Actor, Former Chicago Cop Dennis Farina Dies
July 22, 2013


Dennis Farina, a former Chicago police officer turned actor, has died, the Associated Press is reporting.

He was 69 years old.



Farina, who was born in Chicago on February 29, 1944, was best know for his role as detective Joe Fontana on NBC's "Law & Order".

According to IMDb, Farina starred in at least 75 movies or television series.



* Update: Lori De Waal, his representative, says Farina died Monday morning in a Scottsdale, Ariz., hospital after suffering a blood clot in his lung.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/07/22/actor-former-chicago-cop-dennis-farina-dies/

Just read this. So sad. I much preferred Robert Stack on UM but thought Farina did a nice job regardless. :(

That's sad news. He seemed like a great guy. :(

Surprising to hear. He seemed to be a healthy guy. Even though he got a bad rap from being on the bad version of Unsolved Mysteries, he was a solid character actor and I'll always remember him in Little Big League.

RIP

:( I'll always remember him on Law & Order. I loved his character.

R.I.P

R.I.P - I enjoyed him on Law & Order.

I was so sorry to read that he'd died. I liked him on Law and Order and thought he did a good job on UM too. Nobody was going to be able to do it as well as Robert Stack, but I still felt like he cared about the cases and wanted to see them solved.

I saw heard the news, so sad. :(

RIP Dennis Farina.

Came here as soon as I read this.

RIP



Unsolved Mysteries failed Dennis Farina. Farina could have potentially been a good host for the series (even if he wasn't going to match Robert Stack) but the producers for some reason instead of looking for new unsolved cases to show and to try to re create the creepy atmosphere of the original series. They decided to just re do the old cases and MTV ize the series. What a shame

This is definitely sad news. I didn't see it coming. Rest in peace, Dennis. :(

R.I.P. Mr. Farina.

I still remember him on Law & Order. He was awesome.

RIP



Unsolved Mysteries failed Dennis Farina. Farina could have potentially been a good host for the series (even if he wasn't going to match Robert Stack) but the producers for some reason instead of looking for new unsolved cases to show and to try to re create the creepy atmosphere of the original series. They decided to just re do the old cases and MTV ize the series. What a shame

Completely agreed. Hard enough to follow a legend, but Cosgrove Muerer had to mess up a good thing. It was like trying to have Babe Ruth's successor play in football gear. Dennis Farina was one of the classiest acts in showbiz and he deserved better for his last major role.

R.I.P. Dennis
You will be missed

RIP



Unsolved Mysteries failed Dennis Farina. Farina could have potentially been a good host for the series (even if he wasn't going to match Robert Stack) but the producers for some reason instead of looking for new unsolved cases to show and to try to re create the creepy atmosphere of the original series. They decided to just re do the old cases and MTV ize the series. What a shame

Completely agreed. Hard enough to follow a legend, but Cosgrove Muerer had to mess up a good thing. It was like trying to have Babe Ruth's successor play in football gear. Dennis Farina was one of the classiest acts in showbiz and he deserved better for his last major role.

RIP



Unsolved Mysteries failed Dennis Farina. Farina could have potentially been a good host for the series (even if he wasn't going to match Robert Stack) but the producers for some reason instead of looking for new unsolved cases to show and to try to re create the creepy atmosphere of the original series. They decided to just re do the old cases and MTV ize the series. What a shame

Completely agreed. Hard enough to follow a legend, but Cosgrove Muerer had to mess up a good thing. It was like trying to have Babe Ruth's successor play in football gear. Dennis Farina was one of the classiest acts in showbiz and he deserved better for his last major role.

Completely agreed. Hard enough to follow a legend, but Cosgrove Muerer had to mess up a good thing. It was like trying to have Babe Ruth's successor play in football gear. Dennis Farina was one of the classiest acts in showbiz and he deserved better for his last major role.

Well *now* we know Unsolved Mysteries isn't coming back...

I enjoyed him very much as an actor on Law & Order. Sorry to hear he has passed.

Genuinely saddened to hear this news.

Loved him as an actor, particularly his small but not insignificant role in the excellent Midnight Run.

Rest in peace, Dennis.

