Biography

Dennis Farina was one of Hollywood's busiest actors and a familiar face to moviegoers and television viewers alike. Recently, he appeared in the feature films, "The Grand," a comedy about a Vegas poker tournament with Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines and Ray Romano; "Bottle Shock," also starring Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman and Bradley Whitford; and Fox's "What Happens in Vegas," in which Dennis starred as Cameron Diaz's boss. Farina also appeared on the NBC series "Law and Order" and in the HBO miniseries, "Empire Falls," for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Mini-Series.

Farina is well remembered for his role in memorable features such as Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight," in which he played the retired lawman father of Jennifer Lopez's character. This was Farina's second outing in an Elmore Leonard best seller, the previous one being "Get Shorty," directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and co-starring John Travolta, Rene Russo and Gene Hackman. Farina received an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Male for his performance as "Ray 'Bones' Barboni."

In 1998's "Saving Private Ryan," directed by Steven Spielberg, Farina played "Col. Anderson," a pivotal role in the film. It is this character who convinces Tom Hanks character to lead a squad deep into Nazi territory to rescue "Pvt. Ryan." He also co-starred with Brad Pitt and Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro in the darkly comedic crime drama "Snatch," directed by Guy Ritchie.

Farina's numerous other screen credits include John Frankenheimer's "Reindeer Games," "Paparazzi," Martin Brest's "Midnight Run," the Michael Mann film "Manhunter", among many other feature films. Farina is also recognized for his role in the critically acclaimed television series, NBC's "Crime Story". A veteran of the Chicago theater, Farina has appeared in Joseph Mantegna's "Bleacher Bums," and "A Prayer For My Daughter," directed by John Malkovich, and many others. He died on July 22, 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona at age 69.

- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous

Actor Dennis Farina is unique among thespians in that he was one of the few to achieve success as a "late-bloomer." He did not start acting until he was 37 years old, after stints in the military and 18 years on the Chicago Police Department. He made his bones in show business as a character actor, often cast as a cop or gangster. Though often cast as heavies, Farina was also adept at comedy roles.

A leap year baby born on February 29, 1944 into a Sicilian-American family, Farina's father Joseph, a physician, was an immigrant from Sicily. After a stint in the service, the Chicago native pinned on a badge and strapped on a gun for the Windy City's police department from 1967 to 1985. He mostly worked out of the burglary division, which brought him his chance. While he was still a cop in burglary, he was hired as a consultant by director Michael Mann for the movie Thief (1981), in which James Caan played a master burglar. Mann cast Farina in a bit part in the movie, which proved to be a small masterpiece. He worked many times with Mann in the future.

Bitten by the acting bug, Farina started acting in Chicago theater before Mann cast him in a lead role in his TV series Crime Story (1986). Even though Farina was two years short of his pension, he quit the Chicago PD to take a chance on acting. He worked steadily in TV and movies ever since.

Farina proved adept at both drama and comedy, as his turn as gangster Ray "Bones" Barboni, John Travolta's rival in Get Shorty (1995) attested to. In addition to "Crime Story", he also had a major role on Law & Order (1990), essentially replacing Jerry Orbach's character. His last recurring role on TV was in the 2012 horse racing series Luck (2011).

He was married for 10 years, from 1970 until his divorce in 1980. He and his wife Patricia had three sons; one of them, Joe Farina, became an actor. Dennis Farina died in Scottsdale, Arizona on July 22, 2013 from a blood clot in his lung. He was 69 years old.

- IMDb mini biography by: Jon C. Hopwood