Bruce MacVittie was not only a beloved TV and theater actor, but he was also one of the co-founders of the Naked Angels troupe in 1986. The New York troupe of actors, writers, directors, and producers was formed with the “intent on creating a creative home for rigorous new voices.” Some of the other founding members of Naked Angeles include Matthew Broderick, Marisa Tomei, and Warren Leight. The New York Times described Naked Angeles as “a troupe of young film and theater hipsters,” and even Edie Falco once said, “Naked Angels was the club that was too cool to let me in.”
A cool demeanor was what MacVittie had as the NYT reported that he often played “tough guys,” which allowed him to excel in roles on TV shows like “The Sopranos” and “Law & Order.” While MacVittie got his start in theater with a 1980 production of “What’s So Beautiful About a Sunset Over Prairie Avenue?” at the Ensemble Studio Theater, he made his way to television in the ’80s as well with guest roles on shows like “Barney Miller” and “Miami Vice.” A hardworking actor, MacVittie continued to work consistently in film and TV until 2011 when he decided to switch gears and go to school for nursing. He received his degree in 2013 from Hunter College.
However, MacVittie did make a return to acting towards the end of his life and appeared in TV shows like 2019’s “When They See Us.” Along with his wife, Carol Ochs, MacVittie is also survived by his daughter, Sophia Oliva Ochs MacVittie.
