Joe Grifasi
- Acting
- June 14, 1944 · Buffalo - New York - USA
Biography
Joseph G. "Joe" Grifasi (born June 14, 1944) is an American character actor of film, stage and television. Born in Buffalo, New York, Grifasi joined the U.S. Army prior to studying acting. He has appeared in more than 50 feature films including Presumed Innocent, The Deer Hunter, Big Business, Beaches, Auto Focus, Matewan, Naked Gun, Dark Matter, Natural Born Killers, Chances Are, Changing Lanes, One Fine Day, F/X, Benny & Joon, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Brewster’s Millions, Batman Forever, The Flamingo Kid, Ironweed, and Splash. His television credits include The Bronx is Burning (as Yogi Berra), 61* (as Phil Rizzuto), Law & Order, ER, LA Law, Chicago Hope, Hill Street Blues, SCTV, Roseanne, and The Practice. Grifasi’s Broadway credits include Dinner at Eight, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Memory of Two Mondays, Boy Meets Girl, The Accidental Death of an Anarchist, The 1940’s Radio Hour and Happy End. His off-Broadway credits include Conversations in Tusculum, The Boys Next Door (Drama Desk Nomination), Once Around the City, Golden Boy, Filumena and Says I, Says He. He has been married to jazz soprano saxophonist and composer Jane Ira Bloom, whom he met while studying at the Yale School of Drama, since 1974.
Known for
Filmography
- Tornado · Rich
- Endgame · Nagg
- The Dreams of Rene Sendam · Dr. Bradley
- Me To Play · Self
- Radium Girls · Grandpa
- I Know This Much Is True · Steve Falice
- Evil · Lombino
- New Amsterdam · Lilo Steinhauser
- Lodge 49 · Burt
- The Good Fight · Judge John Mata
- No Pay, Nudity · Mr. Davenport
- Baked in Brooklyn · David's Dad
- Bull · Judge Arlen Rand, Judge Rand
- The American Side · The Serb
- A Midsummer Night's Dream · Peter Quince
- Elementary · Captain Moretti
- The Front · Mr. Zeffirelli
- The Last New Yorker · Jerry
- The Good Wife · Judge John Mata
- Canterbury's Law
- The Bronx Is Burning · Yogi Berra
- A Crime · Bill
- Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed · Uncle Sam
- Conviction · Judge Harrigan
- Slow Burn · Desk Sgt. Drown
- A Jersey Tale · Alphonso "Chunks" Colon
- 13 Going on 30 · Mr. Flamhaff
- Tarzan · Lieutenant Scott Connor
- Hope & Faith · Leo
- Auto Focus · Strip Club M.C.
- Changing Lanes · Judge Cosell
- Queenie in Love · Berthold
- 61* · Phil Rizzuto
- Some of My Best Friends · Joe Zito
- Looking for an Echo · Vic
- Deadline · Mike Phelan
- The Other Me · Conrad
- The Beat · Vince Marinelli
- Switching Goals · Dave
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit · Hashi Horowitz
- The Out-of-Towners · Arresting Cop
- The Naked Man · Koski
- The Deal · Boular
- Sunday · Scottie Elster
- The Practice · Harry Papp
- One Fine Day · Manny Feldstein
- Shadow of a Doubt · Sidney Sherman
- Early Edition · Harry Hawks
- Undue Influence · Clem
- Remember WENN · Larry Looper
- Heavy · Leo
- Money Train · Riley
- Two Bits · Uncle Joe
- Batman Forever · Bank Guard
- Jack Reed: A Search for Justice
- ER · Tom Williams
- Chicago Hope · Larry Ruscetti
- Natural Born Killers · Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka
- Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult · Director
- The Hudsucker Proxy · Lou
- Household Saints · Frank Manzone
- Moon Over Miami
- Taking the Heat · Lou Valentine
- Benny & Joon · Mike
- Class of '96 · Joe Morrisey
- Sinatra · George Evans
- Citizen Cohn · Gerald Walpin
- Primary Motive · Paul Melton
- City of Hope · Pauly
- WIOU · Tony Pro
- Law & Order · Ezra Gould, Defense Attorney James Linde
- Presumed Innocent · Tommy Molto
- Capital News
- Kojak: Ariana · Lieutenant Rastelli
- Perfect Witness · Breeze
- The Feud · Bud Bullard
- Chances Are · Omar
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! · Foreman
- Roseanne · IRS Office Supervisor
- The Appointments of Dennis Jennings · Bartender