Actor Jack Wallace is dead at 86: From Chicago’s Kingston Mines, he was a tough guy for real and Mamet’s muse
He was not on the list.
Jack Wallace may not have attained the flashy stardom and big money success of some of his contemporaries from the formative days of our now legendary local theater scene. But he managed, against considerable odds, to have a very fruitful stage, TV and film career. You might likely recognize his face and if you’d ever met him, or talked to those who did, you’d know he was as colorful and unforgettable as any of the hundreds of characters he played.
“I had the pleasure to have him as a friend and fellow actor for close to 50 years,” saysthe Chicago-born Joe Mantegna. “From the student film ‘Medusa Challenger’ we did together in the mid-70s, through the run of Dave Mamet’s ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ in 80s, to a multitude of films together, including the film ‘Lakeboat’ which I directed in 1999. That’s where Jack met his dear wife Margot, who was at his side when he passed.
“He was a huge fixture not just in my life, but in so many others. Damon Runyon would have built a statue of him. He was a man-child the likes of which we may seldom see again.”
Wallace died on April 16 in Los Angeles, his home only a few blocks from that in which Mantegna lives with his wife Arlene. He was 86 and had suffered much of this century from a variety of health woes, including most recently cancer.
His death comes in the wake of that of director Stuart Gordon. It was Gordon who tapped Wallace to become a member of his Organic Theatre Company and there Wallace joined a group of young actors that included Mantegna, Dennis Franz, William J. Norris and Andre DeShields.
In a lovely Facebook post, another Organic pal, Bruce Hickey, who directed Wallace in five plays, wrote, “He never saved it or held back, never left it behind, never phoned it in, or was waiting for opening night. Every night was opening night to him. Every audience, be it 1,000 on Broadway or 15 in a pub theater, were all special to him and gave them a ‘performance.’ That was his gift.”
Wallace came to the stage by a most unusual route.
Born on Aug. 10, 1933, as an only child in Pekin, Ill., he grew up on some of Chicago’s tougher streets, attended Wells High School, served three years in jail for armed robbery, got married, fathered two children, drank often and hard, worked a series of blue collar jobs such as window washer and, with no formal training but an interest sparked as a child — “I never thought acting was a sissy thing,” he once said — started to perform in small theaters around town.
Walking down Lincoln Avenue one afternoon in 1969, he wandered into a doorway where he found a group of actors in rehearsal for a play. Thinking he was there to audition, Chicago City Players director June Pyskacek asked him to join in. He did and sometime later, when the group was tossing around various new names for their company, Wallace suggested Kingston Mines, a small town in Illinois where his grandfather and father had once worked. It stuck and the Kingston Mines, in addition to launching the mega hit “Grease,” was an essential part of the off-Loop theater landscape in its formative years.
That story, among many, is included in Mark Larson’s recent book, “Ensemble: An Oral History of Chicago Theater” (Agate Midway). He recalled his interview with the actor: “When I talked with him, I remember his frequent refrain was, ‘Wait, wait! I got another one for you!’
From his first Kingston Mines encounter, Wallace focused on theater and roles came steadily.
A major one — and the reason he stopped drinking for keeps — came when he was cast in 1973 in the lead role of Randall Patrick McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” It ran for months here and during that time Wallace found himself sharing a couch with film director Dino DeLaurentiis on Irv Kupcinet’s late night TV talk show.
On the spot, DeLaurentiis offering him a role in his upcoming film, “Death Wish,” obviously taken with what one writer referred to as Wallace’s “huge and felonious eyes … the fierce gaze and the rocky build of an urban samurai, not someone you’d be comfortable meeting in a deserted subway station.”
Wallace would over the next decades appear in more than 100 movies (“Mad Dog and Glory,” “Nixon,” “Medusa Challenger,” "Boogie Nights”), TV shows (“Law & Order,” “Six Feet Under,” “Criminal Minds”) and dozens of plays.
He was admired by audiences and the theater crowd, many of whom referred to him as “the lion” because, as one said, “his heart was so strong and big.” The Goodman Theatre’s artistic director Robert Falls, a frequent Wallace collaborator, wrote that, “He was magnificent. As gonzo a Chicago actor as any. … An utter original … one of Chicago’s greats.”
Wallace’s most frequent collaborator in stage and screen was playwright/director David Mamet. He appeared in virtually all of Mamet’s plays and movies.
