IMDB

Actor

1938-02-24 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA · Male

24 series in the catalog

James Farentino (February 24, 1938 – January 24, 2012) was an American actor. He appeared in television, film, and on stage, including The Final Countdown, Jesus of Nazareth, and Dynasty.

Career

Born in Brooklyn, Farentino attended local schools followed later by studying drama and acting in Catholic school.

In the 1950s and 1960s, he performed on the stage and a few TV roles. He starred in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour alongside Vera Miles and John Carradine (episode "Death Scene"). He garnered a Golden Globe Award for Best Male Newcomer for the film, The Pad (and How to Use It) (1966).

In 1969, he starred opposite Patty Duke in the film Me, Natalie. Farentino was one of the lawyers in NBC's TV series The Bold Ones (1969–1972), which also starred Burl Ives and Joseph Campanella. He made two appearances in the 1970s anthology television series Night Gallery, once with then-wife Michele Lee ("Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay"), and next with actress Joanna Pettet ("The Girl with the Hungry Eyes"). Also in 1970, Farentino appeared as Pick Lexington in The Men from Shiloh (the repackaged name of the popular long-running TV Western The Virginian) in the episode titled "The Best Man". In 1973, he appeared in the episode "The Soft, Kind Brush" of the romantic anthology series Love Story. During the 1970s, he appeared on NBC's Cool Million.

In 1978, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his portrayal of Simon Peter in the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. In 1980, Farentino starred in The Final Countdown with Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen, and then played Juan Perón opposite Faye Dunaway's Eva Perón in the 1981 television film Evita Perón. Farentino appeared as Frank Chaney in the short-lived 1984 ABC series Blue Thunder, based on the 1983 film of the same name, starring Roy Scheider. He starred as Dr. Nick Toscanni on the second season of Dynasty from 1981 to 1982. In the late 1990s, he appeared as the estranged father of lead character Doug Ross on ER.

Personal life

In 1962, Farentino married Elizabeth Ashley. The couple divorced in 1965. He was married to Michele Lee from 1966 to 1982. Farentino and Lee had a son, David in 1969. Farentino and Deborah Mullowney married in 1985 and divorced in 1988. He married Stella Farentino in 1994.

Farentino was charged with stalking Tina Sinatra in 1993. A restraining order was issued against him after he entered a plea of nolo contendere.

Farentino was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on July 23, 1991, after Canada Customs intercepted a package containing 3.2 g of cocaine being sent to his hotel room. He was charged with cocaine possession and released on bail.

In 2010, Farentino was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after a man alleged Farentino assaulted him when the actor tried to remove the man from his home.

Death

Farentino died at age 73 on January 24, 2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from sequelae, following a broken hip. Contributing factors to his death were diabetes, hypertensive arteriosclerotic cardiopulmonary disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

James Farentino at the Internet Broadway Database