Dennis Farina

A long time ago, in another lifetime, I was a young, impressionable actor clawing my way through the casting directors’ and agents’ rolls in Chicago, IL. Through a series of good luck and hard work, with no outside help other than my own determination, I ended up on the set of a new television series called “Crime Story.” The NBC series was written by Chuck Adamson, a Chicago cop and a writer for arguably the greatest pop-culture television show in history, “Miami Vice.” Adamson, working with Michael Mann, the producer of “Vice,” had turned the old Weiboldts Department Store into an early 1950’s store, replete with the most groovy clothes on the racks, and the coolest dudes with skinny ties and black suits you’ve ever seen. Abel Ferrara was directing. I had auditioned for the show months before, and didn’t think I had gotten the role. Fortunately, I was wrong, and found myself on the Pilot and five episodes.

While working long nights, so the store could be open during the day, I got to know a bunch of wonderful people, like Bill Smitrovich, Billy Campbell, David Caruso, and Tony Dennison. Tony played Dennis Farina’s character’s nemesis “Ray Luca.” It was surreal. These guys were all new to being big stars, though Campbell had been on Dallas or Falcon Crest, I don’t remember. They were all down to earth, eager to chat, and I was young and trying to learn everything I could learn about the business, the craft of acting, and what these guys had done to get where they were.

Dennis Farina was amazingly kind, and when I asked him how he had gotten there, he was really honest. He told me about his community theater, his acting classes, and about knowing Michael Mann from the neighborhood. He had gotten a role in “Thief” starring James Caan, and from there, set his sights on bigger things. Mann loved his acting in “Thief” and had approached him to play Adamson’s character Mike Turello, given Dennis’ 18 or so years as a Chicago cop, and his character look. It was a stroke of luck, after a lot of hard work. He said, its 90% luck and 90% hard work, the rest is up to God. I got a kick out of his math, and I got the point. Don’t stop-work you butt off, and good luck comes.

We worked that scene in Weiboldts for a week or so. It was long nights, and in the day time, I would go north to Gurnee, IL where I was a security guard at “Marriott’s Great America”(now a 6 Flags property). I was exhausted. The schedule was even brutal for a young guy like me, and it took a toll. When we finished, I went to bed for two days.

When I woke up, my mom told me my agent had called. My agent told my mom I had made quite an impression on the producers, the actors, and the director. I was thinking I should have kept my mouth shut, and that I had ruined my career by peppering these guys with question after question. I was way wrong, and I am still surprised to this day by what happened next.

I found myself on the set of Crime Story once again, only this time at a country club in the western suburbs, in hilarious early 50’s clothing, playing a waiter where Dennis’ character and his wife, played by Darlanne Fluegel were vacationing and trying to save their marriage. In the scene, Mike Turello (Dennis’ character) is trying desperately to order a drink by the pool. The other waiters just walk by, and his frustration grows, until my character walks by and he grabs me. He did it quite hard the first time, actually leaving a bruise on my arm. The drinks spilled, and we all laughed-and we had to go again. Since my role was small, they had but one wardrobe change for me. So, as we continued to shoot the scene, and the juice in the drink kept spilling, I’d have to get blown dry by the wardrobe department with a hair dryer-it was not comfortable-very sticky and it was 95 degrees. I had one line-which Dennis gave me. It wasn’t scripted. He said: “Matt here needs his SAG card, and we’re giving him a line.” He suggested that after he grabbed me, and ripped the drink from the tray, and threw the little bamboo umbrella down, I should say “That’s on the house” in a very perturbed tone, which I did-and it played well. He apologized each time we did a take, for strong arming me, and for spilling on me, and was a gentleman each time. He even made his wardrobe assistant clean out the shirt during our lunch break, as he could tell I was sticky and uncomfortable. The day was a dream for this young actor. He and Darlanne were wonderful, and I knew I would never forget it. My lines ended up on the cutting room floor, though they did use the scene without my lines-and I did get my SAG card. A dream come true-I was a member of The Screen Actors Guild.

I thought that was the end of my work on Crime Story, but the call came a few days later. I had been cast in 4 additional episodes-Dennis had pressured Michael Mann to use me in every episode of the season that called for a waiter-kind of an inside joke for those guys, and a way to put money in my pocket. Who does that? The answer is no one.

In a business where everyone wants something from you, few people come along who actually remember where they came from. I think I’ve worked with all the nicest folks in the business. John Candy was like that. GW Bailey is that guy every day. But, going out of his way, on his first really big gig to help me get where I was going was above and beyond.

I saw Dennis that Christmas when I was shopping with a buddy. We were both home from college and went down to Water Tower Place in Chicago to shop the sales. We were in Marshall Fields when I heard “Matty boy, how are you?” You guessed it, it was Dennis, shopping with his son for something for the misses. He didn’t have to do that-but he knew it would impress my friend, and he knew it would make my day. It did. It was my best Christmas present that year in fact, and I have never forgotten it, nor have I forgotten Dennis’ gracious moving of mountains to help jump start my career.

I bumped into Dennis a few times over the years. He always acted like he remembered me. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t. I like to think he didn’t, but he was just being that same gentleman who helped launch my career, and was being kind. That means more to me than whether or not he remembered me. That tells me, he never forgot where he came from, and that Hollywood hadn’t changed that gracious, generous wonderful man who made such a giant difference in my life.

I’ve done a dozen or so films to date, and a hundred commercials. Each gig I have booked, I owe to Dennis Farina, for going out of his way to help me. I guess he figured he would spread around some of his good fortune.

We don’t, as human beings stop to think about the impact that people have on our lives until it is too late. We don’t say thank you enough. We don’t share enough of our blessings, good fortune, and wisdom with others. Today, I decided that I will go out of my way the next time I have an opportunity to help someone. That will be the way I honor Dennis. I know he must have seen something in me. I know he was expecting me to do the same. I will Dennis. You have my word.