Brad Bufanda (born Fred Joseph Bufanda III; May 4, 1983 – November 1, 2017) was an American actor. He was known for his recurring role as Felix Toombs in the television series ''

Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...

'', as well as his self-made Internet videos.

Career

Bufanda began his professional acting career in 1994 starring in the independent action film ''

Pocket Ninjas ''Pocket Ninjas'' is a 1994 action film starring Robert Z'Dar, Richard Rabago, and Gary Daniels. Based on a screenplay by Mark Williams, the film was directed by Donald G. Jackson, David Huey, and Dave Eddy. Development Pocket Ninjas was origina ...

''. He appeared on television the first time in 1994 as the Hero Boy in a

Skechers Skechers USA, Inc. is an American multinational footwear company. Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, it was founded in 1992 and is now the third largest footwear brand in the United States. History Skechers was founded in 1992 by Ro ...

commercial. At the age of 12 he starred in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

weekend special ''The Secret of Lizard Woman''. While in middle school he appeared on the ABC series ''

Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Roseann ...

'' and '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper''. Bufanda later appeared in a number of television shows including

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

's ''

CSI: Miami ''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...

'',

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

's ''

Malcolm in the Middle ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series follows a dysfunctional ...

'',

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

's ''

Even Stevens ''Even Stevens'' is an American comedy television series that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 17, 2000, to June 2, 2003, airing a total of 65 episodes over three seasons. It follows the life of the Stevens, a family living in subur ...

'', and

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

's soap opera ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

''. Bufanda portrayed Felix Toombs in the first two seasons of the series ''

''. He starred in the

Cinemax Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent net ...

series '' Co-Ed Confidential'' (credited as Bradley Joseph) from 2008 to 2010, in addition to filming and editing the show's reunion. Staying credited as Bradley Joseph, Bufanda appeared in the psychological thriller '' Dark Tourist'' in 2012. 2017 marked Bufanda's brief return to film with a supporting role in the action comedy ''Garlic & Gunpowder''.

Death

On November 1, 2017, Bufanda died by suicide at the age of 34 by jumping off of his residential tower in the

Park La Brea Park La Brea (Spanish: ''La Brea''—"The tar", after the nearby La Brea Tar Pits) is a sprawling apartment community in the Miracle Mile District of Los Angeles, California. With 4,255 units located in eighteen 13-story towers and thirty-one t ...

apartment community of Los Angeles. According to the

Los Angeles County Coroner The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner (formerly the Department of Coroner) was created in its present form in Boyle Heights on December 17, 1920 by an ordinance approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, ...

's office, a suicide note was found at the scene. The note, which was found on or near his body, cited the names of his parents and thanked important people in his life.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bufanda, Brad 1983 births 2017 suicides 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Greater Los Angeles People from Upland, California Suicides by jumping in California