Donaldo Gugliermo "Dennis" Farina (February 29, 1944 – July 22, 2013) was an American actor and Chicago police detective. Known for his roles as mobsters or police officers, his involvement in the entertainment industry began through his association with filmmaker Michael Mann, who employed Farina as an actor and technical advisor. After supporting parts in Mann's films Thief (1981) and Manhunter (1986), he was cast in the lead role of Lieutenant Mike Torello on the NBC television series Crime Story, produced by Mann.
Farina's other notable roles included New York City Police Department Detective Joe Fontana in seasons 15 and 16 of Law & Order (2004–2006), Jimmy Serrano in Midnight Run, Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty, Abraham "Cousin Avi" Denovitz in Snatch, Walt Miller on New Girl, and Gus Demitriou on HBO's Luck. He also worked as a stage actor with the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago.
Early life and police career Farina was born on a leap day (February 29, 1944) in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, the fourth son and youngest of the seven children of Joseph and Yolanda Farina. Farina's father, who was from Villalba, Sicily, was a Chicago-area doctor, and his mother a homemaker. They raised their children in a North Avenue home in Old Town, a working-class neighborhood with a broad ethnic mixture, with Italians and Germans the predominant ethnicities.
Before becoming an actor, Farina served three years (from 1962 to 1965) in the United States Army during the Vietnam Era, followed by 18 years in the Chicago Police Department (1967 to 1985), during which he advanced from patrolman to detective.
Acting career
Stage performances In 1982, while still working as a detective, he made his stage debut in the Steppenwolf Theater Company production of A Prayer for My Daughter, directed by John Malkovich. Chicago Tribune critic Richard Christianson criticized the production but said that Farina and other actors had "moments that were riveting."
Reviewing a 1983 production of David Rabe's Streamers, Christianson praised Farina's performance as "beautiful" and said "he is becoming a fine actor." In 1984, he appeared as Nick in a Chicago production of William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life. Ted Levine, who appeared with him in Crime Story, was in the cast.
Film and TV career Farina began working for director Michael Mann as a police consultant, which led Mann to cast him in a small role in the 1981 film Thief. Farina worked with Mann again, as mobster Albert Lombard, in several episodes of Miami Vice. He moonlighted as an actor in Chicago-based films (like Code of Silence, a 1985 Chuck Norris film) and theater before Mann chose him for his Crime Story series, which aired on NBC from 1986 to 1988. His role of Detective Lt. Mike Torello on Crime Story was as a Chicago police officer, assigned to the U.S. Justice Department. He later starred as the title character in Buddy Faro, a short-lived 1998 private detective series on CBS.
Farina played mob boss Jimmy Serrano in the comedy-crime film Midnight Run; and Ray "Bones" Barboni, a rival criminal to Chili Palmer, in Get Shorty. He played FBI Agent Jack Crawford in Michael Mann's Manhunter, the first film to feature the character Hannibal Lecter. His other film appearances include Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, Striking Distance, Another Stakeout, Snatch, The Mod Squad, Reindeer Games, Men of Respect, Big Trouble and Out of Sight. He played a baseball manager in Little Big League and a nemesis basketball coach in Eddie.
He appeared in two television network miniseries based on Joe McGinniss's true-crime books, Blind Faith (1990) and Cruel Doubt (1992). He made a rare western, portraying legendary lawman Charlie Siringo in a 1995 television movie, Bonanza: Under Attack, a followup to the hit 1960s series.
In a departure from his usual parts, he had a leading-man role, co-starring with Bette Midler, in the romantic comedy That Old Feeling (1997), directed by Carl Reiner.
Farina won an American Comedy Award for his performance in Get Shorty, and starred in the television sitcom In-Laws from 2002 until 2003. He appeared in the 2002 film Stealing Harvard, a comedy where he played a tough-talking, overprotective father-in-law. He had comic roles opposite Ed Harris and Helen Hunt in the HBO production of Empire Falls in 2005, and opposite Alan Rickman in the 2008 Bottle Shock.
Working as a voice-actor beginning in 2005, he provided the voice of aging boxer-turned-superhero Wildcat on Justice League Unlimited. In 2013, he voiced the father of Daffy Duck's girlfriend on The Looney Tunes Show, and the character Riggs on Doc McStuffins. He also played himself in an episode of Family Guy called "The Most Interesting Man in the World," which would be his final television acting role that aired posthumously in 2014.
In 2004, producers of the television series Law & Order hired him as Detective Joe Fontana, following the death of longtime cast member Jerry Orbach. Farina stayed on the show for two seasons. In 2006, he left Law & Order for other projects, including the 2007 feature You Kill Me opposite Ben Kingsley and the 2008 What Happens in Vegas with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher.
In October 2008, he 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 prior 15-year run. This version featured re-edited segments from previous incarnations on NBC, CBS and Lifetime.
He played the title role in a 2011 independent film, The Last Rites of Joe May, written and directed by Joe Maggio, shot on location in Chicago. He was among the stars of a 2014 release, Authors Anonymous, playing a wannabe novelist with a fantasy of becoming another Tom Clancy.
Again on television, Farina co-starred in the 2012 HBO horse-race gambling series Luck, with Dustin Hoffman, directed by Michael Mann. He had a recurring guest role in 2013 in the television comedy series New Girl, though his character was killed off prior to his death.
Farina's last film role was as an aging Italian playboy in a film version of the Off-Broadway musical Lucky Stiff co-starring Dominic Marsh, Nikki M. James and Jason Alexander. The film, released posthumously in 2014, was dedicated to his memory.
