Richard Bright (actor)

{{Short description|American actor}} {{for|persons of a similar name|Richard Bright (disambiguation)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}} {{infobox person | name = Richard Bright | image = Richard Bright (actor).jpg | caption = Publicity photo of Bright | birth_name = Richard James Bright | birth_date = {{birth date|1937|6|28}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2006|2|18|1937|6|28}} | death_place = New York City, U.S. | years_active = 1957–2006 | occupation = Actor | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Elisa Granese|1957|1960}} * {{marriage|Sue D Wallace|1967}} * {{marriage|Rutanya Alda|1977}} }} | children= 2 }}

'''Richard James Bright''' (June 28, 1937 – February 18, 2006) was an American actor, known for his role as Al Neri in the ''Godfather'' trilogy.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|last1=Sisario|first1=Ben|date=February 20, 2006|title=Richard Bright, 68, an Actor in the 'Godfather' Movie Series, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/20/arts/television/20bright.html|url-access=subscription|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=October 24, 2015}}</ref><ref name=B>{{cite news|title=Richard Bright, 68; acted in 'Godfather,' 'Sopranos'|url=https://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/02/20/richard_bright_68_acted_in_godfather_sopranos/|work=The Boston Globe|location=New York|agency=Associated Press|date=February 20, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018034345/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/02/20/richard_bright_68_acted_in_godfather_sopranos/|archive-date=October 18, 2014|access-date=October 24, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Early life== Bright was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Matilda (''née'' Scott) and Ernest Bright, who was a shipbuilder.<ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Bright Biography |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/69/Richard-Bright.html |access-date=October 24, 2015 |website=Filmreference.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415223747/http://www.filmreference.com/film/69/Richard-Bright.html |archive-date=April 15, 2015}}</ref>

==Career== Bright began his career doing live television in Manhattan at the age of 18, and made his film debut in Robert Wise's ''Odds Against Tomorrow'' (1959). He also worked on several movies early in his career with his friend Sam Peckinpah.

In 1965, Bright starred in poet Michael McClure's two-person show ''The Beard'', performing first in San Francisco and later in Los Angeles, New York City, and London. The play involved simulated sex acts. Bright, the producer Robert Barrow and director Robert Gist were arrested in San Francisco and Los Angeles multiple times on charges of lewdness, before winning a restraining order halting the arrests. In granting the restraining order, the California Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protected live theatrical performances.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://latimes.newspapers.com/clip/47977794/hayaquittedbycalisupremecourt/ | title=Play Ruled Exempt From Lewdness Law | date=January 31, 1970 | work=Los Angeles Times | page=8 | accessdate=September 3, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Frank |title='Beard': Curse for Censor, Kiss for Cast |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3699247/richard_bright_controversy/ |access-date=November 25, 2015 |work=The Van Nuys News |date=March 1, 1968 |location=Van Nuys, CA |page=24 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

He had a supporting role in ''The Getaway'' (1972) as a con man who tries to ply his trade on Carol McCoy (Ali MacGraw),<ref name=B/> and co-starred in ''The Panic in Needle Park'' (1971), playing Hank, brother of Al Pacino's character.

In 1972, he appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of ''The Godfather'' as Al Neri, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino)'s primary enforcer and bodyguard.<ref name=NYT/>

In the book, Neri's character is a former New York City police officer who is hung out to dry by the department after killing a sadistic pimp. Michael uses Corleone family influence to get him off the hook and draws Neri into his service. At the end of the first film, Neri, dressed as a police officer, murders rival mob boss Emilio Barzini and his henchmen during the film's baptism scene. Also, the last faces to be seen in ''The Godfather'' are Bright's and Diane Keaton's, as he closes Michael's office door in her face. Bright also played Neri in both sequels, thus becoming one of five actors to appear in all three ''Godfather'' films; his character murders Fredo Corleone (John Cazale) at the end of ''The Godfather Part II'' and the Vatican banker Archbishop Gilday at the end of ''The Godfather Part III''.

Bright played another hired killer, Chicken Joe, in Sergio Leone's gangster epic ''Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984). His other roles include ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' (1973), ''Rancho Deluxe'' (1975), ''Marathon Man'' (1976), ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977), the film adaptation of ''Hair'' (1979), ''Red Heat'' (1988), and ''Beautiful Girls'' (1996).

In 1993, he had a recurring role on ''One Life to Live'' as "Moose" Mulligan, rival and former underboss to longtime arch-villain and crime lord Carlo Hesser. In 1996, he appeared in the interactive movie ''Ripper''.

Bright continued to make a number of both commercial and independent films, such as ''Jaded'' (1998). He also continued working on stage and in television, appearing on such shows as ''Law & Order'', ''Oz'', ''Third Watch'', and ''The Sopranos''. These later performances showed Bright using an oxygen tank in all these appearances (although he suffered from emphysema, the tanks were props for the characters).

