Dan Hedaya

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Dan Hedaya
Hedaya at the Carney Awards in 2016
Born (1940-07-24) July 24, 1940 (age 83)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materTufts University
OccupationActor
Years active1970–present

Dan Hedaya (born July 24, 1940)[1] is an American actor. He established himself as a supporting actor, often playing sleazy villains or wisecracking supporting characters. He has had supporting roles in films such as True Confessions (1981), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, Tightrope, Blood Simple (all 1984), Commando (1985), Wise Guys (1986), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), The Addams Family (1991), Rookie of the Year (1993), Boiling Point (1993), Clueless (1995), The Usual Suspects (1995), The First Wives Club, Daylight, Marvin's Room (all 1996), Alien Resurrection (1997), A Civil Action, A Night at the Roxbury (both 1998), The Hurricane, Dick (both 1999), Shaft, The Crew (both 2000), Swimfan (2002), Robots, and Strangers with Candy (both 2005).

Early life[edit]

Hedaya was born in New York City, to a Sephardic Jewish family from Aleppo, Syria.[2][3][4][5] Hedaya was raised in Bensonhurst. While a student at Tufts University, he began performing at the campus theater.[3] He worked as a junior high school teacher for many years before deciding to pursue acting full-time.[5] He studied acting at HB Studio[6] in New York City.

Career[edit]

Alongside a successful career in the movies, Hedaya has appeared in several TV roles, including Carla Tortelli's ex-husband Nick on the sitcom Cheers and its short-lived spinoff The Tortellis. He played the estranged father of Mallory Keaton's boyfriend, Nick, on the sitcom Family Ties. More recently, he played an Italian-American priest in the controversial and quickly cancelled NBC series The Book of Daniel. Adding to his list of television credits is his performance as the long-lost father of Adrian Monk on Monk. He also guest starred in 1997 and 2005 as a wisecracking lawyer on the medical drama ER.

In films, Hedaya has played the evil dictator and the secondary antagonist Arius in 1985's Commando and Mel Horowitz, the father of Alicia Silverstone's Cher, in the 1995 film Clueless. He played Julian Marty, a cuckolded husband who plots his wife's murder in the first Coen Brothers film, Blood Simple. His resemblance to Richard Nixon led to his being cast as the former president for the film Dick. Hedaya appeared in several episodes of the television series Hill Street Blues as a corrupt, bigamist cop during the series' first season. During the 1980s Hedaya also appeared in the television series Miami Vice.

Although of Syrian Jewish descent, Hedaya is often cast in Italian-American roles.[citation needed]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1970 Myra Breckinridge Patient In Hospital Ward Uncredited
1976 The Passover Plot Yaocov
1979 The Seduction of Joe Tynan Alex Heller
1980 Night of the Juggler Sergeant Otis Barnes
1981 True Confessions Howard Terkel
1982 I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can Dr. Klein
Endangered Species Peck
1983 The Hunger Lieutenant Allegrezza
1984 Reckless Peter Daniels
Blood Simple Julian Marty
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension John Gomez
Tightrope Detective Molinari
1985 Commando Arius
1986 A Smoky Mountain Christmas Harry
Wise Guys Anthony Castelo
Running Scared Captain Logan
1990 Joe Versus the Volcano Frank Waturi
Tune in Tomorrow Robert Quince
Pacific Heights The Banker
1991 The Addams Family Tully Alford
Doubles Lenny Bruce
1992 Four Eyes and Six Guns Lester Doom
1993 Boiling Point US Treasury Agent Sam Brady
Benny & Joon Thomas
Rookie of the Year Larry Fisher
Searching for Bobby Fischer Tournament Director
For Love or Money Gene Salvatore
Mr. Wonderful Harvey
1994 Maverick Twitchy, Riverboat Poker Player
1995 The Usual Suspects Sergeant Jeff Rabin
To Die For Joe Maretto
Clueless Mel Horowitz
Fair Game Walter Hollenbach Uncredited
Nixon Trini Cardoza
1996 Freeway Detective Garnet Wallace
The First Wives Club Morton 'Morty' Cushman
Ransom Jackie Brown
Daylight EMS Officer Frank Kraft
Marvin's Room Bob Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1997 In & Out Military Attorney
A Life Less Ordinary Gabriel
Alien: Resurrection General Martin Perez
1998 A Night at the Roxbury Kamehl Butabi
A Civil Action John Riley
1999 Dick President Richard M. 'Dick' Nixon
The Hurricane Sergeant Della Pesca, Paterson PD
2000 Shaft Detective Jack Roselli
The Crew Mike 'The Brick' Donatelli
The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave Gil Ruston
2001 Down Lieutenant McBain
Mulholland Drive Vincenzo Castigliane
2002 Quicksand General Stewart
Swimfan Coach Simkins
New Suit Muster Hansau
2003 American Cousins Settimo
2005 Strangers with Candy Guy Blank
Robots Mr. Gunk (voice)
Pizza My Heart Vinnie Montebello
2006 The Good Student Gabrial
2007 The Warrior Class General Rand
2010 The Extra Man Aresh
2012 The Normals Ragnar
2013 Clutter Walter Bickford
2014 The Humbling Asa
2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 'Red'
2020 Funny Face Benj
2021 Slapface Sheriff John Thurston
The God Committee Granger

