It looks like he might have been depressed/suicidal over some recent medical issues (diabetes and amputation of his feet/legs.)
This really bums me out…he is such a great character actor…not just as Kruger on “Seinfeld”, but as the local cop in “Super Troopers”, the head of the military school in “Malcolm in the Middle”, and the Sheriff in “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” (noticing a theme in his roles, here…)
Here’s hoping that he can not only make a recovery from the suicide attempt, but get his other medical issues (both physical and mental) under control and live out the rest of his life a happy man.
Character actor Daniel von Bargen (George’s boss Mr. Kruger on “Seinfeld” and Commadant Spangler on “Malcolm in the Middle”) attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head with a 38. He survived and called 911 and is now in critical condition.
The linked story has the 911 call and it’s amazing how calm he is about the situation. I don’t know if I’d have my shit together that well if I were in his place. Sounds like he was going to have to have some toes amputated (he’d already had a leg amputated) and he was just tired of dealing with everything. In the 911 call he mentions not having a wife or children and just being tired of dealing with it all. Sad story.
No idea… He says he shot himself in the temple, and that he can’t open his eyes, so it sounds like he shot too straight across the front of his skull and through his eyes or something? Absolutely awful.
I listened to most of the audio on TMZ. Downright disturbing and heartbreaking.
I know depression can accompany diabetes, among other things. Did he have Type I? My sister does, and when her blood sugar takes a dive, she can enter quite a confused and temperamental state of mind. I wonder if on top of everything else, if his blood levels were way off, moving him toward suicide.
He repeated more than once he couldn’t open his eyes, and I can’t help but think the bullet totally destroyed his eyes, and he didn’t realize it. God, I really hope he didn’t blind himself.
Ironically, I remember a Seinfeld bit about failed suicides. “Why don’t these people try again? It’s not like their lives are getting any better. They’ve just discovered ONE MORE THING that they suck at!!”
I think one of the biggest hells on earth would be to have to live life after being maimed by your own hands.
I remember reading of a German submariner in WWII who couldn’t take it anymore and tried to kill himself while on leave. The bullet destroyed both eyes, but he lived. Terrible.
I’m sad for him, but my mind immediately goes to how horrible it is that 911 calls in many places are considered public records available on request.
All the petty privacy issues that throw society into major tizzies and all one needs to do to broadcast to the world the audio of people often at their most suffering, desperate, or confused is to ask for a copy of the tape.
