Age: 73
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Jon Polito (born December 29, 1950) is an award winning American actor and voice artist.
Polito was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for working with the Coen Brothers, most notably in the major supporting role of Italian gangster Johnny Caspar in Miller's Crossing. He appeared as Det. Steve Crosetti in the first two seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street and on the first season of Crime Story. Polito won an OBIE award in 1980 for his theater performances off Broadway and for his lifetime of work in film and television he received the Maverick Spirit Event Award at Cinequest Film Festival in 2005. In 2012, he won the award for "Best Actor in a Short Film" at Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival.
Polito is openly gay.
When Homicide began pre-production, Polito was asked to audition, and was initially reluctant - he didn't want move to Baltimore for the series, because he had just relocated from New York to Los Angeles. The script he received featured a dialogue scene between two detectives, one Polish American and the other Irish-American. Polito decided that the part he wanted was that of the Irishman, but he was told that he could not read for it. After reading for the part of the Polish-American detective, Polito added a message on his audition tape, saying that if the producers wanted to call him back, he would only be interested if he could take the part of the Irish detective. Series co-creators Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana did call him back, and they rewrote the character as an Italian, and cast him in the role. The other character, the Polish-American detective, was also rewritten, becoming Det. Meldrick Lewis, played by African-American actor Clark Johnson.
Polito was written out of Homicide at the end of Season 2 (explained by his character taking extended leave). The reality behind the move was that the producers were under pressure from their network NBC to include a new female character (Megan Russert), hoping to gain broader appeal for the show (which rated poorly). Although Polito was unhappy about the character's departure, co-producer Tom Fontana assured him that he would be brought back later in the season. However, Polito's previous experiences with producers led him to mistrust Fontana's assurances, so he went to the media to express his unhappiness, speaking critically of the producers' handling of NBC's demands:
Not surprisingly, the outburst caused a rift with Fontana, resulting in Polito being sacked from the show. The Crosetti character was killed off early in Season 3, with the explanation that the detective had committed suicide. This further infuriated Polito, who again complained to the media, triggering a public slinging match between him and Fontana. Interviewed about the situation in 2005, Polito expressed regret for his handling of the matter, and said that with hindsight, he realised that he should have trusted Fontana. He noted that he and Fontana subsequently patched up their differences, and as a result the Crosetti character returned to make a farewell appearance (as a spirit) in the valedictory special Homicide: The Movie.
Genre | Year | Title | Role | Episodes | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
