Daniel J. Travanti | |
|---|---|
| Born | Danielo Giovanni Travanti March 7, 1940 |
| Other names | Dan Travanty Danny Travanty |
| Alma mater | UW–Madison |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1958–present |
Daniel J. Travanti (born Danielo Giovanni Travanti; March 7, 1940)[1] is an American actor. He is best known for playing police captain Frank Furillo in the television drama series Hill Street Blues (1981–1987)[2] for which he received a Golden Globe Award and two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards from many nominations.
Biography
Travanti, one of five children, was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Italian immigrant parents John and Elvira Travanti.[3] His father worked at the American Motors assembly plant in that city. He attended Mary D. Bradford High School,[1] where he was an all-star football player; he received athletic scholarship offers to several colleges, but decided he wanted to be an actor rather than an athlete.[4] A good student, he was offered scholarships to Harvard University, Princeton University, and the Alfred P. Sloan Scholarship to Dartmouth College, although he eventually took the General Motors Scholarship to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison,[5] from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1961. After that, he attended the Yale School of Drama on a Woodrow Wilson fellowship. In 1978,[6] he graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a master's degree in English.[7]
His first credited role was in an episode of Route 66 called "Child of a Night". In 1964, Travanti guest-starred in the episode "Murder by Scandal" of CBS's drama about newspapers, The Reporter. He made his feature film debut in 1965 (credited as "Dan Travanty") playing a deaf mute nightclub bouncer in the psychological thriller Who Killed Teddy Bear? starring Sal Mineo and Juliet Prowse. In 1965, he appeared in an episode of Gidget as a photographer.
In 1966, he played the role of radio talk show host Barney Austin in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Midnight Howler". He (credited as Dan Travanty in all four) was the lead guest star in the Season 3 episode "Collision of Planets" of Lost in Space in 1967, appeared in the episode "The Octopus" of the single-season crime drama The Silent Force in late 1970, was featured in the Season 5 episode "Murder Times Three" of Mannix in late 1971, and appeared in the Season 6 episode "Image" of Mission: Impossible in early 1972. Also in 1972, he played a fugitive in the episode "The Devil's Playground" of Cannon with future Hill Street co-star James B. Sikking. In 1974, Travanti appeared briefly in The Bob Newhart Show episode "The Battle of the Groups". Also in 1974, he appeared in a Gunsmoke episode, "Like Old Times", with his future Hill Street co-star Charles Haid.
Travanti earned five nominations and two Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Hill Street Station Captain Frank Furillo. In 1982, Boston's Emerson College chose him as the commencement speaker and gave him an honorary Doctorate degree.[6] In 1983, Travanti starred in the TV movie Adam, for which he received another Emmy nomination. He starred opposite Sophia Loren in Aurora (1984), which premiered on NBC and received a theatrical release in Italy. Since then, Travanti has appeared in a number of TV movies and has made appearances in television programs such as Poltergeist: The Legacy (1997) and Prison Break (2005). In 1986, HBO broadcast the made-for-cable biographical film Murrow, with Travanti's portrayal of Edward R. Murrow receiving a Cable Ace nomination. He co-starred in the film Millennium (1989) and as Lt. Ray McAuliffe in the television series Missing Persons (1993).[2]: 696
Travanti has publicly acknowledged his past as an alcoholic[8] who found sobriety through Alcoholics Anonymous, calling alcoholism a "disease of loneliness and secrecy". In 1981, he made such a confession to Rona Barrett in an interview on NBC and even recited, from memory, all of the organization's "Twelve Steps" on camera.[9] Captain Furillo, his best-known character, was also a recovering alcoholic, and the character was shown multiple times taking part in AA meetings.
From January to March 2007, Travanti appeared off-Broadway in Oren Safdie's The Last Word... at the Theater at St. Clements in New York City, and from November to December 2008, Travanti played the "Con Melody" in an off-off Broadway production of Eugene O'Neill's A Touch of the Poet for Friendly Fire Theater in New York.
In 2010, he appeared in an episode of Criminal Minds as a 75-year-old serial killer with Alzheimer's disease.
Travanti had a recurring role on the Starz television series Boss. He also appeared on The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas as Captain William Fletcher in the audio adaptation of "The Little People".
In 2017, he played Callen's father in NCIS: Los Angeles.
Filmography
Many of Travanti's roles prior to the mid-1970s were credited as "Dan Travanty" or "Dan Travanti." Later roles are credited as "Daniel J. Travanti."
