John Cygan obit

John Cygan, Actor on ‘The Commish,’ Dies at 63

He also was a prolific voice artist who could be heard in 'Cars,' 'Toy Story 3' and many video games.

 

He was not on the list.

John Cygan, who played Lt. Paulie Pentangeli on the 1990s ABC series The Commish and then provided his voice for dozens of films and video games, has died. He was 63.

Cygan died Saturday at his home in Woodland Hills after a long battle with cancer, Jonn Wasser of the Atlas Talent Agency told The Hollywood Reporter.

Cygan also starred opposite Bob Newhart — both played comic book artists at a Chicago-based company — on the short-lived sitcom Bob, which ran from 1992-93 on CBS.

Cygan appeared on 35 episodes of The Commish as Pentangeli, who worked for police commissioner Tony Scali (Michael Chiklis) in upstate New York. His character shot an unarmed suspect at the start of the show’s second season and was fired, only to return in season four.

On Twitter, Chiklis called Cygan “one of my closest friends in the world. You are loved, adored and horribly missed, Johnny. I know this … heaven just got a lot funnier.”

A native of New York, Cygan also appeared on episodes of Frasier, Diagnosis Murder, Becker, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, The Shield (another Chiklis starrer) and Modern Family.

Cygan voiced characters in the Pixar films Cars (2006), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Monsters University (2013) and Inside Out (2015), and could also be heard in Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Horton Hears a Who! (2008), The Lorax (2012) and Despicable Me 2 (2013).

Cygan was the voice of Solidus Snake on two installments of Metal Gear Solid 2 and worked on video games in the Star Wars, Halo, Medal of Honor, Lord of the Rings and Grand Theft Auto franchises as well.

Survivors include his wife Cathy and children Annie and Jack.

Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1992      Crow's Nest        Mike Corsetti    

2002      Treasure Planet                 Hedley Voice

2006      Cars       Richard Clayton Kensington         Voice

Happily N'Ever After       Additional Voices             Voice

2007      Surf's Up              Additional Voices             Voice

2008      Horton Hears a Who!      Who      Voice

WALL-E                 Axiom Passenger #3        Voice

Ponyo   Additional Voices             Voice, English Dub

2009      Up          Additional Voices             Voice

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs           Macaroni Head Man       Voice

2010      Toy Story 3          Twitch   Voice

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Male Radio Caller / Gus Direct-to-video Voice

2011      Small Fry              Additional Voice Talent Voice, Short

2012      The Lorax             Additional Voices             Voice

Partysaurus Rex                Additional Voices             Voice, Short

2013      Monsters University       Big Red (JTC Leader)        Voice

Despicable Me 2               Additional Voices             Voice

2015      Inside Out           Additional Voices             Voice

Minions                Additional Voices             Voice

2017      Despicable Me 3               Additional Voices             Voice, Final film role; posthumous release

 

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1990      Babes                    Episode: "Everything But Love"

1992-1993          Bob        Harlan Stone      25 episodes

1994      The X-Files          Sheriff Spencer Episode: "Blood"

1992-1996          The Commish     Detective Paulie "Pants" Pantangeli         35 episodes

1996      Frasier Doug Harvey      Episode: "High Crane Drifter"

1997      Nothing Sacred                 Episode: "Roman Catholic Holiday"

1998      Diagnosis: Murder           Dr. Adam Embry               Episode: "Baby Boom"

1998      The Hughleys     Officer Episode: "Keeping Romance Alive"

2001      Becker Detective Cross Episode: "Breakfast of Chumpions"

2002      NYPD Blue           Tommy Dwyer   2 episodes

2003      Judging Amy       Jeremy Cools      Episode: "Sixteen Going on Seventeen"

2004      The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy   TV Announcer / Man at Police Station (voice)      Episode: "Bearded Billy"

2006      The Shield           LAPD Chief of Police Johnson      Episode: "Of Mice and Lem"

2007      Ben 10        Kangaroo Commando / Abel and Kane North (voice)         Episode: "Super Alien Hero Buddy Adventures"

2010      A Good Knight's Quest   Charles 2 episodes

2011      Mater’s Tall Tales             additional voices (voice)                6 episodes

2011      The Don of the Flies        Husband / Junior / The Don (voice)           Also writer and director.

2013      Modern Family Admissions Dean              Episode: "The Future Dunphys"

2014      Tales form Radiator Springs         Idle Threat (voice)            Episode: "The Radiator Springs 500 ½"

2015      Pickle & Peanut                 Badger Ep: Busted Arm

2012-2016          Regular Show     Main Bear / Roger / Archie the Archivist / various voices                 27 episodes

 

Video games

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1997      Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire            Dash Rendar       PC version

1999      Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance           Dash Rendar / Civilian Pilot         

2000      Grandia II             Melfice / Client / Brother 1         

2001      Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty           Solidus Snake    

2002      Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds             Dash Rendar / General Rand Talor / Quarren Thug            

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance    Solidus Snake    

2003      Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits             Droguza              

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic    Canderous Ordo              

Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown        Little John          

2004      Painkiller              Sammael             

The Punisher      Eddie Gnucci / Carlo Duka           

EverQuest II        Concordium (High Elf) / Apprentice Kalimar

Archivist Jindlefog / Neophyte Jhanov

Guard Rellin'thir / Wisp of Marr / Arqis the Mage

Biddy Bobick / Broker Algernon / Royal Accountant Fowler

Janus Fieri          

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords   Mandalore the Preserver             

2005      Destroy All Humans!       General Armquist, Cop 2              

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse      Iron Man / Kazar              

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo               Sandman            

2006      Marvel: Ultimate Alliance             Iron Man, Warstar          

The Sopranos: Road to Respect Additional Voices            

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2           Sandman            

2007      Medal of Honor: Vanguard           Sgt. John Magnuson       

Lair         Koba Kai              

2008      Rise of the Argonauts     Additional voices             

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa       Makunga            

Endwar                 Additional voices             

Too Human         Neilssen / Engineer / Pilot #2     

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots                 Solidus Snake     Archived recordings, uncredited

2009      Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood     Col. Jeremy Barnsby       

2010      Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight              Additional Voices            

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands      Malik    

Toy Story 3: The Video Game      Twitch  

Mafia II                 Pepé     

2011      Call of Juarez: The Cartel               Michael Duke / Additional Voices             

Dead Island         Dr. West / Additional Voices       

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Farin     

2012      The Darkness II Leo / Additional Voices

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning                 Agarth

Ninja Gaiden 3   Captain Heinlein              

Spec Ops: The Line           Officers / Damned Officer            

Halo 4   Additional Voices            

2013      Call of Juarez: Gunslinger              Silas Greaves    

Grand Theft Auto V         The Local Pedestrian Population               

2014      Broken Age         Dad / Conductor / Spoon             

2016      World of Warcraft: Legion            Additional Voices            

Mafia III               

Final Fantasy XV               

2018      Red Dead Redemption 2                The Local Pedestrian Population                Posthumous release