Dennis Farina
Encyclopedia
Dennis Farina is an American
actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer
. He is a character actor
, often typecast
as a mobster or police officer
. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run
and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty
. His most recent television role was as Detective Joe Fontana on Law & Order
.
Before becoming an actor, Farina served 18 years in the Chicago Police Department
's burglary division, from 1967 to 1985.
as a police consultant on Mann's early film, Thief, which subsequently led to a speaking part in the film. This led to an interest in acting when Mann cast him in a small role in the 1981 film Thief
. Farina proceeded to moonlight
as an actor in the Chicago theater scene before Mann chose him for his Crime Story
series. Farina played the mobster Albert Lombard in Michael Mann's other television show, Miami Vice
.
Two of his most well-known movie characters are Jimmy Serrano, the mob boss from Midnight Run
, and Ray "Bones" Barboni, a rival criminal of Chili Palmer's in Get Shorty
. He also played FBI Agent Jack Crawford
in the first Hannibal Lecter
crime film, Michael Mann's Manhunter
.
Other movies in Farina's filmography include Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan
(as Army Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson), Striking Distance
, Another Stakeout
, Little Big League
, Snatch
, The Mod Squad
and Out of Sight
. He co-starred with Bette Midler
in the romantic comedy That Old Feeling.
Farina has demonstrated quite a flair for comedy. He won an American Comedy Award
for his performance in Get Shorty and starred in a television sitcom, In-Laws, from 2002-03. He had a comic role opposite Ed Harris
and Helen Hunt
in the HBO production of Empire Falls
in 2005 and opposite Alan Rickman
in 2008's Bottle Shock
.
In early 2005, Farina provided the voice of aging boxer-turned-superhero Wildcat
on Justice League Unlimited
.
The producers of the long-running television series Law & Order
hired Farina as Det. Joe Fontana after the retirement of Jerry Orbach
's character Lennie Briscoe
. Farina stayed with the show for two years, but his character was not as popular with viewers as Orbach's Lennie Briscoe had been. As a result, in May 2006, it was announced that Farina was leaving Law & Order to pursue other projects, including 2007's You Kill Me
opposite Ben Kingsley
and 2008's What Happens in Vegas
with Cameron Diaz
and Ashton Kutcher
.
His role of Detective Lt. Mike Torello on Crime Story
was as a Chicago police officer, who was later seconded to the U.S. Justice Department
. Farina's Law & Order character, Joe Fontana, worked for Chicago Homicide before his transfer to the NYPD. As is common on Law & Order, Fontana shares a number of other characteristics with the actor who plays him: they hail from the same Chicago neighborhood, attended the same parochial school, and have the same tastes in both clothes and music.
In October 2008, Farina became the new host of Unsolved Mysteries
when it returned to television with a new five-season, 175-episode run on Spike TV
. Farina replaced Robert Stack
, who had hosted the series for its entire original 15-year run before his death in 2003. The series would include re-edited segments from previous incarnations on NBC, CBS, and Lifetime (all originally hosted by Stack) as well as several new original stories.
He has joined the cast of the HBO horse-race gambling series Luck
, with Dustin Hoffman
.
Dennis is a lifelong Chicago Cubs
fan and played an avid fan in a 1988 revival of the successful 1977 Organic Theater Company stage play The Bleacher Bums" which was Wriiten by and Starred fellow Chicago actors Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz.
airport security. Farina was taken to LAPD's Pacific Division, booked on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon and bail was set at $25,000. He claimed he had simply forgotten the weapon was still in his briefcase and had never intended to take it on a plane. After police determined the weapon was unregistered, the charges were upgraded to a felony and bail was increased to $35,000.
On July 17, 2008 after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, Farina pleaded no contest and was sentenced to two years probation. On July 17, 2009, the judge in his case dismissed the charge and expunged it from Farina's otherwise clean record.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer
Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department, also known as the CPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the largest police department in the Midwest and the second largest local law enforcement agency in the...
