Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina
Dennis Farinawas an Italian-American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He was a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty. He starred on television as Lieutenant Mike Torello on Crime Story and as NYPD Detective Joe Fontana on Law & Order. He also hosted and narrated a revived version of...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTV Actor
Date of Birth29 February 1944
CityChicago, IL
CountryUnited States of America
When I was a kid going to the movies, we'd go because Bogart was in the movie, or Cagney, or John Wayne. We didn't know what the story was about or anything.
I have a home in Arizona. I go a couple months a year, but basically Chicago is my home.
As far as carrying the American banner, you just do what's right for the kids.
I don't know if I have a technique. I'm just trying to remember the words.
I know people who go back and check themselves, but it drives me crazy. Everybody wants to look in the mirror and see Cary Grant looking back at them, but that's just not the case.
I read the script and try not to bring anything personal into it. I make notes, talk to the director and we decide what kinds of shades should be in the character.
I think all actors are supposed to be character actors.
I think first impressions are important when you pick up a script.
I wanted to do Buddy Faro as a small budget movie. They said no. So I wanted to do it as a series of recurring TV movies, and they said no. So I agreed to do it as a series.
You can change a person's life in an instant; put him in a movie, and you start thinking differently, you want to be in another movie. It's like an addiction almost.
What you do as a policeman might be the right thing to do, but it's not entertaining. I left that behind me.
There's a whole catalogue of actors that never went to acting school.
I've tried writing. Two days later I'd go visit it and say, Jesus Christ, who wrote this crap?
I'd love to do a Western. A real Western like John Ford used to do. There's not too many of them made, so I don't know if I'll ever get to do that. They're awfully hard movies to make.