In 1992 he appeared in the role of a waiter in Sister Act which starred Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith and Wendy Makkena.
He gained wider recognition for his role as Clint Bruno in Dazed and Confused and later played Mark in Babysitter with Alicia Silverstone and Jeremy London.
The actor got into show business as a child (Picture: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
He also appeared alongside Jack Black in School of Rock and played the character of Razor.
The actor worked alongside a number of high-profile celebs including George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Alicia Silverstone and Renee Zellweger.
He previously talked about being cast as tough characters as well as non-villainous roles and told IGN during a past interview: ‘So I’ve been really lucky…
‘But it’s kind of worked against me because people will see me in stuff and I’ve had people say, “Gee, it’s too bad you got cut out of that movie,” and I’m like, “No no no, I was that frat guy.”‘
He often played gritty, tough characters (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)
He added: ‘So it’s a double-edged thing, you know – at a certain point you can almost be too versatile, and that sounds lame, but I’ve always looked up to people like Gary Oldman and Lee Marvin and Warren Oates, these guys who don’t really fit into one thing.
‘I mean, everyone also says that the bad guys are the most fun, but I’ve definitely gone through streaks where that’s all that people wanted me to play, the bad guy, especially after Dazed And Confused.’
Katt continued: ‘But I’ve been really lucky because I get to play all different types of guys.’