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1975 Ryan's Hope Herbie Towers
1976 Kojak Dan Hudson Episode: "A Hair-Trigger Away"
1977 The Andros Targets Prager Episode: "The Treatment Succeeded But the Patient Died"
The Prince of Central Park Hot Dog Vendor Television film
1978 The Last Tenant Gabe Television film
1979 Paris Gil Davis Episode: "Once More for Free"
1980 Death Penalty Detective Ralph Corso Television film
1981–1984 Hill Street Blues Ralph MacAfee / A Bum 5 episodes
1982 CHiPs Herzog Episode: "Trained for Trouble"
Report to Murphy Unknown Episode: "Pilot"
1984 St. Elsewhere Joseph Keuhnelian 3 episodes
The Dollmaker Skyros Television film
Hot Pursuit Unknown Episode: "Goodbye... I Love You"
1984–1993 Cheers Nick Tortelli 6 episodes
1984-1986 Miami Vice Reuben Reydolfo / Ben Schroeder Episodes: "One Eyed Jack" & "Payback"
1985 The Twilight Zone Nick Episode: Dealer's Choice
1986 Slow Burn Simon Fleischer Television film
The Equalizer Frank Donahue Episode: Unpunished Crimes"
Courage John Fosh Television film
That Secret Sunday Captain Bates Television film
A Smoky Mountain Christmas Harry Television film
1987 The Tortellis Nick Tortelli 13 episodes
1987–1988 Mama's Boy Mickey 4 episodes
1988–1989 Family Ties Joe Moore 2 episodes
1988–1990 L.A. Law Michael Roitman 3 episodes
1989 Who's the Boss? Ralph Episode: "Men Are People, Too"
One of the Boys Ernie 6 episodes
Double Your Pleasure John Television film
1990–1991 Equal Justice Detective Al Perry 2 episodes
1991 Veronica Clare Louis Benato 2 episodes
1993 Flying Blind Employer #1 Episode: "Panic in Neil's Park"
Based on an Untrue Story Caprawolski Television film
NYPD Blue Lou 'The Werewolf' Episode: "NYPD Lou"
1993–1995 Fallen Angels Detective Copernik / Auger / Johnny Ralls / Lieutenant Calender 4 episodes
1993-1997 Law & Order Lieutenant Brian Torelli / Leslie Drake 2 episodes
1994 Another Midnight Run Eddie Moscone Television film
Midnight Runaround Eddie Moscone Television film
Midnight Run for Your Life Eddie Moscone Television film
Because Mommy Works Judge Uncredited; television film
1995 Picture Windows Carl Episode: "Soir Bleu"
1996 The Home Court Judge Walter Ragsdale 2 episodes
1997 The Second Civil War Mel Burgess Television film
The Garden Of Redemption Captain Zito Television film
Homicide: Life on the Street Leslie Drake Episode: "Baby, It's You"
1997–2005 ER Herb Spivak 4 episodes
1999 Locked in Silence Dr. Rosenstock Television film
2000 The Street Randy Hoder Episode: "High Yield Bonds"
Judging Amy Detective Tarnower Episode: "Unnecessary Roughness"
2000–2003 Yes, Dear Don Ludke 6 episodes
2003 Lucky Joey 'Joey Legs' 3 episodes
2005 Pizza My Heart Vinnie Montebello Television film
2006 The Book of Daniel Father Frank 4 episodes
Monk Jack Monk Episode: "Mr. Monk Meets His Dad"
2008 Lipstick Jungle Dimitri Pappademos Episode: "Chapter Eleven: The F-Word"
2011 Too Big to Fail Representative Barney Frank Television film
Person of Interest Bernie Sullivan Episode: "The Fix"
2013 Golden Boy Francis Diaco Episode: "Beast of Burden"
2014 Gotham Detective Dix 2 episodes
2014–2015 The Mindy Project Alan Castellano 2 episodes
2015 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Special Segment Actor Episode: "Infrastructure"
2015–2019 Blue Bloods Vincent Rella 4 episodes
2016 Odd Mom Out Jill's Dad Episode: "Fasting and Furious"

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Today in History". AP News. The Associated Press. July 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2023. Actor Dan Hedaya is 81.
  2. ^ "Philadelphia Rings a Bell FOR 'First Wives Club' Actor". Jewish Exponent. October 3, 1996. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Weinraub, Bernard (November 14, 1995). "After 20 Years, Dan Hedaya Is Fading Out of Anonymity". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2007.
  4. ^ Zenner, Walter P. (2000). A Global Community: The Jews from Aleppo, Syria. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2791-5.
  5. ^ a b Schleier, Curt (October 28, 1999). "A Night at the Sephardic Film Festival". The Jewish Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  6. ^ "HB Studio - Notable Alumni | One of the Original Acting Studios in NYC". Retrieved August 5, 2019.

External links[edit]

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