Daniel von Bargen

Daniel von Bargen (born June 5, 1950) is an American film, stage, and television actor. While probably best known as Commandant Edwin Spangler in the TV comedy Malcolm in the Middle, Von Bargen's film credits include RoboCop 3, Basic Instinct, Broken Arrow, Philadelphia, A Civil Action, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Snow Falling on Cedars, and Super Troopers. He played the maniacal sorcerer Nix in Clive Barker's Lord of Illusions, and the Sheriff i... more

Daniel von Bargen (born June 5, 1950) is an American film, stage, and television actor. While probably best known as Commandant Edwin Spangler in the TV comedy Malcolm in the Middle, Von Bargen's film credits include RoboCop 3, Basic Instinct, Broken Arrow, Philadelphia, A Civil Action, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Snow Falling on Cedars, and Super Troopers. He played the maniacal sorcerer Nix in Clive Barker's Lord of Illusions, and the Sheriff in The Postman. He played Mr. John Tate, the history teacher in the horror/science-fiction film The Faculty. He also played Mr. Kruger, George Costanza's boss at Kruger Industrial Smoothing, on the final season of Seinfeld, appearing in the famous "Festivus" episode. (He had what was intended as a recurring character on The West Wing, as a high-ranking Air Force official, but schedule conflicts caused his character to be dropped after two appearances.) His distinguished stage career includes a long residency with Trinity Repertory Company in... less