Joe Grifasi
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Hashi Horowitz
1999
Series
Law & Order
Ezra Gould
1990
Series
Law & Order
Defense Attorney James Linde
1990
Series
The Good Wife
Judge John Mata
2009
Series
Elementary
Captain Moretti
2012
Series
ER
Tom Williams
1994
Series
Chicago Hope
Larry Ruscetti
1994
Series
Great Performances
Cpl. Matson
1971
Series
The Practice
Harry Papp
1997
Series
Hill Street Blues
Ronnie Delacroce
1981
Series
The Good Fight
Judge John Mata
2017
Series
L.A. Law
Dominic Nuzzi
1986
Series
Bull
Judge Arlen Rand
2016
Series
Bull
Judge Rand
2016
Series
Matlock
Hot Dog Vendor
1986
Series
New Amsterdam
Lilo Steinhauser
2018
Series
American Playhouse
Bud Bullard
1982
Series
Evil
Lombino
2019
Series
The Equalizer
Lt. Vocek
1985
Series
Moonlighting
Kapatkin
1985
Series
Early Edition
Harry Hawks
1996
Film
Batman Forever
Bank Guard
1995
Series
Hope & Faith
Leo
2003
Film
Natural Born Killers
Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka
1994
Film
13 Going on 30
Mr. Flamhaff
2004
Film
The Deer Hunter
Bandleader
1978
Series
Conviction
Judge Harrigan
2006
Film
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Foreman
1988
Series
Lodge 49
Burt
2018
Series
Remember WENN
Larry Looper
1996
Film
Money Train
Riley
1995
Series
I Know This Much Is True
Steve Falice
2020
Series
Deadline
Mike Phelan
2000
Film
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
Director
1994
Film
Presumed Innocent
Tommy Molto
1990
Series
Roseanne
IRS Office Supervisor
1988
Film
F/X
Mickey
1986
Film
Brewster's Millions
J.B. Donaldo
1985
Series
The Beat
Vince Marinelli
2000
Film
The Hudsucker Proxy
Lou
1994
Film
Changing Lanes
Judge Cosell
2002
Film
Splash
Manny
1984
Series
The Bronx Is Burning
Yogi Berra
2007
Series
Tarzan
Lieutenant Scott Connor
2003
Series
Class of '96
Joe Morrisey
1993
Series
Capital News
1990
Film
Moonstruck
Shy Waiter
1987
Series
WIOU
Tony Pro
1990
Film
One Fine Day
Manny Feldstein
1996
Series
Moon Over Miami
1993
Film
The Out-of-Towners
Arresting Cop
1999
Film
The Flamingo Kid
Mario Minetta
1984
Film
Benny & Joon
Mike
1993
Series
Undue Influence
Clem
1996
Film
Chances Are
Omar
1989
Series
Canterbury's Law
2008
Film
Still of the Night
Joseph Vitucci
1982
Series
Some of My Best Friends
Joe Zito
2001
Film
Big Business
Desk Clerk
1988
Film
Radium Girls
Grandpa
2020
Film
Matewan
Fausto
1987
Film
Auto Focus
Strip Club M.C.
2002
Film
Switching Goals
Dave
1999
Series
Sinatra
George Evans
1992
Film
City of Hope
Pauly
1991
Film
The Pope of Greenwich Village
Jimmy the Cheese Man
1984
Film
The Other Me
Conrad
2000
Film
A Crime
Bill
2006
Film
Slow Burn
Desk Sgt. Drown
2005
Film
Ironweed
Jack
1987
Film
Honky Tonk Freeway
Osvaldo
1981
Film
Two Bits
Uncle Joe
1995
Film
61*
Phil Rizzuto
2001
Film
Bad Medicine
Gómez
1985
Film
Hide in Plain Sight
Matty Stanek
1980
Film
Will There Really Be a Morning?
Wyler
1983
Film
The Gentleman Bandit
Det. Esposito
1981
Film
Household Saints
Frank Manzone
1993
Film
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Peter Quince
2014
Film
The American Side
The Serb
2016
Film
The Naked Man
Koski
1998
Film
Baked in Brooklyn
David's Dad
2016
Film
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
Bartender
1988
Film
On the Yard
Morris
1978
Film
The Front
Mr. Zeffirelli
2010
Film
Heavy
Leo
1995
Film
Something Short of Paradise
Barney Collins
1979
Film
Looking for an Echo
Vic
2000
Film
Tornado
Rich
2024
Film
Queenie in Love
Berthold
2001
Film
No Pay, Nudity
Mr. Davenport
2016
The 6th Annual Young Comedians
Self (Audience Member) (uncredited)
1981
Shadow of a Doubt
Sidney Sherman
1996
Film
Taking the Heat
Lou Valentine
1993
Film
The Deal
Boular
1998
Film
Citizen Cohn
Gerald Walpin
1992
Film
Sunday
Scottie Elster
1997
Film
Perfect Witness
Breeze
1989
Film
A Jersey Tale
Alphonso "Chunks" Colon
2004
Film
Kojak: Ariana
Lieutenant Rastelli
1989
Film
Me To Play
Himself
2021
Film
The Last New Yorker
Jerry
2010
Film
The Elephant Man
Pinhead Manager
1982
Film
Primary Motive
Paul Melton
1992
Film
Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed
Uncle Sam
2006
Film
One Police Plaza
Insp. Nicolas Zambrano
1986
Film
Secret Service
Cpl. Matson
1977
Film
The Feud
Bud Bullard
1989
Film
Jack Reed: A Search for Justice
1994
Film
The Dreams of Rene Sendam
Dr. Bradley
2022
Film
Endgame
Nagg
2023