TV miniseries | 1981 | Gangster Chronicles, TheThe Gangster Chronicles | Thomas "Three Finger Brown" Lucchese | ||
Film | 1981 | Gangster Wars | Thomas "Three Finger Brown" Lucchese | ||
Film | 1982 | ClairvoyantThe Clairvoyant | Detective Sporaco | a.k.a. The Killing Hour | |
TV film | 1983 | Running Out | Joe Poswalsky | ||
Film | 1984 | C.H.U.D. | Newscaster | ||
TV film | 1984 | Good SportA Good Sport | Man in Taxi | ||
Film | 1984 | Princess and the Call GirlThe Princess and the Call Girl | Private Detective | ||
Film | 1985 | Compromising Positions | Cop #1 | ||
TV film | 1985 | Death of a Salesman | Howard | ||
Film | 1985 | Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins | Zack | ||
Film | 1986 | Dream Lover | Doctor James | ||
TV series | 1986 | Equalizer, TheThe Equalizer | Gianni | "Unpunished Crimes" | |
Film | 1986 | Highlander | Detective Walter Bedsoe | ||
TV film | 1986 | Deadly BusinessA Deadly Business | Vitola | ||
Film | 1986 | Fire with Fire | Boss | ||
TV series | 1986-1988 | Crime Story | Phil Bartoli | 16 episodes | |
Film | 1987 | Critical Condition | Kline | ||
TV series | 1987 | Equalizer, TheThe Equalizer | Carmack | "Memories of Manon: Part 1" "Memories of Manon: Part 2" |
|
TV series | 1987 | Ohara | Captain Ross | 11 episodes | |
TV film | 1988 | Alone in the Neon Jungle | Brad Stakowski | ||
Film | 1988 | Homeboy | Moe Fingers | ||
TV series | 1988 | Miami Vice | El Gato | "Hostile Takeover" "Redemption in Blood" |
|
TV series | 1988 | Wiseguy | Eddie Van Platt | "Player to Be Named Now" | |
TV series | 1989 | Equalizer, TheThe Equalizer | David Pfieffer | "Silent Fury" | |
TV film | 1989 | Livin' Large | Sal | ||
TV film | 1989 | Memories of Manon | Carmack | ||
TV series | 1989 | Trying Times | Agent Caponello | "Death and Taxes" | |
Film | 1990 | Freshman, TheThe Freshman | Chuck Greenwald | ||
Film | 1990 | Miller's Crossing | Johnny Caspar | ||
Film | 1991 | Barton Fink | Lou Breeze | ||
TV series | 1991 | Empty Nest | Slocum | "Harry's Got a Gun" | |
Film | 1991 | Rocketeer, TheThe Rocketeer | Bigelow | ||
TV series | 1991 | Tales from the Crypt | Nikos Stano | "Deadline" | |
Film | 1992 | Flodder in Amerika! | Larry Rosenbaum | ||
TV series | 1992 | Hearts Are Wild | Leon 'Pepe' Pepperman | 03 episodes | |
Film | 1992 | Leather Jackets | Fat Jack | ||
TV series | 1992 | Murder, She Wrote | Lieutenant Peter DiMartini | "Dead FileThe Dead File" | |
Film | 1993 | ContendersThe Contenders | Pedro Perusia | ||
TV series | 1993 | Dinosaurs | Ty Warner | "Swamp Music" | voice actor |
TV series | 1993 | Fallen Angels | Al Reseck | "I'll Be Waiting" | |
TV series | 1993 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Detective Steve Crosetti | "Gone for Goode" "Ghost of a Chance" "Son of a Gun" "A Shot in the Dark" "Three Men and Adena" "A Dog and Pony Show" "And the Rockets' Dead Glare" "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" "The Night of the Dead Living" |
13 episodes total |
TV series | 1993 | Untouchables, TheThe Untouchables | Tommy Palumbo | "Railroaded" | |
Film | 1994 | Blankman | Michael 'The Suit' Minelli | ||
Film | 1994 | Crow, TheThe Crow | Gideon | ||
TV film | 1994 | Girls in Prison | Boss Johnson | ||
TV series | 1994 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Detective Steve Crosetti | "Bop Gun" "See No Evil" "Black and Blue" "A Many Splendored Thing" |
13 episodes total |