Asked about his friend, Mamet wrote to me, in part:
“He was the nonpareil tough guy, beloved of all of us, audience and actors, of the ‘70s Chicago Theatre; Jack, always referred to by Richard Christiansen of the Tribune, the dean of Chicago critics, as ‘The Great Jack Wallace.’
“Like all actual tough guys there was no bluster about him; like the true, tough cops and soldiers, the actors who portray them all have a simplicity and sadness. Jack could make you cry by picking up a cup of coffee.
“We were doing my play ‘Edmond,' about a stockbroker who picks up a young waitress and kills her. Colin Stinton was playing Edmond. He’s in a police station, having been arrested, he thinks, for screaming at some woman on the El platform. He explains to the detective, played by Jack, ‘I was just going home, I’d had a fight with my wife, I spoke out of hand. I’m so sorry.’ Pause.
“DETECTIVE: ‘Why’d you kill that girl?’
“EDMOND: ‘What girl?’
“DETECTIVE: ‘That girl you killed.’
“Pause: The audience sits there stunned.
“There was no moment, in the near fifty years we worked with him, that we were not delighted and grateful to be in his presence. None of us ever knew, met, or saw a better actor.
Selected filmography
Actor
Jack and Julianna
Jack
CompletedShort
2014
Christopher Lloyd, William Shatner, and Jean Smart in Senior Moment (2021)
Senior Moment
Ted Garvin
2021
Neil Flynn and Natalie Morales in Abby's (2019)
Abby's
Skip
TV Series
2019
Spivak (2018)
Spivak
Bartender
2018
William H. Macy, Steve Howey, Cameron Monaghan, Shanola Hampton, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, and Emma Kenney in Shameless (2011)
Shameless
Rupert SheffieldRupert Sr.
TV Series
2018
John Michael Higgins, Andrea Martin, Horatio Sanz, Adam Campbell, Nicole Richie, and Briga Heelan in Great News (2017)
Great News
Walter
TV Series
2017
Danny Glover, Eion Bailey, and Barkhad Abdi in Extortion (2017)
Extortion
Lucas
2017
Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal in Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Nocturnal Animals
Old Man (uncredited)
2016
Kirby Buckets (2014)
Kirby Buckets
Jerry
TV Series
2016
James Pickens Jr., Ellen Pompeo, and Chandra Wilson in Grey's Anatomy (2005)
Grey's Anatomy
Old Man
TV Series
2015
Kyle Gallner, Matthew Gray Gubler, Adam Nee, and Melissa Benoist in Band of Robbers (2015)
Band of Robbers
Doc Robinson
2015
Mindy Kaling in The Mindy Project (2012)
The Mindy Project
Father Francis
TV Series
2015
Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman in The Boy Next Door (2015)
The Boy Next Door
Mr. Sandborn
2015
Kristen Wiig in Welcome to Me (2014)
Welcome to Me
Bud Klieg
2014
Criminal Minds (2005)
Criminal Minds
Carl
TV Series
2014
Chris Elliott, Maria Thayer, and Brett Gelman in Eagleheart (2011)
Eagleheart
Captain
TV Series
2012–2014
Robert Forster, Eddie Jemison, and Noureen DeWulf in Coffee, Kill Boss (2013)
Coffee, Kill Boss
Jim T. Pruit
2013
Al Pacino and Helen Mirren in Phil Spector (2013)
Phil Spector
Music Store Owner
TV Movie
2013
Shawn Hatosy, Regina King, Michael Cudlitz, and Ben McKenzie in Southland (2009)
Southland
Larry Livermore
TV Series
2013
An Old Man's Gold (2012)
An Old Man's Gold
Charlie Dawson
2012
Daniel Brewster and the End of the World
Mr. Kaminsky
Short
2012
Dwayne Johnson in Faster (2010)
