George Dzundza

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George Dzundza
Born (1945-07-19) July 19, 1945 (age 76)
Rosenheim, Germany
OccupationActor
Years active1973–2011
Spouse(s)
Mary Jo Vermeulen
​
(m. 1982)​
Children3

George Dzundza (/ˈzʊndzə/ ZUUND-zə;[1] born July 19, 1945) is an American television and film actor.

Early life and education[]

Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, to a Ukrainian Unterlander father and Polish Galitzianer mother who were forced into factory labour by the Nazis.[2] He spent the first few years of his life in displaced persons camps with his parents and one brother.[3]

Before emigrating to the United States in 1956, the family lived in Amsterdam for some years. His family then moved to the US, settling in New York City, where George attended Xavier High School. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen.[4]

Career[]

Dzundza had his own 1981 sitcom series Open All Night, about the owner of a "Store 364" convenience store in Inglewood, California.[5] He portrayed American Nazi leader Frank Collin in the 1981 made-for-television movie Skokie.[6]

In 1987, Dzundza played Sam Hesselman, a disabled man in a wheelchair, in No Way Out[7] and Commander Daskal in The Beast. [8]His other major film roles include The Deer Hunter, White Hunter Black Heart, Streamers, Basic Instinct, Crimson Tide, and Dangerous Minds.

He was an original cast member of the long-running NBC drama Law & Order, playing NYPD Sergeant Max Greevey in the first season only. He was disappointed when he realized that Law & Order would be more of an ensemble show rather than a show starring him. Though his castmates liked his portrayal of Greevey, they increasingly felt uncomfortable around Dzundza, who was also under stress from the commute between New York City and his home in Los Angeles. Dzundza quit after the first season of the show,[9] making his last full appearance in the season finale, "The Blue Wall". His character (portrayed by an extra with his back to the camera) was murdered in the second season premiere episode, "Confession".

His other acting work includes an appearance on The Waltons (1975), playing the Archie Bunker-like father in the short-lived Christina Applegate sitcom Jesse, and voicing supervillain the Ventriloquist in Batman: The Animated Series and Perry White in Superman: The Animated Series, as well as numerous minor roles such as G. Carl Francis and Dr. Gregory Belson, within both shows. His Broadway theatre credits include Terrence McNally's The Ritz.

In 2005, he played Anubis (aka "Jim") in the Stargate SG-1 Season 8 episode "Threads". Dzundza portrayed George O'Malley's father Harold on Grey's Anatomy.

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Massage Parlor Murders Mr. Creepy
1974 Fischia Il Sesso Dean
1975 The Happy Hooker Chet
1978 The Deer Hunter John Welsh
1981 Honky Tonk Freeway Eugene
1983 Streamers Cokes
1984 Best Defense Steve Loparino
1986 No Mercy Captain Stemkowski
1987 No Way Out Sam Hesselman
No Man's Land Uncle Mike Uncredited
1988 The Beast Daskal
Honor Bound Wocjinski
1990 Impulse Lt. Joe Morgan
White Hunter Black Heart Paul Landers
1991 The Butcher's Wife Leo Lemke
1992 Basic Instinct Detective Gus Moran
1995 Crimson Tide Chief of the Boat (COB)
Dangerous Minds Hal Griffith
1997 That Darn Cat Boetticher
Do Me A Favor Wallace Muller
1998 Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero Dr. Gregory Belson (voice) Direct-to-video
Species II Colonel Carter Burgess Jr.
1999 Instinct Dr. John Murray
2000 Above Suspicion Stamos
2002 Determination of Death Mac
City by the Sea Reg Duffy
2005 National Lampoon's Adam & Eve Eve's dad
2006 Superman: Brainiac Attacks Perry White (voice) Direct-to-video
2010 The Chosen One Norman

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Kung Fu Mr. Evans / 1st John Episode: "Night of the Owls, Day of the Doves"
Great Performances Gentleman Episode: "King Lear"
1975 Movin' On Charlie Banner Episode: "From Baltimore to Eternity"
Starsky & Hutch Crandell Episode: "Snowstorm"
The Waltons A.J. Covington Episode: "The Abdication"
Grady George Kosinski 3 episodes
Joe Forrester Episode: "The Best Laid Schemes"
1976 Bert D'Angelo/Superstar Mike Zuber Episode: "Murder in Velvet"
1977 The Streets of San Francisco Paul Weber Episode: "The Canine Collar"
1978 The Defection of Simas Kudirka Gruzauskas TV film
1979 Salem's Lot Cully Sawyer 2 episodes

