Gary Basaraba (born March 16, 1959) is a Canadian actor. He appeared as Sergeant Richard Santoro on Steven Bochco's Brooklyn South and Officer Ray Hechler on the critically acclaimed but short-lived Boomtown. He has worked for Martin Scorsese three times, first in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and then The Irishman (2019) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

Gary Basaraba
Basaraba in 2003
Born (1959-03-16) March 16, 1959 (age 65)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada[1]
Alma materYale Drama School
OccupationActor
Years active1985–present

Career

edit

In 1985 he portrayed the father, Jack Grainger, in the film One Magic Christmas with Mary Steenburgen. In 1987, he appeared in the episodes "Duty and Honor" (3x15) and "Honor Among Thieves" (4x16) of the TV series Miami Vice.

Basaraba played American journalist Heywood Broun in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle in 1994, and in 1996 appeared as Alberto in Striptease. He played Sheriff Grady Kilgore in Fried Green Tomatoes. He also played Saint Andrew in The Last Temptation of Christ, and had a role in Sweet Dreams.

In 2001 he had the lead role in Recipe for Murder.[2]

Basaraba played Homer Zuckerman in the 2006 remake of Charlotte's Web. Since 2007, he has appeared in the Canadian television series Mixed Blessings.

Basaraba has also made four appearances in the Law & Order franchise, as a bartender in the original series episode titled "Point of View", as a corrections officer in the Law & Order episode "The Brotherhood" in 2004, as well as in the SVU episodes entitled "Parasites", as the husband of a woman who has gone missing, and "Caretaker" as a defense attorney.

In 2010, he played the role of Jimmy Burke in "After Hours", the tenth episode of the first season of the CBS police procedural drama Blue Bloods.

Basaraba also played the role of Herb Rennet in the television series Mad Men.[3] He was also the voice of Hefty Smurf in the live-action/CG family film The Smurfs.[4] In 2015, he played the role of Neil on an episode of The Leftovers. In 2016, he played the role of Don in The Accountant.

In the Martin Scorsese 2019 epic crime film The Irishman, Basaraba played Frank "Fitz" Fitzsimmons, who was the acting president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1967 to 1971, and president from 1971 to 1981. In 2023, he appeared in Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Alamo Bay Leon
Sweet Dreams Woodhouse
One Magic Christmas Jack Grainger
1986 No Mercy Joe Collins
1987 Who's That Girl Shipping Clerk
1988 The Last Temptation of Christ Andrew
1989 Little Sweetheart Barkeeper
1991 The Dark Wind Larry
Fried Green Tomatoes Grady Kilgore
1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Heywood Broun
The War Dodge
1996 Striptease Alberto
1997 Lifebreath John
2002 K-9: P.I. Pete Timmons
Unfaithful Det. Mirojnick
2006 Charlotte's Web Homer Zuckerman
2009 The Taking of Pelham 123 Jerry Pollard
2011 The Smurfs Hefty (voice)
The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol
2013 The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow
The Smurfs 2
2016 The Accountant Don
2017 Suburbicon Mitch
2018 American Animals Warren Lipka Senior
Little Italy Vince Campo
2019 The Irishman Frank Fitzsimmons
2023 Sound of Freedom Earl Backman
Killers of the Flower Moon William J. Burns