. He is a character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
, often typecast
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
as a mobster or police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run
Midnight Run
Midnight Run is a 1988 American action comedy film starring Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter and Charles Grodin as his prisoner....
and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty
Get Shorty (film)
Get Shorty is a 1995 crime-comedy film based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, and Danny DeVito, the plot remained true to the book except for a few minor details....
. His most recent television role was as Detective Joe Fontana on Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
.
Early life
Farina was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Italian-American parents Yolanda, a homemaker, and Joseph Farina, a Sicilian Immigrant doctor. He was raised in a large family and has three brothers and three sisters.Before becoming an actor, Farina served 18 years in the Chicago Police Department
Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department, also known as the CPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the largest police department in the Midwest and the second largest local law enforcement agency in the...
's burglary division, from 1967 to 1985.
Career in show business
Farina began his work in show business working for director Michael MannMichael Mann (film director)
Michael Kenneth Mann is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. For his work, he has received nominations from international organizations and juries, including those at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Cannes and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
as a police consultant on Mann's early film, Thief, which subsequently led to a speaking part in the film. This led to an interest in acting when Mann cast him in a small role in the 1981 film Thief
Thief (film)
Thief is a 1981 neo-noir film written and directed by Michael Mann and based on the novel The Home Invaders by "Frank Hohimer"...
. Farina proceeded to moonlight
Moonlight
Moonlight is the light that reaches Earth from the Moon. This light does not originate from the Moon, but from sunlight. The Moon does not, however, reflect sunlight like a mirror, but it reflects light from those portions of its surface which the Sun's light strikes. See diffuse reflection.In...
as an actor in the Chicago theater scene before Mann chose him for his Crime Story
Crime Story (TV series)
Crime Story is an NBC TV drama created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson. The executive producer was Michael Mann, who had left Miami Vice to oversee Crime Story and direct the film Manhunter. The show premiered with a two hour pilot — a movie which had been exhibited theatrically —...
series. Farina played the mobster Albert Lombard in Michael Mann's other television show, Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
.
Two of his most well-known movie characters are Jimmy Serrano, the mob boss from Midnight Run
Midnight Run
Midnight Run is a 1988 American action comedy film starring Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter and Charles Grodin as his prisoner....
, and Ray "Bones" Barboni, a rival criminal of Chili Palmer's in Get Shorty
Get Shorty (film)
Get Shorty is a 1995 crime-comedy film based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, and Danny DeVito, the plot remained true to the book except for a few minor details....
. He also played FBI Agent Jack Crawford
Jack Crawford (character)
Jack Crawford is a fictional character who appears in the Hannibal Lecter series of books by Thomas Harris, in which Crawford is the Agent-in-Charge of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. He is modeled after John E...
in the first Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter M.D. is a fictional character in a series of horror novels by Thomas Harris and in the films adapted from them.Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer...
crime film, Michael Mann's Manhunter
Manhunter (film)
Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann, it stars William Petersen as Will Graham and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor...
.
Other movies in Farina's filmography include Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
(as Army Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson), Striking Distance
Striking Distance
Striking Distance is a 1993 thriller starring Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore as Pittsburgh Police officers pursuing a serial killer. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington and written by Herrington and Marty Kaplan...
, Another Stakeout
Another Stakeout
Another Stakeout is a 1993 comedy film, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez and Rosie O'Donnell. It is a sequel to the 1987 film, Stakeout. Unlike its predecessor, the film was neither a critical nor a commercial success.-Plot:...
, Little Big League
Little Big League
Little Big League is a 1994 family film about a 12-year-old who suddenly becomes the owner and then manager of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. It stars Luke Edwards, Timothy Busfield and Dennis Farina.-Plot:...
, Snatch
Snatch (film)
Snatch is a 2000 crime film written and directed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast. Set in the London criminal underworld, the film contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish ...
, The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad (film)
The Mod Squad is a 1999 film directed by Scott Silver and starring Claire Danes, Omar Epps and Giovanni Ribisi. It is based on the popular television show of the same name.-Plot:...
and Out of Sight
Out of Sight
Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
. He co-starred with Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
in the romantic comedy That Old Feeling.