I always think of him as Angelo Buono, portraying one of the Hillside Stranglers. That TV movie debuted in the late '80s era when true crime shows were surging in popularity, partially helped by Unsolved Mysteries.

He was so convincing in that role I'm not sure his DNA shouldn't be sampled, just in case.

I myself would not watch the "new" UM, once my Robert died, there could be no more new Unsolved Mysteries. So I was not a fan of his. However, he was a nice guy, probably did an ok job with the new UM, and I hope he rests in peace.
Please tell Bobert I said hello, and that I miss him for me Dennis!

As many problems as I had with the reboot of UM, I felt Mr. Farina did the best he could with his hosting duties and I was always a huge fan of him as an actor.

My favourite roles of his were probably Ray Bones in "Get Shorty" and Jimmy Serrano in "Midnight Run". Even though, by all accounts, he was a great guy in real life, he was really good at playing obnoxious jerks!

R.I.P.

It wasn't Farina's fault they decided to make a crappy version of Unsolved Mysteries. I don't know anyone who liked the new version, but it wasn't because of Dennis Farina.

Very sad to hear of his death, may he rest in peace.

I appreciate what Farina did for Unsolved Mysteries.

I've always felt like the producers handicapped him. I know some will always believe that UM was just a weekend gig for Farina, but I believe that he signed wanting to become the next Robert Stack (UM) or William Shatner (Rescue 911). I don't think he agreed to do the show and just dub Stack's lines. They could have updated some of the stories that would still have particular interest, or had become legends by this point, but Farina was a big enough name that he deserved to have his own episodes produced and put his stamp on UM history. Maybe some new episodes were made and we just haven't seen them yet? I won't completely rule out that Farina was behind a lot of the changes and just didn't understand the UM fan base, but I think he was old enough to appreciate the opportunity and probably realized he was getting an existing fan base that would always compare him to a legend.

I wonder what will happen to Unsolved Mysteries now? Maybe C-M can find a new host and return some of the things we all loved about UM (theme music) and the show can continue. All that the show needs is a host with a serious voice, the signature theme music (most of them from the original series), and new cases. The acting in the segments has always been.. let's say.. questionable :p

I really hope Farina's death spurs C-M to restart the series. Let's get the Kickstarter campaign underway.

Holy crap! It's really a good thing that Elizabeth Meriwether and her production company wrote his character off of "New Girl," unless they had plans for him in another flashback scene.

And the same age as Jerry Orbach too.

:(

I don't know how my post got posted multiple times, but hopefully this will make up a little for the mistake.

Dennis Farina played Ray Bones in Get Shorty, a brilliant little movie based on an Elmore Leonard novel. If you haven't seen it, do it as soon as possible. Now, even with great actors like John Travolta, Danny DeVito, and (the also recently deceased) James Gandolfini in the movie, Farina totally steals the movie. His character is funny, menacing, real, and cartoonish, sometimes all at the same time.

just saw this as well. had no idea he was sick. r.i.p.

Really sad to think that all 4 people who hosted UM are now dead. :(

He was so convincing in that role I'm not sure his DNA shouldn't be sampled, just in case.

that's a lame joke, even by your low standards.

RIP, Dennis Farina. I'm very sorry to hear about his death. I think he was a good host for UM.

I loved him in snatch. I liked his UM narration too. Sad

Very sorry to hear this news. May he :rip:.

Awww, I'm sorry to hear this. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

I loved him in snatch.

Me too, he was great.

"Anything to declare?"

"Yeah, don't go to England." :)

What terrible news :(

I've never seen the Robert Stack version of UM - I live in the UK and we only get the Farina version - so I can't compare the two hosts/versions.

What I can say however is that I thought Dennis was a good host and what a wonderful voice! I'll really miss him. RIP.

I thought Dennis did a decent job hosting, yeah he was not as good as Robert Stack but Dennis did the best he could

He will be missed

Just saw this. I always thought Farina did an admirable job with the show and am saddened to hear of his untimely passing.

Really sad to think that all 4 people who hosted UM are now dead. :(

That is depressing :(

I don't know how my post got posted multiple times, but hopefully this will make up a little for the mistake.

