James Luisi
- Acting
- November 11, 1928 · New York City, New York, USA
- June 7, 2002
Biography
A native New Yorker, James Luisi attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights on a basketball scholarship. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He then played one season (1953-54) with the Baltimore Bullets in the National Basketball Association. His acting career began on the stage with early parts coming in the Broadway musicals "Sweet Charity" and "Zorba". His early movies were minor, though his "beefcake" appeal was evident in 1973's I Escaped from Devil's Island (1973) in which he rarely wore a shirt. Most of his later work was on TV. In 1976 he shared a "best actor" daytime Emmy for playing George Washington in a daytime drama special titled First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington (1975). Also in 1976 he started his four-season role as Jim Rockford's (James Garner) nemesis Lt. Chapman in The Rockford Files (1974). In 1983 he played the cop in charge of some street-gang-members-turned-undercover-agents in the short-lived series The Renegades (1983), which provided a boost for Patrick Swayze, who played one of the gang members. Along with guest spots on numerous TV shows, Luisi also appeared in the soap operas Days of Our Lives (1965) and Another World (1964). In the 1990s he returned to acting in and directing stage work in the Los Angeles area. Stricken with cancer he passed away on 7 June 2002 and is survived by his wife of 41 years, the former Georgia Phillips.
Known for
Filmography
- The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play · Capt. Doug Chapman
- The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits... · Capt. Doug Chapman
- Baywatch Nights · Murray
- Silk Stalkings
- Dark Justice
- Lethal Woman · Colonel Jerry Maxim
- Feds! · Sperry
- The Hidden · Ferrari Salesman
- L.A. Law · Paul Viola
- Murphy's Law · Ed Reineke
- The Hogan Family
- Hell Town
- Partners in Crime
- Finder of Lost Loves · Jordan Hollis
- The Red-Light Sting · Renny Lucas
- Star 80 · Roy
- Sunset Limousine · Angel
- China Lake · Watch Commander
- The Renegades · Lt. Marciano
- The A-Team · Jimmy Durkee
- Knight Rider · D.G. Grebs
- Matt Houston
- The Renegades · Lt. Joe Marciano
- T. J. Hooker · George Laszlo, Vincent Hazzard
- The Fall Guy
- Our Family Business · Frank
- Here's Boomer
- Magnum, P.I. · John Walter Costa
- The Asphalt Cowboy · Lt. Lassiter
- Fade to Black · Capt. M.L. Gallagher
- Knots Landing · Lieutenant Gilbert Garcia
- Hart to Hart
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century · Hood
- Harris and Company
- Norma Rae · George Benson
- Moment by Moment · Dan Santini
- One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story · Jimmy Karalla
- Vega$
- Sword of Justice
- The Eddie Capra Mysteries
- Love Is Not Enough · Harry Foreman
- Killer's Delight · Sgt. Vince De Carlo
- Fantasy Island · Arbogast
- A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story · Lazzeri
- Contract on Cherry Street · Al Palmini / Arnold Palmer
- CHiPs
- Stunts · Alvin Blake
- Hunter
- Quincy, M.E.
- Spencer's Pilots
- Future Cop · Paterno
- Good Heavens
- City of Angels
- Wonder Woman · George
- First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington · George Washington
- Starsky & Hutch
- S.W.A.T.
- The Rockford Files · Doug Chapman, Burt Stryker
- The Take · Benedetto
- Honky Tonk · Blackie
- The Man from Independence · Stranger
- Cry Rape · Det. Kroger
- Kojak · Det. Geno Alessi, Capt. Henry 'Hank' Rosseau
- I Escaped from Devil's Island · Dazzas
- Police Story
- Hawkins · Andy Tyler
- Barnaby Jones · Nick Gorman, Burt Logan
- The Streets of San Francisco
- Ghost Story · Rick
- The Rookies
- Ben · Ed
- Cannon
- Cat Ballou · Spider Levinsky
- Adam-12 · Antonio Minetti
- Ironside · Mike Purcell
- The F.B.I. · Sam Kehoe, Little Julio
- Another World
- Naked City · Mark Andrew
- The Rifleman
- Gunsmoke · Ivers