Joseph G. Grifasi (born June 14, 1944) is an American

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

of film, stage and television. Grifasi was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, the son of Patricia (née Gaglione) and Joseph J. Grifasi, a skilled laborer. Grifasi graduated from Bishop Fallon High School, a now-defunct Roman Catholic high school in Buffalo, when he made the decision that he wanted to be, not just any old actor, but a character actor.Joe Grifasi on ''The Deer Hunter'' and ''No Pay, and Nudity''
/ref> Grifasi has played two

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

elected to the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

Phil Rizzuto Philip Francis Rizzuto (September 25, 1917 – August 13, 2007), nicknamed "The Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career with the New York Yankees (1941–1956), and was elected to th ...

in '' 61*'', set in 1961; and

Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball ...

in '' The Bronx Is Burning'', set in 1977. Grifasi has played defense attorney, later Superior Court Judge, Hashi Horowitz on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' between 2005 and 2018.

Filmography

* '' On the Yard'' (1978) - Morris * ''

The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, Chr ...

'' (1978) - Bandleader * ''

Something Short of Paradise Something Short of Paradise is a 1979 American romantic comedy film directed by David Helpern from a screenplay by Fred Barron. It stars Susan Sarandon and David Steinberg. Plot Madeleine Ross (Susan Sarandon) is a journalist, and her boyfriend ...

'' (1979) - Barney Collins * ''

Hide in Plain Sight ''Hide in Plain Sight'' is a 1980 American drama (film and television), drama film directed by and starring James Caan with the storyline based on an actual case from the files of New York attorney Salvatore R. Martoche who represented Tom Leonard, ...

'' (1980) - Matty Stanek * ''

Honky Tonk Freeway ''Honky Tonk Freeway'' is a 1981 American-British comedy film directed by John Schlesinger. The film, conceived and co-produced by Don Boyd, was one of the most expensive box office bombs in history, losing its British backers Thorn EMI between ...

'' (1981) - Osvaldo * '' Still of the Night'' (1982) - Joseph Vitucci * ''

Splash Splash or Splash! or The Splash may refer to: Common meanings * Splash (fluid mechanics), sudden disturbances on the surface of water Entertainment * ''Splash'' (film), a 1984 fantasy film starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah ** ''Splash, Too'' ...

'' (1984) - Manny * ''

The Pope of Greenwich Village ''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' is a 1984 American crime black comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Geraldine Page, Kenneth McMillan and Burt Young. Page was nominated for the Academ ...

'' (1984) - Jimmy the Cheese Man * ''

The Flamingo Kid ''The Flamingo Kid'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Michael Phillips. It stars Matt Dillon, Richard Crenna, Héctor Elizondo and Jessica Walter. The film tells the story of a working class boy w ...

'' (1984) - Mario Minetta * '' Brewster's Millions'' (1985) - J.B. Donaldo * '' Bad Medicine'' (1985) - Gómez * '' F/X'' (1986) - Mickey * ''

Matewan ''Matewan'' () is a 1987 American drama film written and directed by John Sayles, and starring Chris Cooper (in his film debut), James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell and Will Oldham, with David Strathairn, Kevin Tighe and Gordon Clapp in suppor ...

'' (1987) - Fausto * ''

Moonstruck ''Moonstruck'' is a 1987 American romantic comedy-drama film directed and co-produced by Norman Jewison, written by John Patrick Shanley, and starring Cher, Nicolas Cage, Danny Aiello, Olympia Dukakis, and Vincent Gardenia. The film follows Lor ...

'' (1987) - Shy Waiter * '' Ironweed'' (1987) - Jack * ''

Big Business Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly ...

'' (1988) - Desk Clerk * ''

The Appointments of Dennis Jennings ''The Appointments of Dennis Jennings'' is a 1988 American short comedy film, starring, co-written and co-produced by Steven Wright, which won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film at the 61st Academy Awards in 1988. Plot Dennis Jennings (S ...

'' (1988) - Bartender * '' The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!'' (1988) - Foreman * ''

Beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...

'' (1988) - Otto Titsling * '' Chances Are'' (1989) - Omar * ''The Feud'' (1989) - Bud Bullard * '' Presumed Innocent'' (1990) - Tommy Molto * '' City of Hope'' (1991) - Pauly * ''

Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

'' (1992) ( TV) - George Evans * ''Primary Motive'' (1992) - Paul Melton * ''

Citizen Cohn ''Citizen Cohn'' is a 1992 cable film covering the life of Joseph McCarthy's controversial chief counsel Roy Cohn. James Woods, who starred as Cohn, was nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance. ''Citizen Cohn'' also st ...

'' (1992) ( TV) - Gerald Walpin * ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'' (1993-1994) ( TV) * ''

Taking the Heat ''Taking the Heat'' is a 1993 American romantic thriller film that premiered on Showtime. Directed by Tom Mankiewicz and written by Dan Gordon from a story by Gary Hoffman, the film followed a female cop and a murder witness as they try to avoid ...

'' (1993) ( TV) - Lou Valentine * ''

Benny & Joon ''Benny & Joon'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about how two eccentric individuals, Sam ( Johnny Depp) and Juniper "Joon" (Mary Stuart Masterson), find each other and fall in love. Aidan Quinn also s ...