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1987, 1989 Miami Vice Cyrus / Dr. Morris 2 episodes
1991 In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas Leland Winters Television film
1992 Afterburn Bill Decker
1992, 2004 Law & Order Various roles 2 episodes
1993 For Their Own Good Roy Wheeler Television film
1994 Northern Exposure Willie Episode: "Up River"
1994, 2000 NYPD Blue Various roles 3 episodes
1995 New York Undercover Tirelli Episode: "Eliminate the Middleman"
1995 A Horse for Danny Solly Television film
1995 The Wright Verdicts Arthur Broat Episode: "Family Matters"
1995 Homicide: Life on the Street Paul Garbarek Episode: "A Doll's Eyes"
1996 Swift Justice Davis Malcolm Episode: "Isaiah's Daughter"
1996 The Writing on the Wall Leafman Television film
1997 Dead Silence Shephard Wilcox
1997 What Happened to Bobby Earl? Jack Dietrick
1997 The Outer Limits Ben Miller Episode: "Heart's Desire"
1997 Falls Road Charlie Kilmer Television film
1997–1998 Brooklyn South Richard Santoro 22 episodes
1998 Martial Law Tom McNiece Episode: "Cop Out"
1999 Holy Joe Ernie Blevins Television film
1999 Early Edition Sam Cooper Episode: "The Out-of-Towner"
1999 Family Law Maury French Episode: "Holt vs. Holt"
1999 Partners John Boone Episode: "Pilot"
2000 Cold Shoulder Rooney Television film
2001 The Sports Pages Frank
2001 Mysterious Ways Joe Stanislaw Episode: "Doctor in the House"
2001, 2002 Judging Amy Brian Whitaker 3 episodes
2001, 2018 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Various roles 2 episodes
2002 Guilty Hearts Matt Moran Television film
2002 Third Watch Joe Episode: "Unleashed"
2002 Recipe for Murder Murray Maguire Television film
2002–2003 Boomtown Officer Ray Hechler 24 episodes
2004 Everwood Mr. Curtis Episode: "Controlling Interest"
2005 Close to Home Randy Stevens Episode: "Double Life Wife"
2005 Everybody Hates Chris Art Wuliger 2 episodes
2006 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Mr. Sullivan Episode: "Killer"
2006 Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise Norman Shaw Television film
2007 Las Vegas Ned Oshinski Episode: "Barechested in the Park"
2007 Nip/Tuck Arthur Episode: "Dr. Joshua Lee"
2007–2010 Mixed Blessings Hank 25 episodes
2008 Recount Clay Roberts Television film
2008 Danny Fricke Whitaker
2009 Numbers Joe Thibodeaux Episode: "Arrow of Time"
2009 Cold Case Vinnie Buonaforte / Brown Episode: "Witness Protection"
2010 Blue Bloods Jimmy Burke Episode: "After Hours"
2011 Flashpoint Sgt. Oliver MacCoy Episode: "No Promise"
2011 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior William Meeks Episode: "Here Is the Fire"
2011 Castle Ralph Carbone Episode: "Slice of Death"
2011 Unforgettable Lt. Willard Episode: "With Honor"
2012 Hornet's Nest Seth Television film
2012 The Mentalist Stephen Hannigan Episode: "Red Dawn"
2012, 2013 Mad Men Herb Rennet 3 episodes
2013 Person of Interest Stu Sommers Episode: "Nothing to Hide"
2014 Justified Kemp Episode: "Raw Deal"
2014 Bones Bob Gordon Episode: "The Purging of the Pundit"
2014 Forever Norman Sontag Episode: "The Man in the Killer Suit"
2015 The Leftovers Neil Episode: "International Assassin"
2016 Madam Secretary Tom Ryan Episode: "Invasive Species"
2016 NCIS: New Orleans Dr. Steven Bellamy Episode: "Second Line"
2016 Grey's Anatomy Micah Episode: "You Haven't Done Nothin'"
2017 Chicago Justice William O'Boyle 2 episodes
2018 Criminal Minds James Odenkirk Episode: "Last Gasp"
2019 Doom Patrol Big D Episode: "Frances Patrol"
2022 Women of the Movement Clarence Strider 5 episodes
2023 Paul T. Goldman Royce Auditioner Episode: "Royce"

References

edit
  1. ^ "Gary Basaraba Biography (1959-)". Filmreference.com.
  2. ^ "Recipe for Murder (2001): New York chief medical examiner Murray Maguire (Gary Basaraba) refuses to believe that his goddaughter's death was an accident, and investigates the case". Television Guide. 53: 94. 2005.
  3. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (May 14, 2015). "The 10 best 'Mad Men' episodes: A critical ranking of the show's most memorable moments". Salon.
  4. ^ Sperling, Nicole (April 29, 2010). "Smurfs casting update: 'SNL' cast members and John Oliver join voice cast". Hollywood Insider. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
edit