Dennis Farina obit

'Law & Order' Star Dennis Farina Dead at 69

He was not on the list

Actor Dennis Farina, who pursued criminals for years as a Chicago cop and then on television's "Law & Order," died Monday at the age of 69. 

Farina's representative said Farina died of a blood clot in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his longtime girlfriend, Marianne Cahill, beside him.

Farina was best known as Det. Joe Fontana on "Law & Order," and playing a police officer came naturally to him after 18 years in Chicago's force. 

He started acting after serving as a police consultant to director Michael Mann, who hired him for a small part in his 1981 movie "Thief." After that, Mann brought him over to his TV show, "Miami Vice," then gave him the lead role in "Crime Story."

From there, Farina built a career out of playing characters on both sides of the law; he was often cast as a cop or mobster in movies like "Midnight Run," "Manhunter," "Get Shorty," "The Mod Squad," "Snatch," and "Out of Sight." He also played an army officer in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan," a baseball manager in "Little Big League," and Cameron Diaz's boss in "What Happens in Vegas." 

Though he was primarily seen as a dramatic actor, Farina was also heralded for his comedic work and won an American Comedy Award for "Get Shorty."

In 2004, Farina joined the cast of "Law & Order" to replace the late Jerry Orbach's Lenny Briscoe. After two years, he left the show to pursue other projects, including hosting "Unsolved Mysteries." His most recent roles were on HBO's short-lived horse-racing drama "Luck" and as Jake Johnson's father on "New Girl."

Farina is survived by his girlfriend, three children from a previous marriage, and six grandchildren.

Filmography

Film Year             Film       Role       Notes

1981      Thief      Carl       

1984      The Killing Floor                supervisor          

1985      Code of Silence Det. Dorato        

1986      Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling                 Freddy

1986      Manhunter         Jack Crawford   

1988      Midnight Run     Jimmy Serrano

1990      Men of Respect                 Bankie Como     

1990      Havana Joe Volpe's assistant       Uncredited

1992      Mac       Mr. Stunder       

1992      We're Talking Serious Money      Sal         

1992      Street Crimes     Brian    

1993      Another Stakeout            Brian O'Hara      

1993      Romeo Is Bleeding           Nick Gazzara       Uncredited

1993      Striking Distance               Capt. 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   

1998      Saving Private Ryan         Lt. Col. Walter Anderson              

1999      The Mod Squad                 Capt. Adam Greer           

2000      Reindeer Games               Jack Bangs          

2000      Preston Tylk       Dick Muller        

2000      Snatch Abraham "Avi" Denovitz               

2001      Sidewalks of New York   Carpo   

2002      Big Trouble         Henry Desalvo  

2002      Stealing Harvard               Mr. Warner        

2004      Paparazzi             Det. Burton        

2004      Scrambled Eggs                 Dr. Carlson          Short film

2007      You Kill Me          Edward O'Leary                

2007      Purple Violets    Glen Gilmore     

2007      The Grand           L.B.J. Deuce Fairbanks   

2007      National Lampoon's Bag Boy       Marty Engstrom               

2008      Bottle Shock       Maurice Cantavale          

2008      What Happens in Vegas                 Banger

2010      Knucklehead      Memphis Earl   

2011      The Last Rites of Joe May              Joe May              

2014      Authors Anonymous       John K. Butzin   

2014      Lucky Stiff            Luigi       (final film role)

Television

Television Year Title       Role       Notes

1983      Through Naked Eyes       Patrolman           TV film

1984      Hard Knox           April       TV film

1984–1989          Miami Vice          Albert Lombard                 3 episodes

1985      Hardcastle and McCormick           Ed Coley               Episode: "Undercover McCormick"

1985      Hunter Vic Terranova     Episode: "The Snow Queen" 1 & 2

1985      Remington Steele            Cop        Episode: "Steele Trying"

1985      Final Jeopardy   Policeman #2     TV film

1986      The Birthday Boy              Diner owner       TV film

1986      Jack and Mike                    Episode: Pilot

1986      Lady Blue             Joe Kaufman      Episode: "Sylvie"

1986      Triplecross          Ernie (Veteran Cop)        TV film

1986–1988          Crime Story         Lt. Mike Torello                 44 episodes

1987      Six Against the Rock        Robert Stroud    TV film

1988      Open Admissions             Fred       TV film

1989      China Beach       Lt. Col. Edward Edward Vincent Episode: "All About E.E.V."

1989      The Case of the Hillside Stranglers            Angelo Buono, Jr.             TV film

1990      Blind Faith           Prosecutor Kelly                TV film

1990      People Like Us   Elias Renthall     TV film

1991      Perfect Crimes   Armand Zaro      TV film

1992      Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel   Mike Cerone      TV film

1992      Cruel Doubt        Tom Bereton      Miniseries

1992      Tales from the Crypt       Antoine                Episode: "Werewolf Concerto"

1993      The Disappearance of Nora          Denton TV film

1993      A Stranger in the Mirror                                TV film

1994      One Woman's Courage Craig McKenna TV film

1994      The Corpse Had a Familiar Face Det. Harry Lindstrom      TV film

1995      Out of Annie's Past          Charlie Ingle       TV film

1995      Bonanza: Under Attack Charley Siringo TV film

1997      Bella Mafia          Don Roberto Luciano      TV film

1998      Buddy Faro         Buddy Faro         13 episodes

2002–2003          In-Laws                 Victor Pellet        15 episodes

2004–2006          Law & Order       Det. Joe Fontana              46 episodes

2005      Law & Order: Trial by Jury             Det. Joe Fontana              Episode: "Skeleton"

2005      Justice League Unlimited              Wildcat (voice) Episode: "The Cat and the Canary"

2005      Empire Falls        Walt Comeau     Miniseries

2008–2010          Unsolved Mysteries        Host/narrator    Spike TV

2011–2012          Luck       Gus Demitriou   HBO

2012      Doc McStuffins Riggo (voice)      Episode: "Stuck Up"

2013      New Girl               Walt Miller          2 episodes

2013      The Looney Tunes Show                Frank Russo (voice)         Episode: "Daffy Duck, Esquire"

2014      Family Guy          Himself                 Episode: "The Most Interesting Man in the World" (final role)