Dennis Farina played Ray Bones in Get Shorty, a brilliant little movie based on an Elmore Leonard novel. If you haven't seen it, do it as soon as possible. Now, even with great actors like John Travolta, Danny DeVito, and (the also recently deceased) James Gandolfini in the movie, Farina totally steals the movie. His character is funny, menacing, real, and cartoonish, sometimes all at the same time.

Don't forget that Farina also played Jack Crawford in Manhunter, the first Hannibal Lector movie (released in 1986, with Brian Cox as Hannibal Lector). His role was later played by Scott Glenn and Harvey Keitel in Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon, respectively.

RIP Dennis. You were a great actor. I had no idea he was 69!

that's a lame joke, even by your low standards.

You're trying too hard to find a joke, when it's not there.

Baffled was always your specialty.

You're trying too hard to find a joke, when it's not there.

Baffled was always your specialty.

Wiseguy looks to stir **** in almost every thread, so nothing new there.

Lets stay on topic which in this case is to talk about Dennis Farina.

Well *now* we know Unsolved Mysteries isn't coming back...

Gah, could you be any more of a defeatist? Just because Farina is dead doesn't mean they're incapable of hiring someone else. Post something positive for a change.

RIP Dennis. You were a great actor. I had no idea he was 69!
That's the exact same age Mr. Farina's L&O predecessor Jerry Orbach was when he passed. :eek:

Was sorry to hear about this. :(

Rest in Peace Dennis, undoubtedly a great actor and person. As the son of a former police officer, I salute you.

The first thing I remember seeing him in was Police Story, which had the Del Shannon song "Runaway" as its opening theme. In 1997, he did a funny bit on Jay Leno where they were "writing" a crime novel. Hilarious. :lol:

Link (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-usa-people-farina-20130722,0,1458000.story)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dennis Farina, the actor best known for his role as a tough-talking detective in the NBC television crime drama "Law & Order," was being treated for lung cancer when he died earlier this week, his doctor said on Wednesday.

The former Chicago cop who turned to acting and found fame playing mobsters and policemen in films and on TV died from a blood clot in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday at the age of 69.

His cardiologist, Dr. Marc A. Kates, said the actor had suffered a recurrence of a cancer that had been diagnosed 13 years ago.

"Over the last several months, he unfortunately experienced a recurrence of the cancer which was being treated. Despite treatment, over the weekend, a blood clot developed in Mr. Farina's lung which unexpectedly and suddenly took his life," Kates, said in a statement released by the actor's publicist.

Farina is survived by three sons, six grandchildren and his partner of 35 years, Marianne Cahill.

The Chicago-born actor started his film career in 1981 in the Michael Mann movie "Thief" and went on to play mobsters in the 1988 comic action-adventure "Midnight Run," starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, and in the 1995 gangster satire "Get Shorty," with John Travolta and Gene Hackman.

From 1986 to 1988 he appeared in the NBC television series "Crime Story," portraying Lieutenant Mike Torello, head of the Chicago Police Department's organized crime unit.

His role on "Law & Order," from 2004-06 also drew on his real-life experience a policeman with his character on the show, Joe Fontana, landing in the New York Police Department via Chicago.

Farina's final starring role was in the short-lived HBO TV mob and horse-racing drama "Luck," opposite Dustin Hoffman. The critically acclaimed series was canceled after its first season due to the death of three horses during production.

Gah, could you be any more of a defeatist? Just because Farina is dead doesn't mean they're incapable of hiring someone else. Post something positive for a change.

I believe the moderator asked you to stick to Farina and stop with the personal attacks on people :)

I believe the moderator asked you to stick to Farina and stop with the personal attacks on people :)

Yea, lets just move on from this. Its not like it was Stack, just move on people

I believe the moderator asked you to stick to Farina and stop with the personal attacks on people :)

Here is her direct quote:

"Lets stay on topic which in this case is to talk about Dennis Farina"

my next post was this:

"Gah, could you be any more of a defeatist? Just because Farina is dead doesn't mean they're incapable of hiring someone else. Post something positive for a change."