Personal life
Farina was married to Patricia Farina from 1970 until their divorce in 1980. They had three sons, Dennis Jr., Michael and Joseph (who is also an actor); two granddaughters, Brianna and Olivia; and four grandsons, Michael, Tyler, Matthew and Eric. He lived with his longtime girlfriend Marianne Cahill in Chicago and Scottsdale, Arizona.
A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, he played a Cubs fan in a 1988 revival of the successful 1977 Organic Theater Company stage play Bleacher Bums, written by and starring fellow Chicago actors Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz.
In February 2005, Farina won the Scripps Howard Super Sage Award. He was the only participant in Scripps Howard's Celebrity Super Bowl Poll to correctly predict New England Patriots would beat Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Farina was arrested on May 11, 2008, for carrying a loaded .22-caliber pistol through Los Angeles International Airport security. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, with bail set at $25,000. He claimed he had simply forgotten the weapon was still in his briefcase and 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. After reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to two years' probation on July 17, 2008.
Death Farina died on July 22, 2013 at the age of 69, in a Scottsdale, Arizona hospital from a pulmonary embolism. He was buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois.
Filmography + Film Year Film Role Notes 1981 Thief Carl 1985 Code of Silence Detective Dorato 1986 Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling Freddy Manhunter Jack Crawford 1988 Midnight Run Jimmy Serrano 1990 Men of Respect "Bankie" Como Havana Joe Volpe's Assistant Uncredited 1992 Mac Mr. Stunder We're Talking Serious Money Sal Street Crimes Brian 1993 Another Stakeout Brian O'Hara Romeo Is Bleeding Nick Gazzara Uncredited Striking Distance Captain Nick Detillo 1994 Little Big League George O'Farrell 1995 Get Shorty Ray "Bones" Barboni 1996 Eddie Coach John Bailey 1997 That Old Feeling Dan De Mora 1998 Out of Sight Marshall Sisco Saving Private Ryan Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson 1999 The Mod Squad Captain Adam Greer 2000 Reindeer Games Jack Bangs Preston Tylk Dick Muller Snatch Abraham "Avi" Denovitz 2001 Sidewalks of New York Carpo 2002 Big Trouble Henry DeSalvo Stealing Harvard Mr. Warner 2004 Paparazzi Detective Burton Scrambled Eggs Dr. Carlson Short film 2007 You Kill Me Edward O'Leary Purple Violets Glen Gilmore The Grand L.B.J. Deuce Fairbanks National Lampoon's Bag Boy Marty Engstrom 2008 Bottle Shock Maurice Cantavale What Happens in Vegas Richard Banger 2010 Knucklehead Earl "Memphis Earl" 2011 The Last Rites of Joe May Joe May 2014 Authors Anonymous John K. Butzin Posthumous release Lucky Stiff Luigi Guadi
Television + Television Year Title Role Notes 1983 Through Naked Eyes Patrolman Television film 1984 The Killing Floor Supervisor Hard Knox April 1984–1989 Miami Vice Albert Lombard 3 episodes 1985 Hardcastle and McCormick Ed Coley Episode: "Undercover McCormick" Hunter Victor "Vic" Terranova Episode: "The Snow Queen" Remington Steele Cop Episode: "Steele Trying" Final Jeopardy Policeman #2Television film 1986 The Birthday Boy Diner Owner Jack and MikeCouncilman Kazan Episode: "Pilot" Lady Blue Joe Kaufman Episode: "Sylvie" Triplecross Ernie, Veteran Cop Television film 1986–1988 Crime Story Lieutenant Mike Torello 44 episodes 1987 Six Against the Rock Robert Stroud / The Birdman of Alcatraz Television film 1988 Open Admissions Fred 1989 China Beach Lieutenant Colonel Edward Edward Vincent Episode: "All About E.E.V." The Case of the Hillside Stranglers Angelo Buono Jr. Television film 1990 Blind Faith Prosecutor Kelly People Like Us Elias Renthall 1991 Perfect Crimes Armand Zaro 1992 Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel Mike Cerone Cruel Doubt Tom Bereton Miniseries Tales from the Crypt Antoine Episode: "Werewolf Concerto" 1993 The Disappearance of Nora Denton Television film A Stranger in the Mirror 1994 One Woman's Courage Craig McKenna The Corpse Had a Familiar Face Detective Harry Lindstrom 1995 Out of Annie's Past Charlie Ingle Bonanza: Under Attack Charlie Siringo 1997 Bella Mafia Don Roberto Luciano 1998 Buddy Faro Buddy Faro 13 episodes 2002–2003 In-Laws Victor Pellet 15 episodes 2004–2006 Law & OrderDetective Joe Fontana Main role (seasons 15–16); 46 episodes 2005 Law & Order: Trial by Jury Episode: "Skeleton" Justice League Unlimited Wildcat Voice, episode: "The Cat and the Canary" Empire Falls Walt Comeau Miniseries 2008–2010 Unsolved Mysteries Host / The Narrator175 episodes 2011–2012 Luck Gus Demitriou9 episodes 2012 Doc McStuffins Riggo Voice, episode: "Stuck Up" 2013 New Girl Walt Miller 2 episodes The Looney Tunes Show Frank Russo Voice, episode: "Daffy Duck, Esquire" 2014 Family Guy Himself Voice, episode: "The Most Interesting Man in the World" Posthumous release
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