Dan Lauria Explained

Dan Lauria
Birth Date:1947 4, mf=yes
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1962–present
Module:
Embed:yes
Branch:United States Marine Corps
Serviceyears:1970–1973
Rank:Captain (O-3)
Battles:Vietnam War

Dan Lauria (born April 12, 1947) is an American actor, who played the role of Jack Arnold in The Wonder Years (1988–1993), Jack Sullivan on Sullivan and Son (2012–2014), and Al Luongo on Pitch (2016–2017).

Early life

Lauria, an Italian-American, was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Carmela (née Luongo) and Joseph J. Lauria.[1] He also lived in Lindenhurst, New York. He graduated from Lindenhurst Senior High School in 1965 as a varsity football player, and he briefly taught physical education at Lindenhurst High School. A Vietnam War veteran, Lauria served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps;[2] he served at the same point in his life that Jack Arnold, his character in The Wonder Years, did during the Korean War. In Vietnam, he served as a platoon commander at An Loc near the Cambodian border. He got his start in acting while attending Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut, on a football scholarship.

Career

Lauria is best known for his portrayal of Jack Arnold, the stern, but loving, money-conscious father on the TV series The Wonder Years, which ran from 1988 to 1993. He also played NASA Administrator James Webb in the 1998 TV miniseries From the Earth to the Moon and Commanding Officer, USA in 1996's Independence Day. More recently he has appeared as Police Commissioner Eustace Dolan in The Spirit. He appeared as Coach Hamstrung in The Three Stooges N.Y.U.K. on AMC in 2000. Lauria appeared on stage in New York in the summer of 2006 in an off-Broadway production of A Stone Carver by William Mastrosimone with Jim Iorio and Elizabeth Rossa. Lauria also had a small role in a season two episode of Army Wives, as well as a season one episode of The Mentalist. In 2009, Lauria has appeared as General Lee Whitworth, M.D. in Criminal Minds season 4. He has also appeared in an episode of Boy Meets World, starring Ben Savage, the younger brother of Fred Savage. In late 2009, Lauria returned to the off-Broadway stage, appearing as Jimmy Hoffa in Brian Lee Franklin's Good Bobby, a fictionalized account of Robert F. Kennedy's rise.

In 2010, Lauria appeared as Vince Lombardi in the Broadway play Lombardi.[3] The play received positive reviews, with sportswriter Jim Hague commenting, "Lauria truly becomes Vince Lombardi. You almost forget you're watching an actor. He's Lombardi through and through, down to the wire-framed glasses and intimidating scowl." North Bergen football coach Vince Ascolese, who met Lombardi, commented "I really felt like he was Lombardi. It was uncanny."[4] Lauria's portrayal of Lombardi was used during the NFL on FOX introduction to Super Bowl XLV, where one of the two participating teams was the Green Bay Packers; the team Lombardi coached to victories in the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968. The Packers went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in that game.

In 2012, Lauria played the part of Jean Shepherd in the Broadway production of , a role which he reprised off-Broadway at Madison Square Garden in 2013. From 2012 through 2014, he played Jack Sullivan on the Steve Byrne sitcom Sullivan & Son.

