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Daniel J. Travanti

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Daniel J. Travanti
Born
Danielo Giovanni Travanti

(1940-03-07) March 7, 1940 (age 84)
Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
Other namesDan Travanty
Danny Travanty
Alma materUW–Madison
OccupationActor
Years active1958–2019

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 from five nominations, and two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards from five nominations.

Early life, family and education

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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.

Daniel attended Mary D. Bradford High School,[1] where he was an all-star football player; he received athletic scholarship offers to several colleges, but he 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, but he 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]

Career

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Travanti's first credited role was in "Child of a Night", an episode of Route 66. 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. 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 his 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 

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".

Starting in 2017, he played the father of Chris O'Donnell's character (G. Callen) in NCIS: Los Angeles. His final appearance, and final acting role to date, was in a 2019 episode of that series.

Personal life

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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.

Filmography

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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."[citation needed]

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1965 Who Killed Teddy Bear? Carlo
1971 The Organization Sergeant Chassman
1976 St. Ives Johnny Parisi
1980 It's My Turn The Interviewer Uncredited
1988 Midnight Crossing Morely Barton
1989 Millennium Arnold Mayer
1990 Megaville Duprell
1991 Eyes of a Witness Roy Baxter
1992 Hello Stranger Unknown
1995 Just Cause The Warden
1995 Siao Yu Mario Moretti
2012 Cicero in Winter Charlie
2012 One Small Hitch Max Shiffman

Television

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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: "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 Call to Danger John Henderson TV movie
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 Love War Ted TV movie
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 Main cast
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"
1983 Adam John Walsh TV movie
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
1984 Aurora David Ackermann TV movie
1986 Murrow Edward R. Murrow TV movie
Nominated—CableACE Award for Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries
1988 American Playhouse Gene Garrison Episode: "I Never Sang for My Father"
1989 Howard Beach: Making a Case for Murder Joe Hynes TV movie
1990 Screen Two Jerry Leavy Episode: "Fellow Traveller"
1991 Tagget John Tagget TV movie
1992 Weep No More, My Lady Ted TV movie
1992 The Christmas Stallion Alan TV movie
1993 In the Shadows, Someone's Watching Drum London TV movie
1993–1994 Missing Persons Lieutenant Ray McAuliffe Main cast
1995 The Outer Limits Thornwell Episode: "The Voice of Reason"
1995 The Wasp Woman Dr. Zinthorp TV movie
1996 To Sir, with Love II Horace Weaver TV movie
1997 Poltergeist: The Legacy William Sloan Recurring role (Season 2)
2005–2006 Prison Break President Richard Mills 2 episodes
2006 Murder in My House Unknown TV movie
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 Main cast
2016–2019 NCIS: Los Angeles Nikita Aleksandr Reznikov / Garrison 5 episodes
2016 Chicago Med Edward Hall Episode: "Brother's Keeper"

References

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  1. ^ a b "Daniel J. Travanti". Authentic Wisconsin. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ "Afraid of Family's Bias, Travanti Cut Graduation." Durham (NC) Morning Herald, November 14, 1983, p. 6B.
  4. ^ "All Star Fullback." Mobile (AL) Register, November 27, 1981, p. TV 19.
  5. ^ Horwitz, Simi (February 20, 2007). "Having 'The Last Word...'". Backstage.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  6. ^ a b "Honorary Degree for Daniel J. Travanti." Springfield (MA) Union, May 25, 1982, p. 22.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Video on YouTube[dead link]
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