Character actor known for Seinfeld role
Versatile entertainer struggled to cope with diabetes and depression
Daniel von Bargen, who died March 1 at 64, had a long, illustrious career with more than four decades of acting credits to his name.
Though von Bargen was often in the background, few actors can say they were in both All My Children and Silence of the Lambs. Seinfeld fans might not know his name, but will know Mr. Kruger, George’s boss at Kruger Industrial Smoothing whose bulb shines none too brightly.
Whether playing Commandant Edwin Spangler in Malcolm in the Middle or a handful of roles on Law and Order, von Bargen rarely got top billing. Instead, he did what every character actor must: Get out of the way so the stars can shine.
“He did a lovely job on the show and seemed like just a sweetheart of a man,” Jason Alexander (Seinfeld’s George Costanza) told People after von Bargen’s death. “It’s sad. It’s just sad.”
But in the final years of his life, von Bargen had the lead role in a terrifying drama playing out in his personal life. The actor was afflicted with diabetes — an illness that, in sugar-saturated North American culture, seems almost commonplace, and certainly not as terrifying as, say, HIV or cancer.
For von Bargen, however, diabetes proved a disaster. The disease may not have killed him — his cause of death, which came after an unspecified long illness, has not been reported. But little more than three years ago, von Bargen tried to take his own life after learning he would have to have his toes amputated.
“I’ve shot myself in the head and I need help,” von Bargen said after calling 911 in February 2012. He explained to a dispatcher that he was scheduled for an amputation because of his illness, and couldn’t face it.
“I was supposed to go to the hospital and I didn’t want to,” the actor said. “They were supposed to amputate at least a few toes.” (TMZ has the full 911 audio tape, which is not for the faint of heart.)
Von Bargen, a Cincinnati native who hadn’t appeared onscreen since 2009, told the dispatcher that one of his legs had already been amputated. In the call, he seemed apologetic that he had been unable to take his own life.
“I have no children and no life, and I’m tired,” he said. “And I’ve (effed) it up.”
Though the National Institute of Mental Health reports that diabetics in the United States are twice as likely as the average person to be depressed, diabetes and depression do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. However, diabetes demands much of its victims: modified diets, multiple doctor’s visits and the danger of losing limbs.
“At any given time, most people with diabetes do not have depression,” according to the American Diabetes Association. “But studies show that people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression than people without diabetes. There are no easy answers about why this is true.”
The struggle of living with a chronic condition may prove more than some can take.
“The stress of daily diabetes management can build,” the association wrote. “You may feel alone or set apart from your friends and family because of all this extra work.”
In addition, diabetes can result from the bad choices those struggling with depression sometimes make.
“Depression can lead to poor lifestyle decisions, such as unhealthy eating, less exercise, smoking and weight gain — all of which are risk factors for diabetes,” according to a post on the Mayo Clinic’s website.
It gets more complicated: Diabetes can be mistaken for depression.
“Poor control of diabetes can cause symptoms that look like depression,” the American Diabetes Association says. “During the day, high or low blood sugar may make you feel tired or anxious. Low blood sugar levels can also lead to hunger and eating too much.”
The association advises diabetics who may be depressed to stay in close contact with their doctors.
“I feel a huge wave of sorrow and relief at the passing of this remarkable man,” Bob Colonna, a friend of von Bargen’s, told the Hollywood Reporter. “I treasure the years when I worked with him ... And I mourn for the darkness and pain that were his final years. God bless him. He was a hell of a guy.”