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Who Killed Teddy Bear? | Carlo | Film debut |
| 1968 | Call to Danger | John Henderson | Television movie |
| 1970 | The Love War | Ted | Television movie |
| 1971 | The Organization | Sergeant Chassman | Film |
| 1976 | St. Ives | Johnny Parisi | |
| 1980 | It's My Turn | The Interviewer | Uncredited |
| 1983 | Adam | John Walsh | Television movie Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1986 | Murrow | Edward R. Murrow | Television movie Nominated—CableACE Award for Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries |
| 1988 | Midnight Crossing | Morely Barton | |
| 1989 | Millennium | Arnold Mayer | |
| 1990 | Megaville | Duprell | |
| 1991 | Tagget | John Tagget | Television movie |
| 1991 | Eyes of a Witness | Roy Baxter | |
| 1992 | Weep No More, My Lady | Ted | Television movie |
| 1992 | The Christmas Stallion | Alan | Television movie |
| 1992 | Hello Stranger | Unknown | |
| 1993 | In the Shadows, Someone's Watching | Drum London | Television movie |
| 1995 | Just Cause | The Warden | |
| 1995 | The Wasp Woman | Dr. Zinthorp | Television movie |
| 1995 | Siao Yu | Mario Moretti | |
| 1996 | To Sir, with Love II | Horace Weaver | Television movie |
| 2006 | Murder in My House | Unknown | Television movie |
| 2012 | Cicero in Winter | Charlie | |
| 2012 | One Small Hitch | Max Shiffman |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Route 66 | Marty Johnson | Episode: "Child of a Night"; First credited role in film or television |
| 1964 | East Side/West Side | Paul Jerome | Episode: "The Name of the Game" |
| 1964 | The Patty Duke Show | Hank 'Rocky' Elway | Episode: "Block That Statue" |
| 1964 | The Reporter | Cutler | Episode: "Murder by Scandal" |
| 1964 | The Defenders | Detective Russo | Episode: "The Siege" |
| 1965 | Gidget | Tom Brighton | Episode: "Now There's a Face" |
| 1966 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Luca | Episode: "The Deadly Goddess Affair" (as Dan Travanty) |
| 1966 | Perry Mason | Barney Austin | Episode: "The Case of the Midnight Howler" |
| 1966 | Flipper | Commander Willard | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | Unknown | Episode 21 Season 3 "Shadowman" |
| 1967 | Lost In Space | Ilan, Space Hippie | Episode: "Collision Of Planets" |
| 1967 | Judd for the Defense | Don Oliver | Episode: "A Civil Case of Murder" (as Dan Travanty) |
| 1968 | Lancer | Dan Cassidy | Episode: "The Escape" (as Dan Travanty) |
| 1968 | Here Come the Brides | Will Sullivan | Episode: "A Jew Named Sullivan" (as Dan Travanty) |
| 1968 | The F.B.I. | Roy Blake | Episode: "Death of a Fixer" |
| 1969 | The Mod Squad | Milo | Episode: "Child of Sorrow, Child of Light" (as Dan Travanty) |
| 1969 | The Mod Squad | George | Episode: "Willie Poor Boy" |
| 1970 | The Silent Force | Unknown | Episode: "The Octopus" |
| 1970 | The F.B.I. | Billy Jack Lyle | Episode: "The Diamond Millstone" |
| 1971 | The Interns | Harry Random | Episode: "The Choice" |
| 1971 | Mannix | Tom Stabler | Episode: "Murder Times Three" |
| 1972 | The F.B.I. | Harry | Episode: "The Franklin Papers" |
| 1972 | Mission: Impossible | Tony Gadsen | Episode: "Image" |
| 1974 | Gunsmoke | Carl | Episode: "The Colonel" (as Dan Travanty) |
| 1974 | Gunsmoke | Barker | Episode: "Like Old Times" (as Dan Travanty) |
| 1974 | The Bob Newhart Show | Mr. Gianelli | Episode: "The Battle of the Groups" |
| 1974 | Kojak | Lieutenant Chuck Danena | Episode: "A Souvenir from Atlantic City" |
| 1974 | The F.B.I. | Professor Grant | Episode: "Confessions of a Madman" |
| 1976 | Kojak | Captain Badaduchi | Episode: "A Grave too Soon" |
| 1977 | Family | Benjamin Maxwell | Episode: "...More Things in Heaven and Earth" |
| 1979 | General Hospital | Spence Andrews | Unknown episodes |
| 1979 | Hart to Hart | Edgar | Episode: "Max in Love" |
| 1980 | Knots Landing | Lieutenant Steinmetz | Episode: "The Constant Companion" |
| 1981–1987 | Hill Street Blues | Captain Frank Furillo | 144 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama (1981) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1981–1982) Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series (1985) Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama (1983–1986) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1983–1985) |
| 1983 | Newhart | Himself | Episode: "A View from the Bench" |
| 1988 | American Playhouse | Gene Garrison | Episode: "I Never Sang for My Father" |
| 1990 | Screen Two | Jerry Leavy | Episode: "Fellow Traveller" |
| 1993–1994 | Missing Persons | Lieutenant Ray McAuliffe | 17 episodes |
| 1995 | The Outer Limits | Thornwell | Episode: "The Voice of Reason" |
| 1997 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | William Sloan | 7 episodes |
| 2005–2006 | Prison Break | President Richard Mills | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Grey's Anatomy | Barry Patmore | Episode: "Here Comes the Flood" |
| 2010 | Criminal Minds | Lee Mullens | Episode: "Remembrance of Things Past" |
| 2011–2012 | Boss | Gerald 'Babe' McGantry | 11 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Nikita Aleksandr Reznikov / Garrison | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Chicago Med | Edward Hall | Episode: "Brother's Keeper" |
References
- 1 2 "Daniel J. Travanti". Authentic Wisconsin. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- 1 2 Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 463. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ↑ "Afraid of Family's Bias, Travanti Cut Graduation." Durham (NC) Morning Herald, November 14, 1983, p. 6B.
- ↑ "All Star Fullback." Mobile (AL) Register, November 27, 1981, p. TV 19.
- ↑ Horwitz, Simi (February 20, 2007). "Having 'The Last Word...'". Backstage.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
- 1 2 "Honorary Degree for Daniel J. Travanti." Springfield (MA) Union, May 25, 1982, p. 22.
- ↑ Wallace, Carol (May 1, 1982). "Daniel J. Travanti: Prime time's sexiest cop". Des Moines Tribune. Iowa, Des Moines. New York Daily News. p. 7. Retrieved February 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Sparkling Middle Place of Daniel J. Travanti". Members.wizzards.net. August 14, 1973. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ↑ Video on YouTube