Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
June 14, 1944
Place of Birth:
Buffalo - New York - USA
Social Media
Joe Grifasi
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
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Endgame | Nagg |
| 2022 | The Dreams of Rene Sendam | Dr. Bradley |
| 2021 | Me To Play | Himself |
| 2020 | Radium Girls | Grandpa |
| 2016 | The American Side | The Serb |
| 2016 | Baked in Brooklyn | David's Dad |
| 2016 | No Pay, Nudity | Mr. Davenport |
| 2014 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Peter Quince |
| 2010 | The Front | Mr. Zeffirelli |
| 2010 | The Last New Yorker | Jerry |
| 2006 | A Crime | Bill |
| 2006 | Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed | Uncle Sam |
| 2005 | Slow Burn | Desk Sgt. Drown |
| 2004 | A Jersey Tale | Alphonso "Chunks" Colon |
| 2004 | 13 Going on 30 | Mr. Flamhaff |
| 2002 | Auto Focus | Strip Club M.C. |
| 2002 | Changing Lanes | Judge Cosell |
| 2001 | Queenie in Love | Berthold |
| 2001 | 61* | Phil Rizzuto |
| 2000 | The Other Me | Conrad |
| 2000 | Looking for an Echo | Vic |
| 1999 | Switching Goals | Dave |
| 1999 | The Out-of-Towners | Arresting Cop |
| 1998 | The Deal | Boular |
| 1998 | The Naked Man | Koski |
| 1997 | Sunday | Scottie Elster |
| 1996 | One Fine Day | Manny Feldstein |
| 1996 | Shadow of a Doubt | Sidney Sherman |
| 1996 | Undue Influence | Clem |
| 1995 | Batman Forever | Bank Guard |
| 1995 | Two Bits | Uncle Joe |
| 1995 | Heavy | Leo |
| 1995 | Money Train | Riley |
| 1994 | The Hudsucker Proxy | Lou |
| 1994 | Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult | Director |
| 1994 | Natural Born Killers | Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka |
| 1994 | Jack Reed: A Search for Justice | Mike 'Gravedigger' Edwards |
| 1993 | Benny & Joon | Mike |
| 1993 | Household Saints | Frank Manzone |
| 1993 | Taking the Heat | Lou Valentine |
| 1992 | Primary Motive | Paul Melton |
| 1992 | Citizen Cohn | Gerald Walpin |
| 1991 | City of Hope | Pauly |
| 1990 | Presumed Innocent | Tommy Molto |
| 1989 | The Feud | Bud Bullard |
| 1989 | Chances Are | Omar |
| 1989 | Kojak: Ariana | Lieutenant Rastelli |
| 1989 | Perfect Witness | Breeze |
| 1988 | The Appointments of Dennis Jennings | Bartender |
| 1988 | Big Business | Desk Clerk |
| 1988 | The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | Foreman |
| 1987 | Matewan | Fausto |
| 1987 | Moonstruck | Shy Waiter |
| 1987 | Ironweed | Jack |
| 1986 | F/X | Mickey |
| 1986 | One Police Plaza | Insp. Nicolas Zambrano |
| 1985 | Brewster's Millions | J.B. Donaldo |
| 1985 | Bad Medicine | Gómez |
| 1984 | The Pope of Greenwich Village | Jimmy the Cheese Man |
| 1984 | The Flamingo Kid | Mario Minetta |
| 1984 | Splash | Manny |
| 1983 | Will There Really Be a Morning? | Wyler |
| 1982 | Still of the Night | Joseph Vitucci |
| 1982 | The Elephant Man | Pinhead Manager |
| 1981 | Honky Tonk Freeway | Osvaldo |
| 1981 | The Gentleman Bandit | Det. Esposito |
| 1980 | Hide in Plain Sight | Matty Stanek |
| 1979 | Something Short of Paradise | Barney Collins |
| 1978 | The Deer Hunter | Bandleader |
| 1978 | On the Yard | Morris |
| 1977 | Secret Service | Cpl. Matson |
| The 6th Annual Young Comedians | Self (Audience Member) (uncredited) |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | I Know This Much Is True | Steve Falice |
| 2019 | Evil | Lombino |
| 2018 | Lodge 49 | |
| 2018 | New Amsterdam | Lilo Steinhauser |
| 2017 | The Good Fight | Judge John Mata |
| 2016 | Bull | Judge Arlen Rand |
| 2016 | Bull | Judge Rand |
| 2012 | Elementary | Captain Moretti |
| 2009 | The Good Wife | Judge John Mata |
| 2008 | Canterbury's Law | |
| 2007 | The Bronx Is Burning | Yogi Berra |
| 2006 | Conviction | Judge Harrigan |
| 2003 | Hope & Faith | Leo |
| 2003 | Tarzan | Lieutenant Scott Connor |
| 2001 | Some of My Best Friends | Joe Zito |
| 2000 | Deadline | |
| 2000 | The Beat | Vince Marinelli |
| 1999 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Hashi Horowitz |
| 1997 | The Practice | Harry Papp |
| 1996 | Early Edition | Harry Hawks |
| 1996 | Remember WENN | Larry Looper |
| 1994 | Chicago Hope | |
| 1994 | ER | Tom Williams |
| 1993 | Moon Over Miami | |
| 1993 | Class of '96 | Joe Morrisey |
| 1992 | Sinatra | George Evans |
| 1990 | Law & Order | Ezra Gould |
| 1990 | WIOU | Tony Pro |
| 1990 | Law & Order | Defense Attorney James Linde |
| 1990 | Capital News | |
| 1988 | Roseanne | IRS Office Supervisor |
| 1986 | L.A. Law | Dominic Nuzzi |
| 1985 | Moonlighting | Kapatkin |
| 1985 | The Equalizer | Lt. Vocek |
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues | |
| 1971 | Great Performances | Cpl. Matson |