Faster
Bathroom Attendant
2010
Lost Masterpieces of Pornography (2010)
Lost Masterpieces of Pornography
Guy Two
Video
2010
Life with Kat & McKay
Bouncer
TV Series
2010
Parks and Recreation (2009)
Parks and Recreation
Clarence
TV Series
2010
Ali Larter, Hayden Panettiere, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Milo Ventimiglia, Noah Gray-Cabey, and James Kyson in Heroes (2006)
Heroes
Arnold
TV Series
2009
Erinn Hayes and Kyle Bornheimer in Worst Week (2008)
Worst Week
Stu
TV Series
2009
Maurice Benard, Ingo Rademacher, Julie Berman, Steve Burton, Tyler Christopher, Nancy Lee Grahn, Rebecca Herbst, Kelly Monaco, Kirsten Storms, Laura Wright, Dominic Zamprogna, and Chad Duell in General Hospital (1963)
General Hospital
Uncle Vance
TV Series
2008
Counting the Days (2008)
Counting the Days
Warren Burris
Short
2008
Chiwetel Ejiofor in Redbelt (2008)
Redbelt
Bar Patron
2008
What About Brian (2006)
What About Brian
Father
TV Series
2006
10 Items or Less (2006)
10 Items or Less
Father Lange
TV Series
2006
Comedy Central Thanksgiving Wiikend: Thanksgiving Island
Grandpa Woods
TV Movie
2006
The Unit (2006)
The Unit
Hank
TV Series
2006
Journeyman (2005)
Journeyman
Dreamer
2005
William H. Macy and Julia Stiles in Edmond (2005)
Edmond
Chaplain
2005
Love for Rent (2005)
Love for Rent
Uncle Todd
2005
Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodríguez, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, and Mathew St. Patrick in Six Feet Under (2001)
Six Feet Under
Danny Holzenchenko
TV Series
2005
Man of the House (2005)
Man of the House
Wallace Tilman
Short
2005
The State of Grace
Jeffery
Short
2005
Cold Case (2003)
Cold Case
Sonny Carroll 2005
TV Series
2005
Art Thief Musical! (2004)
Art Thief Musical!
Police Chief
Short
2004
The Last Full Measure (2004)
The Last Full Measure
Short
2004
Torri Higginson in Intent (2003)
Intent
Senator Cavallo
Short
2003
Terry Farrell, Ted Danson, Alex Désert, Shawnee Smith, and Hattie Winston in Becker (1998)
Becker
Mr. Nelson
TV Series
2003
John Corbett in Lucky (2003)
Lucky
Murray
TV Series
2003
Under the Gun (2002)
Under the Gun
Harry
2002
Erika Eleniak, Eric Roberts, and Dean Cain in Christmas Rush (2002)
Christmas Rush
Santa
TV Movie
2002
Do Over (2002)
Do Over
Grandpa
TV Series
2002
Angelica Page, Jack Wallace, Nikki Embry, Tamir Yardenne, Richard Parent, and Julian Sakata in Fairie (2002)
Fairie
Finvara
2002
Duty Dating (2002)
Duty Dating
Mr. Penn
2002
Rip It Off (2001)
Rip It Off
Det. McMahon
2001
Joey Petrone: TV Cop
Dirk
Short
2001
George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies, Ming-Na Wen, Noah Wyle, Laura Innes, Alex Kingston, Eriq La Salle, Kellie Martin, Paul McCrane, Michael Michele, Erik Palladino, Maura Tierney, and Goran Visnjic in ER (1994)
ER
Mr. Reynolds
TV Series
2001
Mia Kirshner, Adam Goldberg, Jesse Bradford, and David Krumholtz in According to Spencer (2001)
According to Spencer
Waiter
2001
Shannon Elizabeth, Mena Suvari, Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy, and Eddie Kaye Thomas in American Pie 2 (2001)
American Pie 2
Enthusiastic Guy
2001
Ted Danson in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Tony Mumms
TV Series
2001
State and Main (2000)
State and Main
Bellhop
2000
Who Killed Atlanta's Children? (2000)
Who Killed Atlanta's Children?