Farina has demonstrated quite a flair for comedy. He won an American Comedy Award
American Comedy Awards
The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films...
for his performance in Get Shorty and starred in a television sitcom, In-Laws, from 2002-03. He had a comic role opposite Ed Harris
Ed Harris
Edward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...
and Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
in the HBO production of Empire Falls
Empire Falls
Empire Falls is a two-part mini-series that aired on HBO in 2005. It was based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name which was written by Richard Russo. It was nominated for and won multiple awards, including various Emmys and Golden Globes...
in 2005 and opposite Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in 2008's Bottle Shock
Bottle Shock
Bottle Shock is a 2008 American comedy-drama film based on the 1976 wine competition termed the "Judgment of Paris", when California wine defeated French wine in a blind taste test. It stars Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, and Bill Pullman and is directed by Randall Miller, who wrote the screenplay along...
.
In early 2005, Farina provided the voice of aging boxer-turned-superhero Wildcat
Wildcat (comics)
Wildcat is the name of several fictional characters, all DC Comics superheroes. The first and most famous of these is Ted Grant, a long-time member of the Justice Society of America...
on Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
.
The producers of the long-running television series Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
hired Farina as Det. Joe Fontana after the retirement of Jerry Orbach
Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
's character Lennie Briscoe
Lennie Briscoe
Leonard W. "Lennie" Briscoe is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order. He was featured on the show for 12 seasons, from 1992 to 2004. He was created by Walon Green and René Balcer, and was portrayed by Jerry Orbach...
. Farina stayed with the show for two years, but his character was not as popular with viewers as Orbach's Lennie Briscoe had been. As a result, in May 2006, it was announced that Farina was leaving Law & Order to pursue other projects, including 2007's You Kill Me
You Kill Me
You Kill Me is 2007 crime comedy film directed by John Dahl, and starring Ben Kingsley, Luke Wilson, Téa Leoni, Philip Baker Hall, Dennis Farina, and Bill Pullman.-Plot:...
opposite Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
and 2008's What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the marketing catchphrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."-Plot:...
with Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
and Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
.
His role of Detective Lt. Mike Torello on Crime Story
Crime Story (TV series)
Crime Story is an NBC TV drama created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson. The executive producer was Michael Mann, who had left Miami Vice to oversee Crime Story and direct the film Manhunter. The show premiered with a two hour pilot — a movie which had been exhibited theatrically —...
was as a Chicago police officer, who was later seconded to the U.S. Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. Farina's Law & Order character, Joe Fontana, worked for Chicago Homicide before his transfer to the NYPD. As is common on Law & Order, Fontana shares a number of other characteristics with the actor who plays him: they hail from the same Chicago neighborhood, attended the same parochial school, and have the same tastes in both clothes and music.
In October 2008, Farina became the new host of Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
when it returned to television with a new five-season, 175-episode run on Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
. Farina replaced Robert Stack
Robert Stack
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
, who had hosted the series for its entire original 15-year run before his death in 2003. The series would include re-edited segments from previous incarnations on NBC, CBS, and Lifetime (all originally hosted by Stack) as well as several new original stories.
He has joined the cast of the HBO horse-race gambling series Luck
Luck (TV series)
Luck is an upcoming U.S. television series set to star Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte. Michael Mann will direct the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by David Milch...
, with Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
.
Personal life
Farina was married to Patricia Farina from 1970 until their divorce in 1980. They have three sons, Dennis Jr, Michael, and Joseph. His youngest son, Joseph, is also an actor. He has one granddaughter, Brianna, and four grandsons, Michael, Tyler, Matthew and Eric.Dennis is a lifelong Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
fan and played an avid fan in a 1988 revival of the successful 1977 Organic Theater Company stage play The Bleacher Bums" which was Wriiten by and Starred fellow Chicago actors Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz.
