Joseph G. "Joe" Grifasi (born June 14, 1944) is an American character actor of film, stage and television. Born in Buffalo, New York, Grifasi joined the U.S. Army prior to studying acting. He has appeared in more than 50 feature films including Presumed Innocent, The Deer Hunter, Big Business, Beaches, Auto Focus, Matewan, Naked Gun, Dark Matter, Natural Born Killers, Chances Are, Changing Lanes, One Fine Day, F/X, Benny & Joon, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Brewster’s Millions, Batman Forever, The Flamingo Kid, Ironweed, and Splash. His television credits include The Bronx is Burning (as Yogi Berra), 61* (as Phil Rizzuto), Law & Order, ER, LA Law, Chicago Hope, Hill Street Blues, SCTV, Roseanne, and The Practice. Grifasi’s Broadway credits include Dinner at Eight, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Memory of Two Mondays, Boy Meets Girl, The Accidental Death of an Anarchist, The 1940’s Radio Hour and Happy End. His off-Broadway credits include Conversations in Tusculum, The Boys Next Door (Drama Desk Nomination), Once Around the City, Golden Boy, Filumena and Says I, Says He. He has been married to jazz soprano saxophonist and composer Jane Ira Bloom, whom he met while studying at the Yale School of Drama, since 1974.

Filmography

• 2024Tornado — Rich
• 2023Endgame — Nagg
• 2022The Dreams of Rene Sendam — Dr. Bradley
• I Know This Much Is True — Steve Falice
• 2020Radium Girls — Grandpa
• Evil — Lombino
• Lodge 49
• New Amsterdam — Lilo Steinhauser
• The Good Fight — Judge John Mata
• 2016Baked in Brooklyn — David's Dad
• Bull — Judge Arlen Rand, Judge Rand
• 2016No Pay, Nudity — Mr. Davenport
• 2016The American Side — The Serb
• 2014A Midsummer Night's Dream — Peter Quince
• Elementary — Captain Moretti
• 2010The Front — Mr. Zeffirelli
• 2010The Last New Yorker — Jerry
• The Good Wife — Judge John Mata
• Canterbury's Law
• The Bronx Is Burning — Yogi Berra
• 2006A Crime — Bill
• Conviction — Judge Harrigan
• 2006Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed — Uncle Sam
• 2005Slow Burn — Desk Sgt. Drown
• 200413 Going on 30 — Mr. Flamhaff
• 2004A Jersey Tale — Alphonso "Chunks" Colon
• Hope & Faith — Leo
• Tarzan — Lieutenant Scott Connor
• 2002Auto Focus — Strip Club M.C.
• 2002Changing Lanes — Judge Cosell
• 200161* — Phil Rizzuto
• 2001Queenie in Love — Berthold
• Some of My Best Friends — Joe Zito
• Deadline — Mike Phelan
• 2000Looking for an Echo — Vic
• The Beat — Vince Marinelli
• 2000The Other Me — Conrad
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Hashi Horowitz
• 1999Switching Goals — Dave
• 1999The Out-of-Towners — Arresting Cop
• 1998The Deal — Boular
• 1998The Naked Man — Koski
• 1997Sunday — Scottie Elster
• The Practice — Harry Papp
• Early Edition — Harry Hawks
• 1996One Fine Day — Manny Feldstein
• Remember WENN — Larry Looper
• 1996Shadow of a Doubt — Sidney Sherman
• Undue Influence — Clem
• 1995Batman Forever — Bank Guard
• 1995Heavy — Leo
• 1995Money Train — Riley
• 1995Two Bits — Uncle Joe
• Chicago Hope — Larry Ruscetti
• ER — Tom Williams
• 1994Jack Reed: A Search for Justice
• 1994Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult — Director
• 1994Natural Born Killers — Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka
• 1994The Hudsucker Proxy — Lou
• 1993Benny & Joon — Mike
• Class of '96 — Joe Morrisey
• 1993Household Saints — Frank Manzone
• Moon Over Miami
• 1993Taking the Heat — Lou Valentine
• 1992Citizen Cohn — Gerald Walpin
• 1992Primary Motive — Paul Melton
• Sinatra — George Evans
• 1991City of Hope — Pauly
• Capital News
• Law & Order — Ezra Gould, Defense Attorney James Linde
• 1990Presumed Innocent — Tommy Molto
• WIOU — Tony Pro
• 1989Chances Are — Omar
• 1989Kojak: Ariana — Lieutenant Rastelli
• 1989Perfect Witness — Breeze
• 1989The Feud — Bud Bullard
• 1988Big Business — Desk Clerk
• Roseanne — IRS Office Supervisor
• 1988The Appointments of Dennis Jennings — Bartender
• 1988The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! — Foreman
• 1987Ironweed — Jack
• 1987Matewan — Fausto
• 1987Moonstruck — Shy Waiter
• 1986F/X — Mickey
• L.A. Law — Dominic Nuzzi
• Matlock — Hot Dog Vendor
• 1986One Police Plaza — Insp. Nicolas Zambrano
• 1985Bad Medicine — Gómez
• 1985Brewster's Millions — J.B. Donaldo
• Moonlighting — Kapatkin
• The Equalizer — Lt. Vocek
• 1984Splash — Manny
• 1984The Flamingo Kid — Mario Minetta
• 1984The Pope of Greenwich Village — Jimmy the Cheese Man
• 1983Will There Really Be a Morning? — Wyler
• American Playhouse — Bud Bullard
• 1982Still of the Night — Joseph Vitucci
• 1982The Elephant Man — Pinhead Manager
• Hill Street Blues — Ronnie Delacroce
• 1981Honky Tonk Freeway — Osvaldo
• 1981The Gentleman Bandit — Det. Esposito
• 1980Hide in Plain Sight — Matty Stanek
• 1979Something Short of Paradise — Barney Collins
• 1978On the Yard — Morris
• 1978The Deer Hunter — Bandleader
• 1977Secret Service — Cpl. Matson
• Great Performances — Cpl. Matson

Appearances as themselves (2)

• 2021Me To Play — Himself
• 1981The 6th Annual Young Comedians — Self (Audience Member) (uncredited)