Biography for
Daniel J. Travanti More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

7 March 1940, Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA

Birth Name

Danielo Giovanni Travanti

Height

6' 1" (1.85 m)

Mini Biography

Respected actor Daniel J. Travanti was born Danielo Giovanni Travanty in the southeastern part of Wisconsin on March 7, 1940, but raised for a time in Iowa before returning to his native state. The youngest son of an American Motors auto worker, he showed both athletic and academic prowess in high school on both the football and debate teams. It was during his studies at the University of Wisconsin that he first developed an interest in drama, appearing in many college plays. He turned down top football scholarships to pursue his acting dream. Following training at the Yale School of Drama, he co-starred as Nick with Colleen Dewhurst in a touring company of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" in 1965 and he was off and running.

The following year Travanti relocated to Los Angeles, appearing in scores of TV roles as assorted buddies and villains while still billing himself under his actual last name of Travanty (until the early 1970s). Starting with his film debut in the sordid stalker drama Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965) starring Sal Mineo and Juliet Prowse, he became known as a consummate professional. He found a sturdy, if routine, niche in crimers with supporting roles in the films The Organization (1971) and St. Ives (1976), and TV guest spots on "The Defenders," "Perry Mason," "Judd: For the Defense," "The F.B.I.", "Mannix," "Cannon" and "Barnaby Jones." A chronic overachiever and quickly approaching burnout, Travanti turned to drinking to combat the frustration and dissatisfaction with his life and so-so career. He finally sought professional help in 1973 after a collapse and breakdown on stage during the middle of a show in Indianapolis.

Following extensive treatment, Travanti did an about face. In 1978, he earned a master's degree in English literature at Loyola of Marymount in Los Angeles and the following year nabbed a six-month stint on the ABC daytime soap "General Hospital" (1963). The peak of this renewed, hard-earned resurgence, however, came after being cast as the serious, somber-looking Captain Frank Furillo for six seasons on the classic drama "Hill Street Blues" (1981). He actor not only won both the Emmy (twice) and Golden Globe awards, but developed sex symbol status at the age of 41. This led to a host of highly-acclaimed TV mini-movie parts, notably that of John Walsh, the father who turned activist after his child was murdered, in Adam (1983) (TV) and its sequel Adam: His Song Continues (1986) (TV), and the title role of broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow in Murrow (1986) (TV).

Seen less and less in years gone by, Travanti was back briefly sporting a police badge on TV in the series "Missing Persons" (1993), but has, for the most part, avoided the limelight and focused on theater endeavors with recent roles in "All My Sons" (2002), Major Barbara (2003) and "The Last Word... (2005).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Trivia

Born at 1:00am-CST

Inducted into the Wisconsin Performing Arts Hall of Fame in 1994.

In June of 1995, he sold his home in Pacific Palisades to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver.

He was nominated for a 1999 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "Old Wicked Songs" at the Apple Tree Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

Where Are They Now

(June 2003) Appearing on stage in 'Major Barbara' at the Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre

(October 2006) Appearing in a 30-second television commercial for a law firm seeking mesothelioma victims.

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