A stocky, forceful character player, Dennis Farina certainly looks like the popular idea of a cop with his weathered mug, ethnic air (Italian-American) and prominent, graying mustache. As well he should, this 18-year veteran of the Chicago police force was still a detective when he was introduced to producer-writer-director Michael Mann, a friend of a friend, who cast him in a supporting role in the dark, thoughtful crime drama "Thief" (1981). This successful performance led to work in Chicago regional theater (to which he has frequently returned in plays including "Streamers", "Heat" and "A Prayer for My Daughter") and appearances on a number of TV crime dramas. 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.
Profession(s):
Actor, police detective
Sometimes Credited As:
American Comedy Award Funniest Male in a Supporting Role in Film "Get Shorty" 1996
2007 Co-starred in the mafia comedy thriller, "You Kill Me" directed by John Dahl
2005 Cast in the ensemble drama "Empire Falls," the HBO adaptation of Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize winning novel
2004 - 2006 Replace Jerry Orbach on the hit NBC drama "Law and Order"; left show after two seasons to pursue other projects
2002 Appeared with Tim Allen in "Big Trouble"
2002 Had role in comedy "Stealing Harvard"
2002 Landed leading role in NBC sitcom "In-Laws"
2001 Had role as a TV newsman in the Edward Burns-directed "Sidewalks of New York"
2000 Portrayed an American gangster who becomes embroiled with London crooks in "Snatch"
1998 Appeared in second film adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel, Stephen Soderbergh's "Out of Sight"
1998 Had supporting role in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan"
1998 Had title role in the CBS series "Buddy Faro"
1997 Co-starred with Bette Midler in "That Old Feeling"
1996 Won plaudits for his supporting role in "Get Shorty", adapted from the Elmore Leoanard novel
1992 Narrated the historical documentary, "The American Gangster"
1986 - 1988 Played Lt. Mike Torello on TV's "Crime Story"
1985 Retired from the police force to focus on acting
1985 Returned to features four years later to play a role in "Code of Silence"
1981 Made feature film debut in Mann's "Thief"
Born and raised on the south side of Chicago
Worked on the Chicago police force for 18 years before meeting producer-writer-director Michael Mann, a friend of a friend
Acted a leading role in the play "Streamers" at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater; revived role when the play opened in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center
Set to join the ensemble cast of "The Grand," which is set against a poker tournament in Las Vegas (lensed 2006)