TV miniseries

1979–1980 Young Maverick Clem 2 episodes
1981 Skokie Frank Collin TV film
A Long Way Home Floyd Booth
1981–1982 Open All Night Gordon Feester 13 episodes
1983 The Face of Rage Nick TV film
Faerie Tale Theatre The Woodsman Episode: "Sleeping Beauty"
1984 The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck Lt. DeCarlo TV film
When She Says No Paul Fellows
1984, 1988 CBS Schoolbreak Special Mr. Elder / Arthur Jennings 2 episodes
1985 The Rape of Richard Beck Blastig TV film
Brotherly Love Lieutenant Conde
The Execution of Raymond Graham Prison Chaplain
1986 The Disney Sunday Movie Pete Selzer Episode: "2 1/2 Dad"
The Twilight Zone Colonel Ilyanov Episode: "Red Snow"
One Police Plaza Detective Gustav Stamm TV film
1987 Crime Story Ivan Ivanovitch Patchenko Episode: "Mig 21"
Glory Years John Moss TV film
1988 Something Is Out There Frank Dileo 2 episodes
1989 Terror on Highway 91 Sheriff Jessie Barton TV film
The Ryan White Story Dr. Kleiman
Cross of Fire Boyd Gurley TV miniseries (2 episodes) / TV film
1990–1991 Law & Order Sergeant Max Greevey 22 episodes
1992 What She Doesn't Know Jack Kilcoin TV film
1993–1995 Batman: The Animated Series G. Carl Francis / Thomas Jackson / Fisherman / Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist / Chubb / Armoured Truck Driver / Judge (voices) 6 episodes
1993 The Untouchables Warden Wyandotte 2 episodes
Animaniacs Ivan Bloski Episode: "Guardin' the Garden / Plane Pals"
1994 The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story Dr. Cecil Jacobson TV film
Matlock Michael Brennan Episode: "Brennen"
The Enemy Within Jake TV film
1996 The Limbic Region Lloyd
Road Rovers Gustav Hovac (voice) Episode: "Where Rovers Dare"
1996–1999 Superman: The Animated Series Perry White (voice) 8 episodes
1997 The New Batman Adventures Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist (voice) Episode: "Double Talk"
1998–1999 Jesse John Warner, Sr. 22 episodes
2000 Touched by an Angel Bud Baxter Episode: "The Empty Chair"
Third Watch Faith's Dad Episode: "Know Thyself"
2002 The Agency Helmut Episode: "The Gauntlet"
2002–2003 Hack Tom Grzelak 22 episodes
2005 Stargate SG-1 Jim/Anubis Episode: "Threads"
2005–2007 Grey's Anatomy Harold O'Malley TV series, 7 episodes
2006 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Coach Episode: "The Secret Snake Club vs. P.E. / King Tooten Pooten"
2008 October Road Gloy Daniels Episode: "Hat? No Hat?"
2009 The Beast Lieutenant Platko Episode: "Two Choices"
2011 Danni Lowinski Augustus 'Gus' Lowinski TV film

References[]

  1. ^ "Say How? A Pronunciation Guide to Names of Public Figures". Loc.gov. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  2. ^ "San Antonio Express-News Newspaper Archive, Newspaper, Archives | mySA.com". Docs.newsbank.com. 1998-12-26. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  3. ^ DATELINE NEW YORK: New Yorkers bring culture to Catskills (09/13/98) Archived January 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "George Dzundza Biography". Filmreference.com. 1945-07-19. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  5. ^ Handler, David (March 3, 1982). "'Open All Night' is weird -- but good". The Madison Courier. Madison, Indiana. p. B7. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  6. ^ "Film documents Skokie's resistance to Neo-Nazis". San Diego Jewish World. 2020-11-02. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  7. ^ "washingtonpost.com: 'No Way Out'". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  8. ^ critic, Dave Kehr, Movie. "'THE BEAST' INTRIGUES WITH ITS POINT OF VIEW". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  9. ^ Courrier, Kevin; Green, Susan (November 22, 1999). Law & Order: The Unofficial Companion (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, California: Renaissance Books. p. 111. ISBN 1-58063-108-8.

External links[]

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