James Farentino
Encyclopedia
James Farentino is an American
actor. He has appeared in almost one hundred roles, among them in The Final Countdown, Jesus of Nazareth, and Dynasty
.
, in the episode "Super-Star" of the CBS drama series, The Reporter
, with Harry Guardino
in the starring role of journalist Danny Taylor of the fictitious New York Globe newspaper
. Early in 1967, he appeared in Barry Sullivan
's NBC
western
series The Road West
in the episode "Reap the Whirlwind".
In 1969, he starred opposite Patty Duke
in the film Me, Natalie
. Farentino was one of the lawyers in NBC TV series The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (1969–1972) which also starred Burl Ives and Joseph Campanella. He made two appearances in the 1970s anthology television series Night Gallery
, with wife Michele Lee
in "Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay," and again with Joanna Pettet
in "The Girl With The Hungry Eyes."In the 70,s he was in a mystery movie series called cool million. In 1978 he was nominated for an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special for his portrayal of Saint Peter
in the mini-series, Jesus of Nazareth. In 1980, Farentino starred in "The Final Countdown" with Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen. In the movie, the super carrier U.S.S. Nimitz (captained by Douglas) is sent back in time by a strange storm at sea to Dec. 6,1941 (the day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor) The Captain must decide whether to use the force of the modern warship Nimitz to stop the attack or to allow history to proceed as "normal". Farentino also 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
. (The 11-episode series, which also starred a then-unknown Dana Carvey
, was released on DVD
in August 2006.) In the late 1990s, he appeared as Doug Ross
' estranged father, "Ray," on ER
.
Farentino was charged with stalking
his former girlfriend, Tina Sinatra
(youngest child of Frank Sinatra
), in 1993. A restraining order
was issued against him after he entered a plea of No Contest
.
Farentino was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on July 23, 1991, after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
intercepted a package containing 3.2 grams of cocaine
being sent to his hotel
room. Farentino was in town filming the TV movie, "Miles From Nowhere." He was charge
d with cocaine possession and released on bail.
In 2010 Farentino was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after a citizen's arrest was made on the 72-year-old actor. Police were called to Farentino's Hollywood home. He was taken into custody and booked at the LAPD's Hollywood-area station. Farentino was released two days later after posting $20,000 bond. Police said the actor was trying to physically remove a man from his house. The man, who police said suffered visible bruising, made a citizen's arrest on Farentino for battery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor. He has appeared in almost one hundred roles, among them in The Final Countdown, Jesus of Nazareth, and Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
.
Career
Among his many television appearances, Farentino guest starred in 1964 with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. is an American actor known for his starring roles in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I. He is also known as recurring character "Dandy Jim Buckley" in the series Maverick and as the voice behind the character Alfred Pennyworth in Batman: The Animated Series...
, in the episode "Super-Star" of the CBS drama series, The Reporter
The Reporter (TV series)
The Reporter is an American drama series that aired on CBS from September 25 to December 18, 1964. The series was created by Jerome Weidman and developed by executive producers Keefe Brasselle and John Simon.-Synopsis:...
, with Harry Guardino
Harry Guardino
Harry Guardino was an American actor whose career spanned from the early 1950s to the early 1990s. In 1964, he was cast in a short-lived CBS series entitled The Reporter, a drama about a hard-hitting investigative journalist named Danny Taylor. His principal co-star was Gary Merrill as city...
in the starring role of journalist Danny Taylor of the fictitious New York Globe newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. Early in 1967, he appeared in Barry Sullivan
Barry Sullivan (actor)
Barry Sullivan was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s.Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football...
's NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series The Road West
The Road West
The Road West is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1966 to May 1, 1967 for twenty-nine episodes with rebroadcasts continuing until August 28. The hour-long series, sponsored by Kraft Foods, aired in the 9 p.m...
in the episode "Reap the Whirlwind".
In 1969, he starred opposite Patty Duke
Patty Duke
Anna Marie "Patty" Duke is an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16, and later starring in her eponymous sitcom for three years, she progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely...
in the film Me, Natalie
Me, Natalie
Me, Natalie is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Fred Coe. The screenplay by A. Martin Zweiback is based on an original story by Academy Award-winner Stanley Shapiro, who previously wrote Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, and That Touch of Mink for Doris Day...