Arrest
Farina was arrested on May 11, 2008 for carrying a loaded .22 caliber pistol through LAXLos Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
airport security. Farina was taken to LAPD's Pacific Division, booked on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon and bail was set at $25,000. He claimed he had simply forgotten the weapon was still in his briefcase and had never intended to take it on a plane. After police determined the weapon was unregistered, the charges were upgraded to a felony and bail was increased to $35,000.
On July 17, 2008 after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, Farina pleaded no contest and was sentenced to two years probation. On July 17, 2009, the judge in his case dismissed the charge and expunged it from Farina's otherwise clean record.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | Thief Thief (film) Thief is a 1981 neo-noir film written and directed by Michael Mann and based on the novel The Home Invaders by "Frank Hohimer"... |
Carl | |
| 1985 | Code of Silence | Dorato | portrayed CPD officer-filmed in Chicago |
| 1986 | Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling is a 1986 film starring Richard Pryor. This was the first and only feature film he directed .-Plot:... |
Freddy | |
| Manhunter Manhunter (film) Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann, it stars William Petersen as Will Graham and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor... |
Jack Crawford Jack Crawford (character) Jack Crawford is a fictional character who appears in the Hannibal Lecter series of books by Thomas Harris, in which Crawford is the Agent-in-Charge of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. He is modeled after John E... |
||
| 1988 | Midnight Run Midnight Run Midnight Run is a 1988 American action comedy film starring Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter and Charles Grodin as his prisoner.... |
Jimmy Serrano | |
| 1990 | Men of Respect Men of Respect Men of Respect is a 1990 crime drama film, an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. It stars John Turturro as Mike Battaglia, a Mafia hitman who climbs his way to the top by killing his boss.... |
Bankie Como | |
| 1992 | We're Talking Serious Money We're Talking Serious Money We’re Talking Serious Money , also known as Serious Money, is an Action/Comedy directed by James Lemmo. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Leo Rossi, who also stars in the movie. Cinematography by Jacques Haitkin. It also stars: Dennis Farina, Fran Drescher, John LaMotta, Peter Iacangelo. It was... |
Sal | |
| Mac Mac (film) Mac is a 1992 movie co-written and directed by John Turturro. The film marks his directorial debut. The film won the Caméra d'Or award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.-Plot:... |
Mr. Stunder | ||
| Street Crimes | Brian | ||
| 1993 | Another Stakeout Another Stakeout Another Stakeout is a 1993 comedy film, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez and Rosie O'Donnell. It is a sequel to the 1987 film, Stakeout. Unlike its predecessor, the film was neither a critical nor a commercial success.-Plot:... |
Brian O'Hara | |
| Romeo Is Bleeding Romeo Is Bleeding Romeo Is Bleeding is a darkly comic 1993 crime film starring Gary Oldman and Lena Olin, directed by Peter Medak. The film's title was taken from a song by Tom Waits.... |
Nick Gazzara | Uncredited Role | |
| Striking Distance Striking Distance Striking Distance is a 1993 thriller starring Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore as Pittsburgh Police officers pursuing a serial killer. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington and written by Herrington and Marty Kaplan... |
Capt. Nick Detillo | ||
| 1994 | Little Big League Little Big League Little Big League is a 1994 family film about a 12-year-old who suddenly becomes the owner and then manager of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. It stars Luke Edwards, Timothy Busfield and Dennis Farina.-Plot:... |
George O'Farrell | |
| 1995 | Get Shorty Get Shorty (film) Get Shorty is a 1995 crime-comedy film based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, and Danny DeVito, the plot remained true to the book except for a few minor details.... |
Ray "Bones" Barboni | |
| 1996 | Eddie Eddie (film) Eddie is a 1996 comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Frank Langella. It was a moderate success, grossing $31,387,164 in the US.The film was directed by Steve Rash.- Plot summary :... |
Coach John Bailey | |
| 1997 | That Old Feeling | Dan De Mora | |
| 1998 | Out of Sight Out of Sight Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two... |
Marshall Sisco | |
| Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944.... |
Lt. Col. Walter Anderson | ||