Phil Peters
TV Movie
2000
Jacks or Better (2000)
Jacks or Better
Jack
2000
Lakeboat (2000)
Lakeboat
Fred
2000
Dennis Franz, Jimmy Smits, Sharon Lawrence, James McDaniel, Gordon Clapp, and Nicholas Turturro in NYPD Blue (1993)
NYPD Blue
Det. Hoffman
TV Series
2000
Hard Time: Hostage Hotel (1999)
Hard Time: Hostage Hotel
Sy Harkin
TV Movie
1999
Lindsay Crouse and Zoe McLellan in Total Stranger (1999)
Total Stranger
Chief Lewis
1999
Rituals and Resolutions (1999)
Rituals and Resolutions
Henry
Short
1999
Benjamin Burdick, Cee Cee Michaela, Laura Johnson, John Novak, and Basil Wallace in Born Free (1998)
Born Free
Harry
TV Series
1998
Selma Blair and Michael Rooker in Brown's Requiem (1998)
Brown's Requiem
Bud Myers
1998
The Fixer (1998)
The Fixer
Judge Wolinski
TV Movie
1998
Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, and Gene Hackman in Twilight (1998)
Twilight
Interrogation Officer
1998
Anarchy TV (1998)
Anarchy TV
Mr. Harris
1998
Platform Six
Chief Pattycake
Short
1997
Sparkler (1997)
Sparkler
Jesse
1997
Josh Hartnett, Mariska Hargitay, Angela Featherstone, Robert Pastorelli, and Robert Wisdom in Cracker: Mind Over Murder (1997)
Cracker: Mind Over Murder
Gambler
TV Series
1997
Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, and Heather Graham in Boogie Nights (1997)
Boogie Nights
Rocky
1997
Campbell Scott in The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
The Spanish Prisoner
Sanitation Man
1997
Cold Around the Heart (1997)
Cold Around the Heart
Police Captain Man
1997
Amnesia (1997)
Amnesia
Sheriff
1997
Ernie Hudson in Levitation (1997)
Levitation
The Bartender
1997
The Killing Jar (1997)
The Killing Jar
Dick Resigy
1997
Donal Logue, Bill Brochtrup, Julianne Christie, Louis Ferreira, Peter Gerety, Jana Marie Hupp, Joseph Latimore, and Larry Romano in Public Morals (1996)
Public Morals
5C Tenant
TV Series
1996
Dark Skies (1996)
Dark Skies
Mr. Chesney
TV Series
1996
Voice from the Grave (1996)
Voice from the Grave
Coroner
TV Movie
1996
Hector Elizondo, Mandy Patinkin, Roma Maffia, Adam Arkin, Roxanne Hart, and E.G. Marshall in Chicago Hope (1994)
Chicago Hope
Waiter
TV Series
1996
Anthony Hopkins in Nixon (1995)
Nixon
Football Coach
1995
Steal Big Steal Little (1995)
Steal Big Steal Little
Nick's Boy
1995
Dream On (1990)
Dream On
Manager
TV Series
1995
Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Peri Gilpin, and Jane Leeves in Frasier (1993)
Frasier
Joe
TV Series
1994
Minotaur
Father
1994
Robert De Niro, Bill Murray, and Uma Thurman in Mad Dog and Glory (1993)
Mad Dog and Glory
Tommy the Bartender
1993
Annie Potts, Delta Burke, Jean Smart, and Dixie Carter in Designing Women (1986)
Designing Women
Ron
TV Series
1992
Ice-T, Sam Waterston, Mariska Hargitay, Camryn Manheim, Christopher Meloni, Jeffrey Donovan, Mehcad Brooks, Kelli Giddish, and Danielle Moné Truitt in Law & Order (1990)
Law & Order
Homeless Man #2
TV Series
1991
Liebestraum (1991)
Liebestraum
Mike
1991
Homicide (1991)
Homicide
Frank
1991
Fatal Encounter (1990)
Fatal Encounter
Leary Seager
1990
Tune in Tomorrow... (1990)
Tune in Tomorrow...
Policeman
1990
State of Grace (1990)
State of Grace
Matty's Bartender
1990
ABC Afterschool Specials (1972)
ABC Afterschool Specials
TV Series
1990
Youk the Bear in The Bear (1988)
The Bear
Bill
1988
Don Ameche and Joe Mantegna in Things Change (1988)
Things Change
Repair Shop Owner
1988
Steven Seagal in Above the Law (1988)
Above the Law
Uncle Branca
1988
Lindsay Crouse and Joe Mantegna in House of Games (1987)
House of Games
Bartender (House of Games)
1987
Catherine Keener, Pat Morita, Kevin Conroy, Jack Wallace, and Richard Yniguez in Ohara (1987)
Ohara
Sgt. Phil O'Brien
TV Series
1987
The Big Score (1983)
The Big Score
Policeman
1983
Chicago Story (1981)
Chicago Story
TV Movie
1981
The Chisholms (1979)
The Chisholms
Ambrose Miller
TV Series
1979
Medusa Challenger (1976)
Medusa Challenger
Jack
Short
1976
The Last Affair (1976)
The Last Affair
1976
Charles Bronson in Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish
Hank
1974
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