Joe Grifasi

Joe Grifasi

Acting
Born 1944-06-14Buffalo - New York - USA

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.

Movies (72)

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
6.5

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult

1994Movie6.5
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
7.3

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

1988Movie7.3
Batman Forever
5.5

Batman Forever

1995Movie5.5
13 Going on 30
6.8

13 Going on 30

2004Movie6.8
The Deer Hunter
8.0

The Deer Hunter

1978Movie8.0
Natural Born Killers
7.1

Natural Born Killers

1994Movie7.1
Moonstruck
6.8

Moonstruck

1987Movie6.8
Money Train
5.9

Money Train

1995Movie5.9
Brewster's Millions
6.6

Brewster's Millions

1985Movie6.6
Changing Lanes
6.3

Changing Lanes

2002Movie6.3
Splash
6.3

Splash

1984Movie6.3
Benny & Joon
7.0

Benny & Joon

1993Movie7.0
The Hudsucker Proxy
7.1

The Hudsucker Proxy

1994Movie7.1
Presumed Innocent
6.8

Presumed Innocent

1990Movie6.8
F/X
6.6

F/X

1986Movie6.6
Auto Focus
6.4

Auto Focus

2002Movie6.4
Big Business
6.4

Big Business

1988Movie6.4
Chances Are
6.6

Chances Are

1989Movie6.6
One Fine Day
6.5

One Fine Day

1996Movie6.5
Honky Tonk Freeway
5.4

Honky Tonk Freeway

1981Movie5.4
Matewan
7.4

Matewan

1987Movie7.4
The Flamingo Kid
6.0

The Flamingo Kid

1984Movie6.0
Slow Burn
5.4

Slow Burn

2005Movie5.4
The Pope of Greenwich Village
6.4

The Pope of Greenwich Village

1984Movie6.4
Switching Goals
5.9

Switching Goals

1999Movie5.9
Heavy
6.6

Heavy

1995Movie6.6
Perfect Witness
6.8

Perfect Witness

1989Movie6.8
The Out-of-Towners
5.8

The Out-of-Towners

1999Movie5.8
Ironweed
6.3

Ironweed

1987Movie6.3
A Crime
5.6

A Crime

2006Movie5.6
61*
7.0

61*

2001Movie7.0
Still of the Night
5.7

Still of the Night

1982Movie5.7
Something Short of Paradise
3.8

Something Short of Paradise

1979Movie3.8
The Other Me
5.6

The Other Me

2000Movie5.6
Household Saints
6.7

Household Saints

1993Movie6.7
Bad Medicine
5.1

Bad Medicine

1985Movie5.1
Secret Service
8.0

Secret Service

1977Movie8.0
Baked in Brooklyn
5.2

Baked in Brooklyn

2016Movie5.2
Radium Girls
6.6

Radium Girls

2020Movie6.6
Two Bits
5.7

Two Bits

1995Movie5.7
One Police Plaza
9.0

One Police Plaza

1986Movie9.0
City of Hope
6.7

City of Hope

1991Movie6.7
The Front
5.4

The Front

2010Movie5.4
Will There Really Be a Morning?
7.0

Will There Really Be a Morning?

1983Movie7.0
Queenie in Love
6.3

Queenie in Love

2001Movie6.3
The Naked Man
4.1

The Naked Man

1998Movie4.1
No Pay, Nudity
4.0

No Pay, Nudity

2016Movie4.0
Tornado

Tornado

2024Movie
The American Side
4.7

The American Side

2016Movie4.7
Citizen Cohn
6.3

Citizen Cohn

1992Movie6.3
Hide in Plain Sight
5.7

Hide in Plain Sight

1980Movie5.7
The Feud
5.2

The Feud

1989Movie5.2
On the Yard
6.0

On the Yard

1978Movie6.0
Primary Motive
7.0

Primary Motive

1992Movie7.0
A Midsummer Night's Dream
6.3

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2014Movie6.3
Taking the Heat
5.0

Taking the Heat

1993Movie5.0
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
6.7

The Appointments of Dennis Jennings

1988Movie6.7
Looking for an Echo
3.8

Looking for an Echo

2000Movie3.8
Kojak: Ariana
7.5

Kojak: Ariana

1989Movie7.5
A Jersey Tale
7.0

A Jersey Tale

2004Movie7.0
The Gentleman Bandit
5.7

The Gentleman Bandit

1981Movie5.7
The Elephant Man
5.9

The Elephant Man

1982Movie5.9
Shadow of a Doubt
6.5

Shadow of a Doubt

1996Movie6.5
The 6th Annual Young Comedians
8.0

The 6th Annual Young Comedians

1981Movie8.0
Me To Play

Me To Play

2021Movie
Jack Reed: A Search for Justice
5.8

Jack Reed: A Search for Justice

1994Movie5.8
Sunday
5.2

Sunday

1997Movie5.2
The Deal
5.7

The Deal

1998Movie5.7
Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed
6.7

Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed

2006Movie6.7
The Last New Yorker
7.3

The Last New Yorker

2010Movie7.3
Endgame

Endgame

2023Movie
The Dreams of Rene Sendam
1.0

The Dreams of Rene Sendam

2022Movie1.0

TV Shows (37)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
8.0

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999Series8.0
Law & Order
7.3

Law & Order

1990Series7.3
The Good Wife
7.6

The Good Wife

2009Series7.6
Elementary
7.6

Elementary

2012Series7.6
Chicago Hope
7.2

Chicago Hope

1994Series7.2
ER
7.8

ER

1994Series7.8
American Playhouse
6.6

American Playhouse

1982Series6.6
L.A. Law
7.1

L.A. Law

1986Series7.1
Great Performances
6.1

Great Performances

1971Series6.1
The Practice
7.6

The Practice

1997Series7.6
Hill Street Blues
7.6

Hill Street Blues

1981Series7.6
Evil
7.8

Evil

2019Series7.8
Bull
7.1

Bull

2016Series7.1
The Good Fight
7.6

The Good Fight

2017Series7.6
New Amsterdam
8.3

New Amsterdam

2018Series8.3
Matlock
7.1

Matlock

1986Series7.1
Moonlighting
7.5

Moonlighting

1985Series7.5
Early Edition
7.4

Early Edition

1996Series7.4
The Equalizer
7.1

The Equalizer

1985Series7.1
Hope & Faith
5.4

Hope & Faith

2003Series5.4
Remember WENN
7.8

Remember WENN

1996Series7.8
Conviction
6.0

Conviction

2006Series6.0
I Know This Much Is True
7.6

I Know This Much Is True

2020Series7.6
Roseanne
6.8

Roseanne

1988Series6.8
The Beat
4.0

The Beat

2000Series4.0
Lodge 49
6.7

Lodge 49

2018Series6.7
Deadline
10.0

Deadline

2000Series10.0
Class of '96
6.7

Class of '96

1993Series6.7
Tarzan
7.5

Tarzan

2003Series7.5
Moon Over Miami
7.8

Moon Over Miami

1993Series7.8
The Bronx Is Burning
7.2

The Bronx Is Burning

2007Series7.2
Capital News
6.5

Capital News

1990Series6.5
Canterbury's Law
6.3

Canterbury's Law

2008Series6.3
Undue Influence

Undue Influence

1996Series
WIOU
8.0

WIOU

1990Series8.0
Sinatra
7.7

Sinatra

1992Series7.7
Some of My Best Friends
5.4

Some of My Best Friends

2001Series5.4