| 1999 | The Mod Squad The Mod Squad (film) The Mod Squad is a 1999 film directed by Scott Silver and starring Claire Danes, Omar Epps and Giovanni Ribisi. It is based on the popular television show of the same name.-Plot:... |
Capt. Adam Greer | |
| 2000 | Reindeer Games Reindeer Games Reindeer Games is a 2000 American film, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, and Charlize Theron. It was Frankenheimer's final theatrically released film and received poor reviews.-Plot:... |
Jack Bangs | |
| Preston Tylk | Dick Muller | ||
| Snatch Snatch (film) Snatch is a 2000 crime film written and directed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast. Set in the London criminal underworld, the film contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish ... |
Abraham "Avi" Denovitz | ||
| 2001 | Sidewalks of New York Sidewalks of New York (film) Sidewalks of New York is a 2001 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Edward Burns, who also stars in the film. The plot follows eight cycles in the lives of six Manhattan residents whose inter-connections form a circle that places each of them less than the proverbial six degrees of... |
Carpo | |
| 2002 | Big Trouble | Henry Desalvo | |
| Stealing Harvard Stealing Harvard Stealing Harvard is a 2002 crime comedy film directed by Bruce McCulloch, about a man who resorts to crime to pay for his niece's Harvard tuition.... |
Mr. Warner | ||
| 2004 | Paparazzi | Det. Burton | |
| Scrambled Eggs | Dr. Carlson | Short film | |
| 2007 | You Kill Me You Kill Me You Kill Me is 2007 crime comedy film directed by John Dahl, and starring Ben Kingsley, Luke Wilson, Téa Leoni, Philip Baker Hall, Dennis Farina, and Bill Pullman.-Plot:... |
Edward O'Leary | |
| Purple Violets Purple Violets Purple Violets is a relationship comedy written and directed by Edward Burns. It is an independent film, set in lower Manhattan, about four friends from college ready for change. It features Burns, Selma Blair, Patrick Wilson, and Debra Messing.... |
Gilmore | ||
| National Lampoon's Bag Boy | Marty Engstrom | ||
| 2008 | The Grand The Grand (film) The Grand is an improv comedy film directed by Zak Penn. The film has an ensemble cast including Ray Romano, Woody Harrelson, Chris Parnell, Werner Herzog, Jason Alexander, Dennis Farina, David Cross, Gabe Kaplan, Michael Karnow and Cheryl Hines along with several real Las Vegas poker... |
L.B.J. Deuce Fairbanks | |
| Bottle Shock Bottle Shock Bottle Shock is a 2008 American comedy-drama film based on the 1976 wine competition termed the "Judgment of Paris", when California wine defeated French wine in a blind taste test. It stars Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, and Bill Pullman and is directed by Randall Miller, who wrote the screenplay along... |
Maurice | ||
| What Happens in Vegas What Happens in Vegas What Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the marketing catchphrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."-Plot:... |
Banger | ||
| 2010 | Knucklehead Knucklehead (film) Knucklehead is a comedy film starring WWE Superstar Big Show , Mark Feuerstein, Melora Hardin and Dennis Farina. Its was released on October 22, 2010 in select theatres... |
Memphis Earl | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | Through Naked Eyes | Patrolman | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| 1984 | Hard Knox | April | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... /TV-Pilot Television pilot A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an... |
| 1984–1989 | Miami Vice Miami Vice Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989... |
Albert Lombard | Episode: One Eyed Jack Episode: Lombard Episode: "World of Trouble" |
| 1985 | American Playhouse American Playhouse American Playhouse is an anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.It premiered on January 12, 1982 with The Shady Hill Kidnapping, written and narrated by John Cheever and directed by Paul Bogart... |
Supervisor | Episode: "The Killing Floor" |
| Hardcastle and McCormick Hardcastle and McCormick Hardcastle and McCormick is a 1980s action/drama television series from Stephen J. Cannell Productions, shown on ABC from 1983–1986, starring Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and race car driver Mark "Skid" McCormick.The show's premise involves the... |
Ed Coley | Episode: "Undercover McCormick" | |
| Hunter | Vic Terranova | Episode: "The Snow Queen" 1 & 2 | |
| Remington Steele Remington Steele Remington Steele is an American television series, co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic... |
Cop | Episode: "Steele Trying" | |
| Final Jeopardy | Policeman #2 | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
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| 1986 | The Birthday Boy | Short TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
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| Jack and Mike | Episode: Pilot | ||
