Joe Grifasi
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1944-06-14 (81 years old)
Place of Birth
Buffalo - New York - USA
Joe Grifasi
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.
Known For
Acting
The 6th Annual Young Comedians
as Self (Audience Member) (uncredited)
(2023)
Endgame
as Nagg
(2022)
The Dreams of Rene Sendam
as Dr. Bradley
(2021)
Me To Play
as Himself
(2020)
Radium Girls
as Grandpa
(2016)
Baked in Brooklyn
as David's Dad
(2016)
The American Side
as The Serb
(2016)
No Pay, Nudity
as Mr. Davenport
(2014)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
as Peter Quince
(2010)
The Front
as Mr. Zeffirelli
(2010)
The Last New Yorker
as Jerry
(2006)
A Crime
as Bill
(2006)
Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed
as Uncle Sam
(2005)
Slow Burn
as Desk Sgt. Drown
(2004)
13 Going on 30
as Mr. Flamhaff
(2004)
A Jersey Tale
as Alphonso "Chunks" Colon
(2002)
Changing Lanes
as Judge Cosell
(2002)
Auto Focus
as Strip Club M.C.
(2001)
61*
as Phil Rizzuto
(2001)
Queenie in Love
as Berthold
(2000)
The Other Me
as Conrad
(2000)
Looking for an Echo
as Vic
(1999)
The Out-of-Towners
as Arresting Cop
(1999)
Switching Goals
as Dave
(1998)
The Naked Man
as Koski
(1998)
The Deal
as Boular
(1997)
Sunday
as Scottie Elster
(1996)
One Fine Day
as Manny Feldstein
(1996)
Undue Influence
as Clem
(1996)
Shadow of a Doubt
as Sidney Sherman
(1995)
Batman Forever
as Bank Guard
(1995)
Money Train
as Riley
(1995)
Heavy
as Leo
(1995)
Two Bits
as Uncle Joe
(1994)
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
as Director
(1994)
Natural Born Killers
as Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka
(1994)
The Hudsucker Proxy
as Lou
(1994)
Jack Reed: A Search for Justice
as Mike 'Gravedigger' Edwards
(1993)
Benny & Joon
as Mike
(1993)
Taking the Heat
as Lou Valentine
(1993)
Household Saints
as Frank Manzone
(1992)
Citizen Cohn
as Gerald Walpin
(1992)
Primary Motive
as Paul Melton
(1991)
City of Hope
as Pauly
(1990)
Presumed Innocent
as Tommy Molto
(1989)
Chances Are
as Omar
(1989)
Perfect Witness
as Breeze
(1989)
Kojak: Ariana
as Lieutenant Rastelli
(1989)
The Feud
as Bud Bullard
(1988)
(1988)
Big Business
as Desk Clerk
(1988)
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
as Bartender
(1987)
Moonstruck
as Shy Waiter
(1987)
Ironweed
as Jack
(1987)
Matewan
as Fausto
(1986)
F/X
as Mickey
(1986)
One Police Plaza
as Insp. Nicolas Zambrano
(1985)
Brewster's Millions
as J.B. Donaldo
(1985)
Bad Medicine
as Gómez
(1984)
Splash
as Manny
(1984)
The Pope of Greenwich Village
as Jimmy the Cheese Man
(1984)
The Flamingo Kid
as Mario Minetta
(1983)
Will There Really Be a Morning?
as Wyler
(1982)
Still of the Night
as Joseph Vitucci
(1982)
The Elephant Man
as Pinhead Manager
(1981)
Honky Tonk Freeway
as Osvaldo
(1981)
The Gentleman Bandit
as Det. Esposito
(1980)
Hide in Plain Sight
as Matty Stanek
(1979)
Something Short of Paradise
as Barney Collins
(1978)
The Deer Hunter
as Bandleader
(1978)
On the Yard
as Morris
(1977)
Secret Service
as Cpl. Matson