Curtains Up on Denis Farina

by Joseph Rossi

You ever have that moment when you watch a movie with all these big stars in it that are trying to chew the scenery and someone other than the pretty boy or girl of the month stands out in the crowd? That’s a character actor.  Dennis Farina was one of the greats. Every time he popped up on screen he made me smile.

He started out as a cop in the Chicago police force before becoming an actor. The skills from his years in law enforcement served him well since most of his most famous roles were that of an authority figure. He showed up in films like Saving Private Ryan, Out of Sight, and Manhunter. He also did a stint on NBC’s Law and Order.   But he excelled, in my opinion, playing characters on the opposite side of the law.

His Ray “Bones” Barboni in Barry Sonnenfeld’s Get Shorty was his best role. He deserved an Oscar nomination as a Miami gangster looking for John Travolta’s Chili Palmer in sunny and smoggy Los Angeles. I’ll never forget the sight of Farina and his broken nose (thanks to Travolta’s character), swollen and lobster pink, bumbling his way through the film. The film’s snappy and often hilarious dialogue was delivered with his usual rat-a-tat -tat style manner that, coupled with his tough guy persona, made him one to look out for.

I’ll miss looking out for actors like Farina on the screen. Like the greats before him, Peter Lorre, Michael J. Pollard, James Gandolfini and countless others, they leave a legacy greater than those of movie stars. Their legacy is that of great acting because, unlike major stars today, they melt into the background and inhabit the roles they are given.