==Death== Bright was struck and killed by a tour bus on the Upper West Side in Manhattan on February 18, 2006.<ref name=NYT/><ref>{{cite news|title=Actor Richard Bright, 68; Was in 'Godfather' Films|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/19/AR2006021901211.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|agency=Associated Press|date=February 20, 2006|access-date=November 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Richard Bright, 68; Character Actor Was in All 3 'Godfather' Films|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-feb-20-me-bright20-story.html|url-access=subscription|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|agency=Associated Press|date=February 20, 2006|access-date=January 17, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Grossberg|first1=Josh|date=February 22, 2006|title="Godfather" Actor Richard Bright Killed|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/51699/godfather-actor-richard-bright-killed|work=E!|access-date=November 26, 2015}}</ref> He was hit by the rear wheel of the bus, and pronounced dead on arrival at Roosevelt Hospital. The driver claimed to have been unaware of the collision until he was notified upon reaching the Port Authority in midtown Manhattan, where he was interviewed by police. Ultimately, no criminal charges were filed, though the bus driver's license was suspended for failing to yield the right of way to Bright, who had been in a marked crosswalk with the walk sign on at the time he was struck. Bright was 68 years old, and was survived by his wife Rutanya Alda, son Jeremy, daughter Diane, and brother Charles.

==Filmography== ===Film=== {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * 1958 ''Never Love a Stranger'' as Street Gang Tough Lookout (uncredited) * 1959 ''Odds Against Tomorrow'' as "Coco" * 1969 ''Lions Love'' as THE BEARD: Billy The Kid * 1971 ''The Panic in Needle Park'' as Hank * 1972 ''The Godfather'' as Al Neri * 1972 ''The Getaway'' as The Thief * 1973 ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' as Holly * 1973 ''Black Harvest'' * 1974 ''The Sugarland Express'' as Marvin Dybala (uncredited) * 1974 ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' as Bar Patron (uncredited) * 1974 ''The Godfather Part II'' as Al Neri * 1974 ''The Gun'' * 1975 ''Rancho Deluxe'' as Burt * 1976 ''Marathon Man'' as Karl * 1977 ''Handle with Care'' as Jack a.k.a. "Smilin' Jack" * 1977 ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' as George * 1978 ''On the Yard'' as Nunn * 1979 ''Hair'' as Fenton * 1980 ''The Idolmaker'' as Uncle Tony * 1982 ''Girls Nite Out'' as Detective Greenspan * 1983 ''Vigilante'' as Burke * 1983 ''Two of a Kind'' as Stuart * 1984 ''Once Upon a Time in America'' as Joe a.k.a. "Chicken Joe" * 1985 ''Crimewave'' as Officer Brennan * 1985 ''Cut and Run'' as Bob Allo * 1986 ''Penalty Phase'' as Judge Von Karman * 1986 ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' as Recruiting Sergeant * 1987 ''The Verne Miller Story'' as Adam Richetti * 1988 ''Time Out'' as The Sheriff * 1988 ''Red Heat'' as Det. Sgt. Max Gallagher * 1990 ''The Ambulance'' as McClosky * 1990 ''The Godfather Part III'' as Al Neri * 1993 ''Who's the Man?'' as Demetrius * 1994 ''The Ref'' as Murray * 1994 ''Who Do I Gotta Kill?'' as Belcher * 1995 ''Pictures of Baby Jane Doe'' as Rudy * 1995 ''Blue Funk'' as Father * 1995 ''Sweet Nothing'' as Jack, the Cop * 1996 ''Beautiful Girls'' as Dick Conway * 1996 ''Night Falls on Manhattan'' as 64 Precinct Lieutenant * 1997 ''The Hotel Manor Inn'' * 1998 ''OK Garage'' as Louis * 1998 ''Jaded'' as Zack Brown * 1998 ''Anima'' as Tommy * 1999 ''Joe the King'' as Roy * 1999 ''Getting to Know You'' as Elderly Man * 2000 ''The Photographer'' as Drunk in Bar * 2000 ''Broke Even'' as Lazarus * 2001 ''Trigger Happy'' as Quigley * 2001 ''Dead Dog'' as Cunningham * 2006 ''Day on Fire'' as Homeless Man (cameo, final film role) {{div col end}}

===Television=== {{incomplete list|date=April 2025}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ {{Screen reader-only| Richard Bright television credits}} |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 1958 | ''Studio One'' | Ditch | 1 episode |- | 1986 | ''Hill Street Blues'' | Stubby | 1 episode |- | 1988 | ''The Equalizer'' | Vegas | Episode: "No Place Like Home" |- | 1988 | ''The Equalizer'' | Gropman | Episode: "Splinters" |- | 1998 | ''Witness to the Mob'' | Joe "Old Man" Paruta | TV movie |- | 2000 | ''Oz'' | Detective Robert Stransky | 1 episode |- | 2002 | ''The Sopranos'' | Frank Crisci | 1 episode |- | 1992 | ''Law & Order'' | Albert Boxer | Episode: Episode: "Cradle to Grave" |- | 1993 | ''Law & Order'' | Mr. Quinn | Episode: "Black Tie" |- | 1997 | ''Law & Order'' | Victim's former Police Captain | Episode: "Working Mom" |- | 1999 | ''Third Watch'' | Drunk / Alchy Joe | 2 episodes |- | 2002 | ''Law & Order'' | Dru Hunt | Episode: "True Crime" |- | 2002 | ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' | Frank Lowell | Episode: "Malignant" |- | 2005 | ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' | Robert Sawyer | Episode: "Name" |}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|109175}} *{{IBDB name}} * {{iobdb name}} * {{TV Guide person}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bright, Richard}} Category:1937 births Category:2006 deaths Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Pedestrian road incident deaths Category:Male actors from Brooklyn Category:Road incident deaths in New York City Category:American male stage actors Category:People from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Category:20th-century American male actors