| Lady Blue Lady Blue (TV series) Lady Blue is a crime drama starring Jamie Rose as a Chicago female homicide detective Katy Mahoney. The show was produced by MGM/UA Television and aired on ABC-TV from September 26, 1985 to January 25, 1986 for 13 episodes... |
Joe Kaufman | Episode: "Sylvie" | |
| Triplecross | Ernie (Veteran Cop) | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
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| 1986–1988 | Crime Story Crime Story (TV series) Crime Story is an NBC TV drama created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson. The executive producer was Michael Mann, who had left Miami Vice to oversee Crime Story and direct the film Manhunter. The show premiered with a two hour pilot — a movie which had been exhibited theatrically —... |
Lt. Mike Torello | 44 episodes |
| 1987 | Six Against the Rock | Robert Stroud | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| 1988 | Open Admissions | Fred | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| 1989 | China Beach China Beach China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam, which was nicknamed "China Beach" by unknown foreigners, most likely Americans... |
Lt. Col. Edward Edward Vincent | Episode: "All About E.E.V." |
| The Case of the Hillside Stranglers | Angelo Buono, Jr. Angelo Buono, Jr. Angelo Buono, Jr. was an American serial killer. Buono and his cousin Kenneth Bianchi together are known as the Hillside Stranglers.-Early life:... |
NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
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| 1990 | Blind Faith | Prosecutor Kelly | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| People Like Us | Elias Renthall | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
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| 1991 | Perfect Crimes | Armand Zaro | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... /Unsold TV-Pilot Television pilot A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an... |
| 1992 | Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel | Mike Cerone | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| Cruel Doubt Cruel Doubt Cruel Doubt is a 1992 television movie starring Blythe Danner and Matt McGrath. The film was first broadcast as a two-part miniseries on NBC in the United States and CTV in Canada on May 17 and May 19, 1992.... |
Tom Bereton | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
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| Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt (TV series) Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO... |
Antoine | Episode: "Werewolf Concerto" | |
| 1993 | The Disappearance of Nora | Denton | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| A Stranger in the Mirror | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
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| 1994 | One Woman's Courage | Craig McKenna | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| The Corpse Had a Familiar Face | Det. Harry Lindstrom | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
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| 1995 | Out of Annie's Past | Charlie Ingle | TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| Bonanza: Under Attack Bonanza: Under Attack Bonanza: Under Attack is a 1995 TV-movie sequel to the 1959-1973 television series Bonanza and television films Bonanza: The Next Generation and Bonanza: The Return... |
Charley Siringo | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
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| 1997 | Bella Mafia Bella Mafia Bella Mafia is a 1997 American television film starring Vanessa Redgrave and Dennis Farina. Redgrave was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.... |
Don Roberto Luciano | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| 1998 | Buddy Faro | Buddy Faro | 13 episodes |
| 2002–2003 | In-Laws In-Laws In-Laws is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 2002 until January 2003. The series starred Bonnie Somerville, Jean Smart, Elon Gold, and Dennis Farina.... |
Victor Pellet | 15 episodes |
| 2004–2006 | Law & Order Law & Order Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,... |
Det. Joe Fontana | 46 episodes |
| 2005 | Justice League Unlimited Justice League Unlimited Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the... |
Wildcat Wildcat (comics) Wildcat is the name of several fictional characters, all DC Comics superheroes. The first and most famous of these is Ted Grant, a long-time member of the Justice Society of America... |
Voice Role Episode: "The Cat and the Canary" |
| Law & Order: Trial by Jury Law & Order: Trial by Jury Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation... |
Det. Joe Fontana | Episode: "Skeleton" | |
| Empire Falls | Walt Comeau | HBO Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
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