I mentioned Farina. Which is on-topic. Pretty hilarious that YOU would inform ME to stop with the "personal attacks" when the one doing it was you. Here is your direct quote:

"Wiseguy looks to stir **** in almost every thread, so nothing new there."

Being that I post in a mere fraction of the threads on here, your statement is automatically false.

Somebody made a horrible joke about Farina, stating that Farina, a former police officer who is now deceased, should be investigated for possibly being one of the Hillside Stranglers. It was a very tasteless joke and I called the person out on it. Do you care to defend his "joke"?

But I guess I should expect such behavior from somebody who makes such statements as "nobody cares about missing people anymore" and "reminds me of UM's ultimate failure." and other such similar nonsense. You're a defeatist. :)

Most of your comments on here are swipes at Cosgrove-Meurer, trying to argue that they don't care about people. God, if that's true, why did they produce the show for 15 years?

Any posts on this thread that are not about Dennis Farina or UM will now be deleted or edited by me. Grow up people!! :rolleyes:

RIP Loved him in Crime Story, Midnight Run and Snatch.

I too was saddened, and shocked, to hear of Dennis Farina's passing. He may have been 69, but he still died too early. 26 years of UM (up until now) were fortunate to have been graced by Burr, Malden, Stack and Farina, four men of real class.

(Ironically, Burr, Stack and Farina all passed away in ten year intervals, starting in 1993).

My memories of him were from the short-lived CBS comedy "Buddy Faro" back in 1998 and on UM. He was great on Buddy Faro and I felt was the best choice for UM coming back with redone stores. True, he had very big shoes to fill, but with Robert Stack being gone, I don't think anyone could have done better on the show as a replacement on the redone stories. Especially when faced with the psychedelic/MTV-style reproductions complete with sound effects whenever someone's name came on the screen.

It is truly sad that all four hosts are now gone, and seems to mark the end of an era, even if we can watch reruns of the show. RIP.

I'd forgotten about Buddy Faro!!! That's right, he was on that show. Too bad it didn't last longer.

Just read this. So sad. I much preferred Robert Stack on UM but thought Farina did a nice job regardless. :(

Farina did a good job given what he had to work with. Sad to see that he passed away at such a young age.

I'd forgotten about Buddy Faro!!! That's right, he was on that show. Too bad it didn't last longer.

I remember that show when it was on the air, as well as the CBS promos for it. Although I never watched Buddy Faro, I know that it only ran for nearly three months in 1998. Only 13 episodes were filmed, five of which were never broadcast.

In case it hasn't already been mentioned here, Farina was the first of three actors to play Jack Crawford in the Hannibal Lector movie series. He played the role in the 1986 film Manhunter, co-starring Brian Cox (as Hannibal Lector) and William Petersen (in a pre-CSI role). The role was later played by Scott Glenn and Harvey Keitel in Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon, respectively. (The latter was both a remake of Manhunter and a prequel to SOTL.)

I remember that show when it was on the air, as well as the CBS promos for it. Although I never watched Buddy Faro, I know that it only ran for nearly three months in 1998. Only 13 episodes were filmed, five of which were never broadcast.

In case it hasn't already been mentioned here, Farina was the first of three actors to play Jack Crawford in the Hannibal Lector movie series. He played the role in the 1986 film Manhunter, co-starring Brian Cox (as Hannibal Lector) and William Petersen (in a pre-CSI role). The role was later played by Scott Glenn and Harvey Keitel in Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon, respectively. (The latter was both a remake of Manhunter and a prequel to SOTL.)
I wonder if Buddy Faro will ever get a DVD release. A lot of shows that ran shorter than 13 episodes have gotten DVD releases!!

I just found out he died. (bleep).
Sad.

:rip:

Wow just heard about this R.I.P Dennis Farina.

So very sad. I loved him in Crime Story. That was a show that didn't last as long as it should have. He was also a great character actor. R.I.P. Dennis. :(

I wonder if Buddy Faro will ever get a DVD release. A lot of shows that ran shorter than 13 episodes have gotten DVD releases!!

That's true, but unfortunately there are apparently no plans to release BF on DVD anytime soon. This is not to say that it may never be released on DVD; there just doesn't seem to be a huge demand for it. However, one can always start a campaign to try and make it happen.

:idea: