Dennis Farina - My Valentine
by Jeff Mauro


Lets all face it. Dennis Farina is by far the most underrated Chicago cop turned actor of our generation. Having grown up in a household devoted to pork Jesus and all things Farina, I realize I may be partial. I remember on Easter Sunday when my father crept away to the basement to watch an bootleg copy of "Crime Story." It seems like it was just yesterday when my mother threw a Dennis-themed pool party at my Uncle Mike's house (Uncle Nick assured us he was going to show up, but to no avail his shoot ran long and he supposedly sent his kindest regards). Instead of pin the tail on the donkey, all of the kids played pin the stache' on the Farina. Giggles galore!

But I urge you to take a step back and observe this man's talent and machismo. Throw in his sparkling white jibs, a strong chin, and a big fat CIGAR and its damn hard to except that Dennis does not have six Oscars and two Grammy's! From his breakthrough role in "Thief" with Jimmy Caan to his most recent cast carrying performance on HBO's ensemble tour de force "Empire Falls" this man's range is boundless. You might remember him from the classic "Midnight Run" where his character not only threatened his goons with a CLASSIC pencil stabbing, but also threatened Bobby Dinero's skills as an actor. Bobby Dinero once said about Dennis. "D-Man(Farina) is the most overlooked character actor of the 1900's and 2000's. He's taught me a lot about respect and dedication. When I am on screen with him, I DON'T EXIST."

Holy fucking shit, Bobby D actually said that. Being a Hollywood man my self, I am constantly immersed in the "Industry" and through various contacts I have access to Hollywood's main vain. Last week I heard from the director Ridley Scott's sister's assistant that they actually shot 46% of the blockbuster "Gladiator" before even casting Russell Crowe. DO you know who played Maximus before Crowe? Click Below to find out....

That's right kids, for two months, Farina was the STAR of "Gladiator." Scott pulled him out midway through because he felt that Dennis's performance during the tigers vs. Maximus scene was impossible. Not impossible because Dennis didn't look fit enough to destroy tigers, but impossible because the TIGERS feared the hell out of DENNIS. Straight UP! I guess Cameron couldn't get the fraidy beasts to quit shitting themselves in the presence of Dennis.

Dennis Farina has it all, attempts it all, and does it all. It doesn't matter if he's a New York diamond merchant ("Snatch") or a southern lieutenant ("China Beach") he always kills each role with a dedicated fury and a deep Chicago accent that never seems to wane. I will leave you with Dennis's personal thoughts on acting....

"Some people approach acting with all these things in their head, making it more complicated than it needs to be, way too cerebral. I don't want to know that an actor lived in a cave for 12 days so that he could prepare for a part."

Now thats a man's man, a women's wet nightmare. Dennis Farina, jeffmauro.com salutes you with out Lifetime Achievement Award for Groundbreaking Manishness and Machismoness. Your bust will forever grace these pages. God Bless you and Happy Valentines Day.