Film | 1994 | Hudsucker Proxy, TheThe Hudsucker Proxy | Mr. Bumstead | ||
TV series | 1994 | Murder, She Wrote | Lieutenant Peter DiMartini | "Murderous MuseA Murderous Muse" | |
TV film | 1994 | Shaggy Dog, TheThe Shaggy Dog | Detective Al | ||
TV series | 1994 | Viper | Councilman Strand | "Pilot" | |
TV series | 1995 | Burke's Law | "Who Killed Cock-a-Doodle Dooley?" | ||
Film | 1995 | Bushwhacked | Agent Palmer | ||
TV series | 1995 | Chicago Hope | Detective Bill Ranford | "Life Support" | |
Film | 1995 | Fluke | Boss | ||
TV series | 1995 | High Society | Alvin Spalding | "We Ought to Be in Pictures" | |
Film | 1995 | InvadersThe Invaders | Whitley, Metro HQ | uncredited | |
TV series | 1995 | Mad About You | Ralphy | "My Boyfriend's Back!" | |
TV series | 1995 | NYPD Blue | Paul Biaggi | "One Big Happy Family" | |
TV series | 1995 | Dream On | Louie | "Significant Author" "Flight of the Pedalbee" "Toby's Choice" |
04 episodes total |
TV series | 1996 | Dream On | Louie | "All About Louie" | 04 episodes total |
Film | 1996 | Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco | Ashcan | voice actor | |
Film | 1996 | Just Your Luck | Nick | ||
TV series | 1996 | New York Undercover | John Dennis | "Andre's Choice" | |
TV series | 1996 | Pretender, TheThe Pretender | Ben Hansel | "Virus Among UsA Virus Among Us" | |
TV series | 1996 | Roseanne | Mr. Russo | "Millions from Heaven" | |
TV series | 1996 | Swift Justice | Tom Luddy | "Supernote" | |
Film | 1997 | Corporate Ladder, TheThe Corporate Ladder | Mr. Deacon | ||
TV series | 1997 | Early Edition | Louie DeFozio | "CatThe Cat" | |
TV series | 1997 | Fired Up | Sam Harris | "Domestic Bliss" | |
Short film | 1997 | Inside Out | Paparazzi | 27 minutes; included in the compilation film Boys Life 3 | |
TV film | 1997 | Invasion | Detective Kemper | ||
Animated TV series | 1997 | Life with Louie | "Louie's Harrowing Halloween" | voice actor | |
TV series | 1997 | Night Man | Al Capone | "That Ol' Gang of Mine" | |
TV series | 1997 | Over the Top | Mr. Hamstead | "Bee StoryThe Bee Story" | |
Film | 1998 | Big Lebowski, TheThe Big Lebowski | Da Fino | ||
TV film | 1998 | Defenders: Choice of Evils, TheThe Defenders: Choice of Evils | D.A. Al Orsini | ||
TV series | 1998 | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show | Marv Fishland | "Honey, She's Like a Fish Out of Water" | |
TV series | 1998 | Jenny | Sid Bouchie | "Girl's Gotta Get ItA Girl's Gotta Get It" | |
TV series | 1998 | Millennium | Eddie Scarpino Giannini | "Omerta" | |
TV film | 1998 | Money Play$ | Lou Spano | ||
Film | 1998 | Music from Another Room | Lorenzo Palmieri | ||
TV series | 1998 | New York Undercover | Rinaldi | "Drop Dead Gorgeous" | |
TV series | 1998 | Players | Pappas | "Mint Condition" | |
TV series | 1998 | Seinfeld | Silvio | "Reverse PeepholeThe Reverse Peephole" | |
Film | 1998 | Tale of the Mummy | Parsons | ||
TV series | 1998 | Veronica's Closet | Mr. Lehman | "Veronica's Dog Day Afternoon" | |
Film | 1998 | With Friends Like These... | Rudy Ptak | ||
TV film | 1999 | Apartment Complex, TheThe Apartment Complex | Dr. Caligari | ||
Film | 1999 | Angel's Dance | Uncle Vinnie | ||
Film | 1999 | Carlo's Wake | Uncle Gus | ||
TV series | 1999 | Good vs. Evil | Howard | "Sunday Night Evil" | |
Video game | 1999 | Lands of Lore III | Dark Army Orc / Elliott the Guard / Viscosa | voice actor | |
TV series | 1999 | Nash Bridges | Roland Margolis | "Truth and Consequences" | |
Film | 1999 | Road Kill | Jelly | ||
Film | 1999 | Stuart Little | Detective Sherman | ||
Film | 1999 | The Green Mile | "D" Block Prison Guard | ||
Short film | 1999 | Surgeon General's Warning | Other GuyThe Other Guy | 08 minutes | |
Film | 2000 | Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, TheThe Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | Schoentell | ||
Film | 2000 | After Sex | Naldo | ||
Animated TV series | 2000 | Batman Beyond | MajorThe Major | "Betrayal" | voice actor |
TV series | 2000 | Early Edition | Cliff Mourning | "Snow Angels" | |
Film | 2000 | Flies on Cupid | Giorgio Gagantano | ||
TV film | 2000 | Homicide: The Movie | Steve Crosetti | ||
TV series | 2000 | Invisible Man, TheThe Invisible Man | Eddie the Mammoth | "Pilot" | |
Short TV film | 2000 | Nature Boy | Mort Ruby | 29 minutes; directed by Kari Skogland | |
Film | 2000 | Nowhere Land | Frank | ||
TV series | 2000 | Popular | Caesar Croutons | "Hard on the Outside, Soft in the Middle" | |
TV series | 2000 | Pretender, TheThe Pretender | Constantin Falzone | "Cold Dick" | |
Animated film | 2000 | Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!, TheThe Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas! | Virgil | voice actor | |
TV series | 2001 | Chris Isaak Show, TheThe Chris Isaak Show | Rhonda Parks | "Our Place" | |
TV series | 2001 | Chronicle, TheThe Chronicle | Donald Stern | "Pilot" "What Gobbles Beneath" "Here There Be Dragons" "Baby Got Back" "He's Dead, She's Dead" "Bermuda Love Triangle" "Only the Young Die Good" "Bring Me the Head of Tucker Burns" "Let Sleeping Dogs Fry" "Take Me Back" |
22 episodes total |
TV series | 2001 | Drew Carey Show, TheThe Drew Carey Show | BabyThe Baby | "Drew and the Baby" | 03 episodes total; voice actor |
Short film | 2001 | Frank's Last Dance | Frank | 18 minutes | |
TV series | 2001 | Gideon's Crossing | Lou Peda | "RaceThe Race" | |
Film | 2001 | Man Who Wasn't There, TheThe Man Who Wasn't There | Creighton Tolliver | ||
Film | 2001 | Mimic 2 | Morrie Deaver | ||
Film | 2001 | Shrink Is In, TheThe Shrink Is In | Judge Bob | ||
Film | 2001 | Tailor of Panama, TheThe Tailor of Panama | Ramón Rudd, the Banker | ||
TV series | 2002 | Becker | Leonard Nagle | "Piece Talks" | |
Film | 2002 | Black Mask 2: City of Masks | King | ||
TV series | 2002 | Chronicle, TheThe Chronicle | Donald Stern | "Touched by an Alien" "Pig Boy's Big Adventure" "The Cursed Sombrero" "Tears of a Clone" "I See Dead Fat People" "Man and Superman" "Hot from the Oven" "The Stepford Cheerleaders" "The Mists of Avalon Parkway" "The King Is Undead" "Hell Mall" "A Snitch in Time" |
22 episodes total |
TV series | 2002 | Drew Carey Show, TheThe Drew Carey Show | Stansfield | "Curse of the MummyThe Curse of the Mummy" "The Enabler" |
03 episodes total |
TV series | 2002 | Gilmore Girls | Father in Kirk's Film | "Teach Me Tonight" | 02 episodes total |
Film | 2002 | 29 Palms | Security GuardThe Security Guard | ||
TV series | 2002 | Push, Nevada | Silas Bodnick | "AmountThe Amount" | |
TV series | 2002 | She Spies | Edward Malloy | "Ice Man" | |
TV film | 2002 | Women vs. Men | Desk Sergeant | ||
Film | 2003 | Box, TheThe Box | Michael Dickerson | ||
TV series | 2003 | Crossing Jordan | Dick | "Wild Card" | |
