Farina gave up his former profession when Mann offered him a sizable part in the feature "Manhunter" (1986) and the lead role of Lt. Mike Torello in the NBC TV series "Crime Story" (1986-88). He was perfectly cast as a driven gangbuster in this unusually authentic serial crime drama set initially in early 1960s Chicago before moving to a dazzling Las Vegas. Farina displayed some range in TV-movies, playing the Birdman of Alcatraz in "Six Against the Rock" (NBC, 1987), serial killer Angelo Buono in "The Case of the Hillside Strangler" (NBC, 1989) and a wealthy NYC tycoon in the miniseries "People Like Us" (NBC, 1990).
The cinema offered less variety--usually casting Farina as cops, gangsters and crusty sports figures--but he has been allowed to display a flair for comedy. His roles have included a memorable turn as vicious mafia boss Jimmy Serrano opposite Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin in "Midnight Run" (1988); Bankie Como, the Banquo-figure in the gangland "Macbeth" of "Men of Respect" (1991); the none-too-bright subject of surveillance by Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez in "Another Stakeout" (1993); and a gruff, Leo Durocher-style baseball manager in "Little Big League" (1994).
Farina more than held his own amid the high-octane acting ensemble (including John Travolta, Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito) of the hit "gangsters in Hollywood" comedy "Get Shorty" (1995). Writing about the actor's characterization of Ray 'Bones' Barboni, VILLAGE VOICE reviewer J. Hoberman wrote: "As Chili's [Travolta] nemesis Bones, Dennis Farina stalks through the movie like a decomposing corpse." He had less to do in his follow-up, the basketball comedy "Eddie" (1996), as the coach of the NY Knicks who is skeptical of Whoopi Goldberg. Farina followed with a rare lead as the ex-husband of Bette Midler in Carl Reiner's comedy "That Old Feeling" (1997).
In 1998, Farina appeared in two of the year's better films, "Saving Private Ryan" and "Out of Sight." He continued to have strong supporting roles in high profile films for the next several years, including Guy Ritchie's smash hit "Snatch" in 2000 and the comedy "Stealing Harvard" in 2002. Also in 2002, Farina landed the role of the father in-law of a newly married young man in the short-lived NBC comedy "In-Laws." After a stint in the Mel Gibson-produced indie "Paparazzi" (2004), it was back to another cop role, this time succeeding Jerry Orbach on the venerable NBC crime drama "Law & Order" beginning in 2004, playing the sharp-dressed, well-manicured ex-Chicago cop Joe Fontana, whose laeds a surprisingly high-end lifestyle on a cop's salary.