
About
Joe Grifasi
Overview
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
Acting |
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2023 | Endgame | Actor | Nagg | N/A N/A |
2022 | The Dreams of Rene Sendam | Actor | Dr. Bradley | 58 Average |
2021 | Me To Play | Actor | Himself | N/A N/A |
2020 | Radium Girls | Actor | Grandpa | 59 Average |
2016 | No Pay, Nudity | Actor | Mr. Davenport | 58 Average |
2016 | Baked in Brooklyn | Actor | David's Dad | 57 Average |
2016 | The American Side | Actor | The Serb | 57 Average |
2014 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Actor | Peter Quince | 59 Average |
2010 | The Front | Actor | Mr. Zeffirelli | 58 Average |
2010 | The Last New Yorker | Actor | Jerry | 58 Average |
2007 | The Bronx Is Burning | Actor | Yogi Berra | 69 Fair |
2006 | A Crime | Actor | Bill | 58 Average |
2006 | Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed | Actor | Uncle Sam | 59 Average |
2005 | Slow Burn | Actor | Desk Sgt. Drown | 57 Average |
2004 | A Jersey Tale | Actor | Alphonso "Chunks" Colon | N/A N/A |
2004 | 13 Going on 30 | Actor | Mr. Flamhaff | 67 Fair |
2002 | Auto Focus | Actor | Strip Club M.C. | 60 Fair |
2002 | Changing Lanes | Actor | Judge Cosell | 61 Fair |
2001 | Queenie in Love | Actor | Berthold | 58 Average |
2001 | 61* | Actor | Phil Rizzuto | 61 Fair |
2000 | Looking for an Echo | Actor | Vic | 58 Average |
2000 | The Other Me | Actor | Conrad | 58 Average |
1999 | Switching Goals | Actor | Dave | 58 Average |
1999 | The Out-of-Towners | Actor | Arresting Cop | 58 Average |
1998 | The Naked Man | Actor | Koski | 58 Average |
1998 | The Deal | Actor | Boular | 59 Average |
1997 | Sunday | Actor | Scottie Elster | 58 Average |
1996 | One Fine Day | Actor | Manny Feldstein | 61 Fair |
1996 | Shadow of a Doubt | Actor | Sidney Sherman | 58 Average |
1996 | Undue Influence | Actor | Clem | 59 Average |
1995 | Heavy | Actor | Leo | 59 Average |
1995 | Money Train | Actor | Riley | 58 Average |
1995 | Two Bits | Actor | Uncle Joe | 58 Average |
1995 | Batman Forever | Actor | Bank Guard | 54 Average |
1994 | Jack Reed: A Search for Justice | Actor | Mike 'Gravedigger' Edwards | 58 Average |
1994 | Natural Born Killers | Actor | Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka | 69 Fair |
1994 | Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult | Actor | Director | 63 Fair |
1994 | The Hudsucker Proxy | Actor | Lou | 66 Fair |
1993 | Household Saints | Actor | Frank Manzone | 58 Average |
1993 | Taking the Heat | Actor | Lou Valentine | 58 Average |
1993 | Benny & Joon | Actor | Mike | 65 Fair |
1992 | Sinatra | Actor | George Evans | 70 Good |
1992 | Citizen Cohn | Actor | Gerald Walpin | 58 Average |
1992 | Primary Motive | Actor | Paul Melton | 59 Average |
1991 | City of Hope | Actor | Pauly | 59 Average |
1990 | WIOU | Actor | Tony Pro | N/A N/A |
1990 | Presumed Innocent | Actor | Tommy Molto | 64 Fair |
1989 | Kojak: Ariana | Actor | Lieutenant Rastelli | 58 Average |
1989 | Perfect Witness | Actor | Breeze | 58 Average |
1989 | The Feud | Actor | Bud Bullard | 58 Average |
1989 | Chances Are | Actor | Omar | 61 Fair |
1988 | The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | Actor | Foreman | 71 Good |
1988 | The Appointments of Dennis Jennings | Actor | Bartender | 59 Average |
1988 | Big Business | Actor | Desk Clerk | 60 Fair |
1987 | Ironweed | Actor | Jack | 59 Average |
1987 | Moonstruck | Actor | Shy Waiter | 65 Fair |
1987 | Matewan | Actor | Fausto | 61 Fair |
1986 | One Police Plaza | Actor | Insp. Nicolas Zambrano | N/A N/A |
1986 | F/X | Actor | Mickey | 62 Fair |
1985 | Bad Medicine | Actor | Gómez | 58 Average |
1985 | Brewster's Millions | Actor | J.B. Donaldo | 62 Fair |
1984 | The Flamingo Kid | Actor | Mario Minetta | 59 Average |
1984 | The Pope of Greenwich Village | Actor | Jimmy the Cheese Man | 59 Average |
1984 | Splash | Actor | Manny | 61 Fair |
1983 | Will There Really Be a Morning? | Actor | Wyler | 59 Average |
1982 | Still of the Night | Actor | Joseph Vitucci | 58 Average |
1982 | The Elephant Man | Actor | Pinhead Manager | 59 Average |
1981 | Honky Tonk Freeway | Actor | Osvaldo | 58 Average |
1981 | The Gentleman Bandit | Actor | Det. Esposito | 58 Average |
1980 | Hide in Plain Sight | Actor | Matty Stanek | 58 Average |
1979 | Something Short of Paradise | Actor | Barney Collins | 58 Average |
1978 | The Deer Hunter | Actor | Bandleader | 77 Good |
1978 | On the Yard | Actor | Morris | 58 Average |
1977 | Secret Service | Actor | Cpl. Matson | N/A N/A |