Joe Grifasi
Acting • Born 1944-06-14
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.
Filmography
110 credits
City of Hope
Movie • 1991
Pauly
A Crime
Movie • 2006
Bill
Batman Forever
Movie • 1995
Bank Guard
The Feud
Movie • 1989
Bud Bullard
Chances Are
Movie • 1989
Omar
Will There Really Be a Morning?
Movie • 1983
Wyler
Benny & Joon
Movie • 1993
Mike
Brewster's Millions
Movie • 1985
J.B. Donaldo
Presumed Innocent
Movie • 1990
Tommy Molto
One Fine Day
Movie • 1996
Manny Feldstein
The Deer Hunter
Movie • 1978
Bandleader
The Hudsucker Proxy
Movie • 1994
Lou
Still of the Night
Movie • 1982
Joseph Vitucci
The Pope of Greenwich Village
Movie • 1984
Jimmy the Cheese Man
Two Bits
Movie • 1995
Uncle Joe
The Elephant Man
Movie • 1982
Pinhead Manager
Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed
Movie • 2006
Uncle Sam
Endgame
Movie • 2023
Nagg
The Other Me
Movie • 2000
Conrad
Honky Tonk Freeway
Movie • 1981
Osvaldo
Hide in Plain Sight
Movie • 1980
Matty Stanek
The Front
Movie • 2010
Mr. Zeffirelli
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
Movie • 1988
Bartender
The Deal
Movie • 1998
Boular
The Dreams of Rene Sendam
Movie • 2022
Dr. Bradley
Radium Girls
Movie • 2020
Grandpa
The Flamingo Kid
Movie • 1984
Mario Minetta
Something Short of Paradise
Movie • 1979
Barney Collins
The Last New Yorker
Movie • 2010
Jerry
Queenie in Love
Movie • 2001
Berthold
Matewan
Movie • 1987
Fausto
On the Yard
Movie • 1978
Morris
Splash
Movie • 1984
Manny
Looking for an Echo
Movie • 2000
Vic
Big Business
Movie • 1988
Desk Clerk
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Movie • 1988
Foreman
F/X
Movie • 1986
Mickey
Heavy
Movie • 1995
Leo
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
Movie • 1994
Director
A Jersey Tale
Movie • 2004
Alphonso "Chunks" Colon
Money Train
Movie • 1995
Riley
The American Side
Movie • 2016
The Serb
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Movie • 2014
Peter Quince
Shadow of a Doubt
Movie • 1996
Sidney Sherman
Kojak: Ariana
Movie • 1989
Lieutenant Rastelli
Primary Motive
Movie • 1992
Paul Melton
13 Going on 30
Movie • 2004
Mr. Flamhaff
Natural Born Killers
Movie • 1994
Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka
Baked in Brooklyn
Movie • 2016
David's Dad
Switching Goals
Movie • 1999
Dave
The Out-of-Towners
Movie • 1999
Arresting Cop
The Gentleman Bandit
Movie • 1981
Det. Esposito
Moonstruck
Movie • 1987
Shy Waiter
Perfect Witness
Movie • 1989
Breeze
Secret Service
Movie • 1977
Cpl. Matson
Household Saints
Movie • 1993
Frank Manzone
61*
Movie • 2001
Phil Rizzuto
Sunday
Movie • 1997
Scottie Elster
Slow Burn
Movie • 2005
Desk Sgt. Drown
Bad Medicine
Movie • 1985
Gómez
Citizen Cohn
Movie • 1992
Gerald Walpin
Taking the Heat
Movie • 1993
Lou Valentine
Auto Focus
Movie • 2002
Strip Club M.C.
One Police Plaza
Movie • 1986
Insp. Nicolas Zambrano
Jack Reed: A Search for Justice
Movie • 1994
The Naked Man
Movie • 1998
Koski
Changing Lanes
Movie • 2002
Judge Cosell
Me To Play
Movie • 2021
Himself
Ironweed
Movie • 1987
Jack
No Pay, Nudity
Movie • 2016
Mr. Davenport
The 6th Annual Young Comedians
Movie • 1981
Self (Audience Member) (uncredited)
Tornado
Movie • 2024
Rich
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Ezra Gould
L.A. Law
TV • 1986
Dominic Nuzzi
Hope & Faith
TV • 2003
Leo
Early Edition
TV • 1996
Harry Hawks
Moonlighting
TV • 1985
Kapatkin
Roseanne
TV • 1988
IRS Office Supervisor
Deadline
TV • 2000
Canterbury's Law
TV • 2008
Moon Over Miami
TV • 1993
Chicago Hope
TV • 1994
Larry Ruscetti
ER
TV • 1994
Tom Williams
WIOU
TV • 1990
Tony Pro
Class of '96
TV • 1993
Joe Morrisey
Elementary
TV • 2012
Captain Moretti
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV • 1999
Hashi Horowitz
The Bronx Is Burning
TV • 2007
Yogi Berra
Sinatra
TV • 1992
George Evans
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Defense Attorney James Linde
Bull
TV • 2016
Judge Arlen Rand
Evil
TV • 2019
Lombino
The Beat
TV • 2000
Vince Marinelli
Tarzan
TV • 2003
Lieutenant Scott Connor
Bull
TV • 2016
Judge Rand
Conviction
TV • 2006
Judge Harrigan
The Good Fight
TV • 2017
Judge John Mata
I Know This Much Is True
TV • 2020
Steve Falice
The Equalizer
TV • 1985
Lt. Vocek
Some of My Best Friends
TV • 2001
Joe Zito
Lodge 49
TV • 2018
Capital News
TV • 1990
Great Performances
TV • 1971
Cpl. Matson
The Good Wife
TV • 2009
Judge John Mata
New Amsterdam
TV • 2018
Lilo Steinhauser
Remember WENN
TV • 1996
Larry Looper
The Practice
TV • 1997
Harry Papp
Hill Street Blues
TV • 1981
Ronnie Delacroce
Matlock
TV • 1986
Hot Dog Vendor
Undue Influence
TV • 1996
Clem