TV series | 2003 | Dragnet | Richard Maughm | "Silver SlayerThe Silver Slayer" | |
TV series | 2003 | Gilmore Girls | Pete | "Happy Birthday, Baby" | 02 episodes total |
TV film | 2003 | Life on Parole | Ernie | ||
TV series | 2003 | Lyon's Den, TheThe Lyon's Den | Mr. Carpeggi | "Trick or Treat" | |
Short film | 2003 | No Credits, No Peace | Network ExecutiveThe Network Executive | 06 minutes | |
TV series | 2003 | Oliver Beene | Mr. Rayfield | "Dancing Beene" | 02 episodes total |
Film | 2003 | Singing Detective, TheThe Singing Detective | Second Hood | ||
Film | 2003 | View from the Top | Roy Roby | ||
TV series | 2004 | 10-8: Officers on Duty | Enzo Fontana | "Wild and the Innocent" | |
Film | 2004 | Charlie the Ox | Freddy Boon | ||
TV film | 2004 | Gone, But Not Forgotten | Sam Oberhurst | based on the novel by Phillip Margolin | |
TV series | 2004 | It's All Relative | Leonard | "Long Day's JourneyA Long Day's Journey Into Leonard's" | |
TV series | 2004 | Judging Amy | D.A. Gerald Abner | "Disposable" "The Quick and the Dead" |
|
TV series | 2004 | Jury, TheThe Jury | Johnny Pappas | "BoxerThe Boxer" | |
Film | 2004 | Last Shot, TheThe Last Shot | Wally Kamin | ||
TV film | 2004 | MentalistThe Mentalist | Duesterberg | ||
TV series | 2004 | My Wife and Kids | Minister | "WeddingThe Wedding" | |
TV series | 2004 | Oliver Beene | Mr. Rayfield | "Oliver & the Otters" | 02 episodes total |
TV series | 2004 | Scrubs | Mr. Summers | "My Female Trouble" | |
Animated TV series | 2005 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Chief Arnook Additional Voices |
"Waterbending MasterThe Waterbending Master" "The Siege of the North: Part 1" "The Siege of the North: Part 2" |
voice actor |
Animated TV series | 2005 | Buzz on Maggie, TheThe Buzz on Maggie | New Aldrin / New Pupert | "Those Pesky Roaches" | voice actor |
TV series | 2005 | Desperate Housewives | Charles Skouras | "Love Is in the Air" | |
TV film | 2005 | Family Plan | Gold | ||
TV series | 2005 | Ghost Whisperer | Joe Grimaldi | "Pilot" | 02 episodes total |
Film | 2005 | Honeymooners, TheThe Honeymooners | Kirby | ||
Film | 2005 | Short Order | |||
TV series | 2005 | Threshold | Nicky Frost | "OrderThe Order" | |
TV series | 2005 | Without a Trace | Jimmy 'The Tooth' Fusco | "Lone Star" | |
Film | 2006 | Big Nothing | Agent Hymes | ||
Short film | 2006 | Cleaners | 10 minutes | ||
Film | 2006 | Cutting Room | Sandy | ||
Film | 2006 | Flags of Our Fathers | Borough President | ||
Film | 2006 | Grilled | Leon Waterman | ||
Animated TV series | 2006 | Handy Manny | Joe Bolotero | "Supremoguy/Tool Talk" | voice actor |
Animated film | 2006 | Happily N'Ever After | Wolf 1 | voice actor | |
Film | 2006 | Alibi, TheThe Alibi | Jimmy the Photographer | a.k.a. Lies & Alibis | |
TV series | 2006 | Masters of Horror | Montesquino | "Haeckel's Tale" | |
Film | 2007 | American Gangster | Rossi | ||
Film | 2007 | Cougar Club | Mr. Archibald | ||
Video game | 2007 | Dead Head Fred | Ulysses S. Pitt | voice actor | |
TV series | 2007 | Medium | Vincent Discala | "Better Off Dead" | |
Short film | 2008 | Animated American | Max Rabbit | 15 minutes | |
Film | 2008 | Bart Got a Room | Bob | ||
TV series | 2008 | Chocolate News | Harvey Silverstein | "Episode #1.7" | |
Animated TV series | 2008 | Chowder | Funjl / Guy | "Moldy TouchThe Moldy Touch/The Heavy Sleeper" | voice actor |
TV series | 2008 | Do Not Disturb | R.J. | "Dosing" | |
TV series | 2008 | Ghost Whisperer | Joe Grimaldi | "First Do No Harm" | 02 episodes total |
TV series | 2008 | Las Vegas | CleanerThe Cleaner | "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast" | |
Film | 2008 | Marconi Bros., TheThe Marconi Bros. | Lou Burns | ||
TV film | 2008 | Rock Monster | ColonelThe Colonel | ||
TV series | 2008 | Two and a Half Men | Mr. Sharipa | "He Smelled the Ham, He Got Excited" | |
TV series | 2008 | Raising the Bar | Judge Dominick Ventimiglia | "Hang Time" "Out on the Roof" "Roman Holiday" "Shop Till You Drop" |
10 episodes total |
TV film | 2009 | Citizen Jane | Detective Romer | ||
Short film | 2009 | Locker 13 | Don Dillon | 15 minutes | |
TV series | 2009 | Monk | George Gionopolis | "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall" | |
TV series | 2009 | Raising the Bar | Judge Dominick Ventimiglia | "Hair Apparent" "I'll Be Down to Get You in a Taxi, Honey" "Fine and Dandy" "Trust Me" "Trout Fishing" "Bobbi Ba-Bing" |
10 episodes total |
Film | 2009 | Super Capers: The Origins of Ed and the Missing Bullion | Captain Sludge | ||
Film | 2010 | Burning Palms | Ned | ||
Animated short film | 2010 | DC Showcase: The Spectre | Police Captain | voice actor; 13 minutes | |
Animated TV series | 2009 | Glenn Martin, DDS | "We've Created a Mobster" | voice actor; 02 episodes total | |
Animated TV series | 2010 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Vito Renzuli | "Life Swap" | voice actor; 02 episodes total |
Film | 2010 | Grind, TheThe Grind | HIM | ||
Film | 2010 | Last Godfather, TheThe Last Godfather | Don Bonfante | ||
TV series | 2010 | Mentalist, TheThe Mentalist | Duesterberg | "Red Herring" | |
Film | 2010 | Stiffs | John "The Prince" Monaco | ||
Short film | 2010 | Talking HeadThe Talking Head | Mr. Opportunity | 19 minutes | |
Film | 2010 | Venus & Vegas | Frank | ||
Film | 2011 | Atlas Shrugged: Part I | Orren Boyle | ||
Animated film | 2011 | Batman: Year One | Commissioner Loeb | voice actor | |
Animated TV series | 2011 | Ben 10: Ultimate Alien | DN Alien Mizaru / Mizaru | "Simian Says" | voice actor |
TV series | 2011 | Funny or Die Presents | Eddy | "Episode #2.1" | segment United States Police Department |
TV series | 2011 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Gino | "Frank's Brother" | |
Short film | 2011 | Jonny Boy | Jonny Boy | 07 minutes | |
Film | 2011 | Son of Morning | Mr. Bordasche | ||
Animated TV series | 2011 | ThunderCats | Conquedor | "Berbils" | voice actor |
Short film | 2012 | Anti-Muse | Anti-Muse | Directed by John M Goodner | |
TV series | 2012 | Bunheads | Sal Russano | "Money for Nothing" "No One Takes Khaleesi's Dragons" |
|
TV series | 2012 | Franklin & Bash | Lucky Louie | "Jango and Rossi" | |
TV series | 2012 | Mike & Molly | Frankie Moranto | "Thanksgiving Is Canceled" | |
Film | 2012 | From the Head | Vinnie | ||
Film | 2013 | Gangster Squad | Jack Dragna | ||
Video game | 2013 | Batman: Arkham Origins | G.C.P.D. Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb | voice actor | |
TV series | 2014 | Castle | Harold Metzger | "That 70's Show" | |
Film | 2014 | Big Eyes | Enrico Banducci | ||
TV series | 2014 | Modern Family | Earl Chambers | "Won't You Be Our Neighbor" "The Closet Case" |
|
Video game | 2016 | Batman: Arkham Underworld | Carmine Falcone | voice actor |