. Farentino was one of the lawyers in NBC TV series The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (1969–1972) which also starred Burl Ives and Joseph Campanella. He made two appearances in the 1970s anthology television series Night Gallery
Night Gallery
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
, with wife Michele Lee
Michele Lee
Michele Lee is an American singer, dancer, actress, producer, director and frequent game show panelist of the 1970s. She is best-known for her role as Karen Cooper Fairgate MacKenzie on the 1980s prime-time soap opera, Knots Landing...
in "Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay," and again with Joanna Pettet
Joanna Pettet
Joanna Pettet is a British actress.-Biography:Her parents, Harold Nigel Edgerton Salmon, a British Royal Air Force pilot killed in World War II, and mother, Cecily J. Tremaine, were married in London in 1940...
in "The Girl With The Hungry Eyes."In the 70,s he was in a mystery movie series called cool million. In 1978 he was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special for his portrayal of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
in the mini-series, Jesus of Nazareth. In 1980, Farentino starred in "The Final Countdown" with Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen. In the movie, the super carrier U.S.S. Nimitz (captained by Douglas) is sent back in time by a strange storm at sea to Dec. 6,1941 (the day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor) The Captain must decide whether to use the force of the modern warship Nimitz to stop the attack or to allow history to proceed as "normal". Farentino also appeared as "Frank Chaney" in the short-lived 1984 ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
series Blue Thunder
Blue Thunder (TV series)
Blue Thunder is a 1984 ABC TV series based on the movie of the same title featuring the Blue Thunder helicopter.The series used the converted Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopter and large portions of stock footage from the 1983 film. A ground unit named "Rolling Thunder" backed up the helicopter in...
, based on the 1983 film of the same name starring Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
. (The 11-episode series, which also starred a then-unknown Dana Carvey
Dana Carvey
Dana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
, was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in August 2006.) In the late 1990s, he appeared as Doug Ross
Doug Ross
Dr. Douglas "Doug" Ross is a fictional character from the television series ER, portrayed by George Clooney. George Clooney's removal from the main cast opening credits was in the 16th episode of season 5.-Plot details:...
' estranged father, "Ray," on ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
.
Personal life
Farentino has been married to:- Stella FarentinoStella FarentinoStella Farentino is the fourth wife of actor James Farentino and she went on to become an actress herself.-Career:A couple of years after marrying actor James Farentino, Stella Farentino began her own acting career....
(August 3, 1994–present) (Stella filed for divorce in 1998 due to "irreconcilable differencesIrreconcilable differencesThe concept of irreconcilable differences provides a possible ground for divorce in a number of jurisdictions.In Australian family law with no-fault divorce it is the sole ground, adequate proof being that the estranged couple have been separated more than 12 months.In the United States it can be...
," but later withdrew her petition. Then, James himself filed for divorce in January 2001, also due to "irreconcilable differences") - Debrah FarentinoDebrah FarentinoDebrah Farentino is an American model and actress.-Early life:Farentino was born Deborah Mullowney in Lucas Valley, California. She attended Miller Creek Junior High School, and Terra Linda High School in San Rafael, California...
(June 1985-1988) (divorced) - Michele LeeMichele LeeMichele Lee is an American singer, dancer, actress, producer, director and frequent game show panelist of the 1970s. She is best-known for her role as Karen Cooper Fairgate MacKenzie on the 1980s prime-time soap opera, Knots Landing...
(February 20, 1966–1982) (divorced); one child, David - Elizabeth AshleyElizabeth AshleyElizabeth Ashley is an American actress who first came to prominence as the ingenue in the Broadway play Take Her, She's Mine, which earned her a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play.-Early life:...
(September 1, 1962–1965) (divorced)
Farentino was charged with stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
his former girlfriend, Tina Sinatra
Tina Sinatra
Christina "Tina" Sinatra is the youngest child of Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy Barbato Sinatra. Christina's parents divorced when she was three years old...
(youngest child of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
), in 1993. A restraining order
Restraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
was issued against him after he entered a plea of No Contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
.
Farentino was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on July 23, 1991, after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
intercepted a package containing 3.2 grams of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
being sent to his hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
room. Farentino was in town filming the TV movie, "Miles From Nowhere." He was charge
Criminal charge
A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can take several forms, including:* complaint...
d with cocaine possession and released on bail.
In 2010 Farentino was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after a citizen's arrest was made on the 72-year-old actor. Police were called to Farentino's Hollywood home. He was taken into custody and booked at the LAPD's Hollywood-area station. Farentino was released two days later after posting $20,000 bond. Police said the actor was trying to physically remove a man from his house. The man, who police said suffered visible bruising, made a citizen's arrest on Farentino for battery.