If you needed a mob boss in the late 20th century, you really had to look no further than the signature moustache and salt & pepper hair of Dennis Farina. Farina died yesterday after suffering a pulmonary embolism. He was 69. I’m not one of these people who after someone dies, I immediately jump on their bandwagon, falsely proclaim what a fan I’d always been of theirs and how much I’ll miss watching them perform. I was a legitimate fan of Dennis Farina, ever since I’d seen him in the 1995 comedy Get Shorty. I saw the film at a young age and even then knew that this guy was brining some serious chops when it came to his performance. He stood out to me and he caught my attention and when you’re that young, that’s really all that matters. Farina was born in 1944, in Chicago, Illinois and for eighteen years, prior to becoming an actor, served on the police force for the Chicago P.D. In fact, it was Michael Mann who first gave Farina his start, hiring him as a police consultant. Mann continued to be a big part of Farina’s career, casting him in his 1981 film Thief and as mob boss Albert Lombard in Miami Vice. Farina would go on to find success in such films as Manhunter, Midnight Run, Striking Distance, Out of Sight and Saving Private Ryan. In 2004, Farina joined the cast of Law & Order, as Detective Joe Fontana, drawing from his own roots as a member of “the force”. I personally will miss Farina, but will remember him fondly and reflect on his roles with a smile, knowing that I was a fan of his before he passed away, that he caught my attention at a young age and for a minute, showed me what it meant to bring acting chops to the table. Rest well sir.