'' (1993) - Mike * ''

Household Saints ''Household Saints'' is a 1993 film starring Tracey Ullman, Vincent D'Onofrio and Lili Taylor. It is based on the novel by Francine Prose and directed by Nancy Savoca. The film explores the lives of three generations of Italian-American women ov ...

'' (1993) - Frank Manzone * ''

The Hudsucker Proxy ''The Hudsucker Proxy'' is a 1994 screwball comedy film co-written, produced, and directed by the Coen brothers. Sam Raimi co-wrote the script and served as second unit director. The film stars Tim Robbins as a naïve but ambitious business scho ...

'' (1994) - Lou * '' Naked Gun : The Final Insult'' (1994) - Director * ''

Natural Born Killers ''Natural Born Killers'' is a 1994 American crime film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims of traumatic childho ...

'' (1994) - Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka * ''

Heavy Heavy may refer to: Measures * Heavy (aeronautics), a term used by pilots and air traffic controllers to refer to aircraft capable of 300,000 lbs or more takeoff weight * Heavy, a characterization of objects with substantial weight * Heavy, ...

'' (1995) - Leo * '' Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventure'' (1995) - Man in Top Hat * ''

Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment of W ...

'' (1995) - Bank Guard * ''

Two Bits ''Two Bits'' is a 1995 American drama film directed by James Foley and starring Al Pacino, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Jerry Barone. It was written by Joseph Stefano, who considered the film a personal project, with a semi-biographical stor ...

'' (1995) - Uncle Joe * ''

Money Train A money train is one or more railcars used to collect cash fare revenue from stations on a subway system and return it to a central location for processing. This train was typically used to carry money bags guarded by transit police to deter ...

'' (1995) - Riley * '' One Fine Day'' (1996) - Manny Feldstein * ''

Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...

'' (1997) - Scottie Elster * '' The Naked Man'' (1998) - Koski * '' The Out-of-Towners'' (1999) - Arresting Cop * ''

Switching Goals ''Switching Goals'' is a 1999 television film directed by David Steinberg and starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Plot Thirteen-year-old twin sisters Sam and Emma Stanton are opposites growing up in Evansville. Sam is a star soccer player and a ...

'' (1999) ( TV) - Dave * '' The Other Me'' (2000) ( TV) - Conrad * ''

Looking for an Echo ''Looking for an Echo'' is 2000 independent drama film. Plot The lead singer of an oldies group reminisces about the good ol' days and a potential comeback. Cast * Armand Assante as Vinnie Pirelli **Rick Faugno as Young Vinnie Pirelli * Diane ...

'' (2000) - Vic * '' 61*'' (2001) ( TV) - Phil Rizzuto * ''Queenie in Love'' (2001) - Berthold * ''

Changing Lanes ''Changing Lanes'' is a 2002 American drama thriller film directed by Roger Michell and starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. The film follows a successful, young Wall Street lawyer (Affleck) who accidentally crashes his car into a vehicle ...

'' (2002) - Judge Cosell * ''

Auto Focus ''Auto Focus'' is a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by Paul Schrader and starring Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe. The screenplay by Michael Gerbosi is based on Robert Graysmith's book ''The Murder of Bob Crane'' (1993). ''Auto Focus ...

'' (2002) - Strip Club M.C. * ''Bought & Sold'' (2003) - Alphonso 'Chunks' Colon * '' 13 Going on 30'' (2004) - Mr. Flamhaff * '' Slow Burn'' (2005) - Desk Sgt. Drown * ''

A Crime ''A Crime'' (French title: ''Un crime'') is a 2006 thriller film directed by Manuel Pradal, written by Pradal and Tonino Benacquista, and starring Emmanuelle Béart. The film unfolds the story of Vincent (Norman Reedus) who looks for his wife's ...

'' (2006) - BIll * ''

Creating Karma ''Creating Karma'' is a 2006 American screwball comedy film directed by Jill Wisoff about an uptight, New York fashion editor who becomes a poet after losing her job, moving in with her eccentric new-age therapist sister, and meeting Mr. Wrong, o ...

'' (2006) - Prighorn * ''

Dark Matter Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...

'' (2007) - Professor Colby * '' The Last New Yorker'' (2007) - Jerry * ''

Under New Management ''Under New Management'', also known as ''Honeymoon Hotel'', is a 1946 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Nat Jackley, Norman Evans and Dan Young. The screenplay concerns a chimney sweep inherits a hotel and calls on ...

'' (2009) - Msgr. Tranni * ''Othello'' (2012) - Brabantio * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (2014) - Peter Quince * '' The American Side'' (2016) - The Serb * '' Baked in Brooklyn'' (2016) - David's Dad * ''

No Pay, Nudity ''No Pay, Nudity'' is a 2016 American comedy drama film starring Gabriel Byrne. Cast *Gabriel Byrne as Lawrence Rose *Frances Conroy as Andrea *Donna Murphy as Pearl *Nathan Lane as Herschel * Valerie Mahaffey as Lisa * J. Smith-Cameron as Debra ...

'' (2016) - Mr. Davenport

References

External links

* *
Joe Grifasi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grifasi, Joe 1944 births American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Living people Male actors from Buffalo, New York American people of Italian descent Yale School of Drama alumni Canisius College alumni

Filmography

See also

References

External links