Lauria served one year as a Department of Veterans Affairs celebrity hospital visitor, during which he toured many VA hospitals, meeting patients.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981C.O.D.Secret Service Man
1983Without a TraceBaker
1985South Bronx HeroesFBI Agent
1987StakeoutPhil Coldshank
1993Another StakeoutPhil Coldshank
1995Orlando Franco
1996No One Could Protect HerGreg Coming
1996Independence DayCommanding Officer
1998True FriendsPauley
1998Wide AwakeFather Peters
1999Strange in My HouseDennis
1999A Wake in ProvidenceRudy
2001Full DisclosureClive Carter
2001Ricochet RiverCoach Garth
2002ContagionGeneral Ryker
2002Outside the LawDetective Froman
2002High Times PotluckCarmine
2003Dead CanariesVito Scaldafieri
2005The Signs of the CrossMr. Coyne
2005Jesus, Mary and JoeyFather Gino
2006Big Momma's House 2Crawford
2008Dear MeMr. Hunt
2008The SpiritEustace Dolan
2009Alien TrespassChief Dawson
2009Donna on DemandDetective Lewis
2009Dead AirFred
2009InSearchOfReverend Blackwell
2010The WaiterFather Parks
2011Here's the KickerDave Berry
2011Life of LemonArthur
2013Make Your MoveParole Officer Foster
2014SisterJeffrey Presser
2017The Concessionaires Must Die!Jack Fisk
2017An American Dog StoryPaw Poochini
2017Locating Silver LakeSpeaker
2020The Eagle and the AlbatrossAl Wiserman
2020The Way BackGerry Norris
2020HolidateWally
2021Potato Dreams of AmericaJohn
2024ReaganTip O'Neill[5]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982Muggable Mary, Street CopVince PalucciTelevision film
1984Mickey Spillane's Mike HammerJohn ShaneEpisode: "Kill Devil"
1985–1987Scarecrow and Mrs. KingRogan, Foster2 episodes
1986HunterBroder2 episodes
1986–1987Growing PainsDan, Hockey Coach2 episodes
1987L.A. LawJoseph SearsEpisode: "Prince Kuzak in a Can"
1987WiseguyJack PhillipsEpisode: "A Deal's a Deal"
1987–1988Cagney & LaceyHarry Dupnick4 episodes
1988DavidJohnTelevision film
1988–1993The Wonder YearsJack ArnoldMain role
1990The Great Los Angeles EarthquakeSteve WinslowTelevision film
1993Bob BlanchardTelevision film
1995Amazing GraceHarry Kramer5 episodes
1995Burke's LawJimmy JacksonEpisode: "Who Killed Cock-a-Doodle Dooley?"
1996Terror in the FamilyTodd MartenTelevision film
1996–1997Party of FiveRuss Petrocelli6 episodes
1997Boy Meets WorldJudge LambEpisode: "Wheels"
1997Prison of SecretsEd CrangTelevision film
1997Walker, Texas RangerSalvatore MatacioEpisode: "A Father's Image"
1997Dr. Quinn, Medicine WomanSamuel MorrisonEpisode: "Safe Passage"
1998From the Earth to the MoonJames Webb2 episodes
1999Batman BeyondBill Wallace (voice)Episode: "Earth Mover"[6]
2000Static ShockSean Foley (voice)Episode: "Sons of the Fathers"
2000Donald PurdyEpisode: "Murder by Remote"
2001SmallvilleWalt ArnoldEpisode: "Hothead"
2003JAGAllen Blaisdell4 episodes
2003, 2011Peter Kurtz, Ray Masters2 episodes
20037th HeavenAndrew HamptonEpisode: "Life and Death"
2005Ghost WhispererEllis ConwayEpisode: "Voices"
2007PsychBill PetersonEpisode: "Poker? I Barely Know Her"
2007The Bronx Is BurningDetective BorelliEpisode: "The Seven Commandments"
2007The Black DonnellysFranny KennyEpisode: "Wasn't That Enough?"
2008How I Met Your MotherNolanEpisode: "Not a Father's Day"
2009The MentalistSantino BattagliaEpisode: "Red Sauce"
2009Criminal MindsLee WhitworthEpisode: "Amplification"
2010SalEpisode: "Inhumane Society"
2011Nurse JackieCarlEpisode: "The Astonishing"
2011–2012Harry's LawRaymond Gillot2 episodes
2012James ClearyEpisode: "The Dragon and the Fairy"
2012–2014Sullivan & SonJack SullivanMain role
2013Person of InterestStanley AmisEpisode: "Proteus"
2013The Good WifeRonnie EricksonEpisode: "Outside the Bubble"
2012–2015PerceptionJoe Moretti5 episodes
2014Hot in ClevelandJ.J.3 episodes
2015Grey's AnatomyMartin DavisEpisode: "Don't Dream It's Over"
2015, 2019Blue BloodsStan Rourke2 episodes
2016PitchAl Luongo10 episodes
2016Royal PainsMr. Sacani2 episodes
2017The Night ShiftDougEpisode: "Keep the Faith"
2017ElementaryLouis GarmendiaEpisode: "High Heat"
2017NCISMorgan CadeEpisode: "Ready or Not"
2018Christmas at Grand ValleyFrankTelevision film
2018Man with a PlanFrankEpisode: "Out with the In-Laws"
2018ShamelessMo White3 episodes
2018–2021This Is UsMr. Damon3 episodes
2019The ResidentSimon OrtizEpisode: "Adverse Events"
2021MacGyverLenny KrengelEpisode "Quarantine + N95 + Landline + Telescope + Social Distance"
2021The GoldbergsArnie WofsyEpisode: "The William Penn Years"
2023Fantasy IslandLou HutchinsonEpisode: "War of the Roses (and the Hutchinsons)"
2023The Good DoctorMr. ErmeyEpisode: "Loves Labor"

Notes and References

  1. http://www.filmreference.com/film/72/Dan-Lauria.html Dan Lauria Biography
  2. News: Dean . Paul . April 27, 1995 . To Hell . . . and Back : Not everyone who fought in Vietnam came home shattered. Millions returned intact in mind and body, and used the worst of combat to find the best of life. . Los Angeles Times . April 2, 2015 .
    News: Cutler . Jacqueline . September 10, 2006 . 'The Path to 9/11 . Chicago Tribune . April 2, 2015 .
  3. News: Turf for a Different Kind of N.F.L. Play: Broadway . The New York Times . Patrick . Healy . April 15, 2010.
  4. Hague, Jim. "'Lombardi' on Broadway is a smash hit" "Tasty Tidbits" The Union City Reporter; October 24, 2010; Pages 12 & 13
  5. Web site: Johnson . Ted . 2022-12-09 . Dan Lauria To Play Tip O’Neill In Ronald Reagan Biopic . 2024-05-04 . Deadline . en-US.
  6. Web site: Dan Lauria (visual voices guide) . May 4, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.