Jon Raymond Polito was an American character actor and voice artist. In a film and television career spanning 35 years, he amassed over 220 credits.
Born: December 29, 1950, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: September 1, 2016, Duarte, California, USA
Cause of Death: Cancer
Nationality: American
Height: 5'8" (1.715m)

He was a veteran character actor who grew up in southwest Philidelphia and attended Villanova University on a drama scholarship. From there, he began a lengthy run on the New York stage. In 1977, he won his first Broadway job, understudying actor Kenneth McMillan in David Mamet's visceral drama, "American Buffalo", which also starred Robert Duvall. Other Broadway roles include "Curse of an Acting Heart". oposite Faye Dunaway, and the acclaimed revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman" with Dustin Hoffman as Willie Loman.

Off-Broadway, Polito originated roles in "Gemini" with Sigourney Weaver, "The Transformation of Benno Blimpie" and "Othe People's Money" oposite Mercedes Ruehl. He won on Obie Award as Best Actor in 1980 for five different performances at the Dodge Theater for the 1970-80 Season

The same year, he arrived in Hollywood, and immediately won a role in the television series "Gangster Chronicles". By the end of the decade, Polito landed the role with which he is most associated -- Johnny Casper, the colorful mob rival to Alber Finney's Irish gangster in the Coen Brother's "Miller's Crossing". Two years later, he he reunited with the fraternal filmmakers as a studio gofer in their Cannes Film Festival winner, "Barton Fink". He continued his association with the brothers in both "The Hudsucker Proxy" and in their recent release, "The Big Lebowwski". Recently, Polito has been seen in the very successful "Stuart Little" and "Rocky and Bullwinkle", and he is associated with the following slate of 2001 releases: "View from the Top" with Gwyneth Paltrow, "The Tailor of Panama" with Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush, and "Twentynine Palms" with Bill Pullman, Rachael Leigh Cook, and Chris O'Donnel and Michael Rappaport.

Polito has also appeared in such feature films as "Fluke", "The Crow", "The Freshmen" opposite Marlon Brando, "The Rocketeer", "Highlander", "Critical Condition", "Homeboy", "Fire with Fire", "Leather Jackets", Bushwhacked", "Blankman", and "Showtime's "The Defenders" opposite Beau Bridges and "The Apartment Complex", directed by Tobe Hooper.

On the small screen, Polito co-starred in such series as Barry Leninson's "Homicide: Life on the Street", Michael Mann's "Crime Story", "O'Hara", and John Landis' "Dream On". He has also guest -starred on "Millennium", "Veronica's Closet", "Seinfeld", "Roseanne", "Chicago Hope", "NYPD Blue", "Mad About You" and "Early Edition". He co-starred in Showtime's "Fallen Angels" (directed by Tom Hanks), the Cable ACE Award winning episode of HBO's anthology series, "Tales from the Crypt" (directed by Walter Hill), and reprised his Broadway role in the CBS-TV production of "Death of a Salesman". 2001also has Jon Polito shooting the Sci-Fi Channel's newest series, "The Chronicle" and he will also be seen as a woman on an upcoming episode of HBO's "The Chris Isaak Show".

Representation:
Personal Management:
Mindel/Donegan
310-858-0333

Jon Polito's advice to the aspiring actor:

"You can't act alone.... Use the props, the setting, the crew around you, and of course your fellow actors. Acting is like a sporting match; a tennis game, but no one should win or lose.... The game's the thing!"

FILM

Twentynine Palms Calculated Risk A View From the Top Black Mask 2 The Man Who Wasn't There The Tailor of Panama Stuart Little Rocky & Bullwinkle Mimic 2 The Shrink is In Miller's Crossing Barton Fink The Crow The Freshman The Rocketeer Highlander The Hudsucker Proxy The Big Lubowski Music From Another Room Bushwhacked Critical Condition Blankman The Apartment Complex

Dir. Leornardo Ricagni Dir. Van Fischer Dir. Bruno Barreto Dir. Tsui Hark Dir. Joel Cohen Dir. John Boorman Dir. Rob Minkoff Dir. Des McAnuff Dir. Jean De Segonozac Dir. Richard Benjamin Dir. Joel Cohen Dir. Joel Cohen Dir. Alex Provas Dir. Andrew Bergman Dir. Joe Johnson Dir. Russel Mulcany Dir. Joel Cohen Dir. Joel Cohen Dir. Charlie Peters Dir. Greg Greman Dir. Michael Apted Dir. Mike Binder Tobe Hooper

TELEVISION

The Chronicle (Series Regular) Homicide: Life on the Street (Series Regular) Crime Story (Series Regular) Hearts are Wild (Series Regular) O'Hara (Series Regular) The Gangster Chronicles (Series Regular) Dream On (Series Regular) The Chris Isaak Show (Guest Star) The Drew Carey Show (Guest Star) Gideon's Crossing (Guest Star) Popular (Guest Star) The Late Show w/David Letterman Millenium (Guest Star) Veronica's Closet (Guest Star) Seinfeld (Guest Star) E.R. (Guest Star) Roseanne (Guest Star) Chicago Hope (Guest Star) NYPD Blue (Guest Star) Mad About You (Guest Star) Early Edition (Guest Star) Life Without Louie (Guest Star) The Pretender (Guest Star) Fallen Angels (Guest Star) Tales From The Crypt (Guest Star)

Sci-Fi NBC NBC CBS ABC NBC HBO Showtime ABC ABC WBN CBS FOX NBC NBC NBC ABC CBS ABC NBC CBS FOX NBC Showtime Showtime

For more info and credits see

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