George Dzundza
(1945 - )One of the finest character actors working today is George Dzundza. He is much in the mold of a Walter Slezak, yet has his own style and panache. Stout, but solid, with reddish hair, a round face and mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he seems too jolly and friendly to play a "bad guy" although surely he'd be up to the task. He is perfect for the "sidekick" category; a friend or buddy of the star, cops or detectives and also various ethnic types. He was born on July 19, 1945 in Rosenheim, Germany of Ukrainian parents. He was raised on New York City's lower east side in a working-class neighborhood. He attended college at St. Johns' University. Being a New Yorker afforded many opportunities for training as an actor and he trained under Stella Adler. He has worked on stage, in film and on television and is a born scene stealer. He appeared in "King Lear"; "That Championship Season" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" among others on stage. His film debut came in "The Happy Hooker" (1975) as Chet. His other films include: "The Deer Hunter" (1978) as John, where he stood out in a terrific cast; "Honky Tonk Freeway" (1981) as Eugene; "Streamers" (1983) with Matthew Modine, as Cokes; "Best Defense" (1984) as Loparino; "No Mercy" (1986) as Capt. Stemkowski; "No Way Out" (1987) with Kevin Costner, as Sam Hesselman, one of his best roles; "Honor Bound" (1988) as Wocjinski; "The Beast" (1988) as Daskal; "Impulse" (1990) as Det. Joe Morgan; "White Hunter, Black Heart" (1990) with Clint Eastwood, as Paul Landers; "Basic Instinct" (1992) with Sharon Stone, as Gus, another good role; "Crimson Tide" (1995) with Gene Hackman, as C.O.B; "Dangerous Minds" (1995) with Michelle Pfeiffer, as Hal Griffith; "That Darn Cat" (1997) as Capt. Boetticher; "Species II" (1998) as Col. Carter Burgess Jr.; "Instinct" (1999) as Dr. John Murray and "Above Suspicion" (2000) as Stamos. On TV he was a regular on the series: "Open All Night" (1981-82) as Gordon Feester; "Law and Order" (1990-91) as Det. Sgt. Maxwell 'Max' Greevey; the three animated series: "Superman" (1996) as Voice of Perry White; "Road Rovers" (1996) as Gustav Hovac and "Batman: Gotham Knights" (1997) as Voice of Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist/Scarface and most recently "Jesse" (1998-99) as John Warner, Sr. He has appeared in some excellent TV movies including: "The Defection of Simas Kudirka" (1978); "Salem's Lot" (1979); "Skokie" (1981); "The Ryan White Story" (1989) and "The Enemy Within" (1994). He has guested on such TV series as: "The Streets of San Francisco"; "Kung Fu"; "Starsky and Hutch"; "The Waltons"; "The Twilight Zone" and "Matlock." He continues to add to his fine list of credits.
From Great Character Actors, Page 6.
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