JL
Photo of James Luisi

James Luisi

Actor
Died June 7, 2002 (73 years)
A native New Yorker, James Luisi attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights on a basketball scholarship. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He then played one season (1953-54) with the Baltimore Bullets in the National Basketball Association. His acting career began on the stage with early parts coming in the Broadway musicals "Sweet Charity" and "Zorba". His early movies were minor, though his "beefcake" appeal was evident in 1973's I Escaped from Devil's Island (1973) in which he rarely wore a shirt. Most of his later work was on TV. In 1976 he shared a "best actor" daytime Emmy for playing George Washington in a daytime drama special titled First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington (1975). Also in 1976 he started his four-season role as Jim Rockford's (James Garner) nemesis Lt. Chapman in The Rockford Files (1974). In 1983 he played the cop in charge of some street-gang-members-turned-undercover-agents in the short-lived series The Renegades (1983), which provided a boost for Patrick Swayze, who played one of the gang members. Along with guest spots on numerous TV shows, Luisi also appeared in the soap operas Days of Our Lives (1965) and Another World (1964).

In the 1990s he returned to acting in and directing stage work in the Los Angeles area. Stricken with cancer he passed away on 7 June 2002 and is survived by his wife of 41 years, the former Georgia Phillips.
Movies & Shows on Plex
  • Bonanza
  • The Rifleman
  • Ben
  • Knots Landing
  • Silk Stalkings
  • Stunts
  • Wanted
Known For
  • Murphy's Law
  • Fade to Black
  • Killer's Delight
  • Feds
  • Ben
  • Moment by Moment
  • I Escaped from Devil's Island
  • Stunts
  • The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits...
  • One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
  • The Most Dangerous Woman Alive
  • The Rockford Files
  • The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play
  • The Take
  • Sunset Limousine
  • Hawkins

Filmography

1998
Wanted · as Vincent Argento
1996
1996
1995
Baywatch Nights (TV Series) · as Murray
1992
Tequila and Bonetti (TV Series) · as Harry Dirday
1991
1991
Dark Justice (TV Series)
1988
Feds · as Sperry
1988
The Most Dangerous Woman Alive · as Colonel Jerry Maxim
1987
The Hidden · as Ferrari Salesman
1987
Private Eye (TV Series) · as Geoffers
1986
L.A. Law (TV Series) · as Paul Viola
1986
Murphy's Law · as Ed Reineke
1986
The Hogan Family (TV Series)
1985
Hell Town (TV Series)
1984
Partners in Crime (TV Series)
1984
Finder of Lost Loves (TV Series) · as Jordan Hollis
1984
Santa Barbara (TV Series) · as Ben Clark
1984
The Red-Light Sting · as Renny Lucas
1984
Riptide (1984) (TV Series) · as Uptown Bill Brown
1983
Sunset Limousine · as Angel
1983
Whiz Kids (TV Series) · as Hicks
1983
Star 80 · as Roy
1983
The Renegades (TV Series) · as Lt. Marciano
1983
The A-Team (TV Series) · as Jimmy Durkee
1982
Matt Houston (TV Series)
1982
Knight Rider (TV Series) · as D.g. Grebs
1982
The Renegades · as Lt. Joe Marciano
1982
T.J. Hooker (TV Series) · as Vincent Hazzard / George Laszlo
1981
Simon & Simon (TV Series) · as Jimmy Cole
1981
The Fall Guy (TV Series)
1981
Today's FBI (TV Series) · as Regosi
1981
The Sophisticated Gents (TV Series) · as Buonfiglio
1980
Magnum, P.I. (TV Series)
1980
It's a Living (TV Series) · as Roscoe Simpson
1980
Fade to Black · as Capt. M.l. Gallagher
1980
Here's Boomer (TV Series)
1979
Knots Landing (TV Series) · as Lieutenant Gilbert Garcia
1979
Hart to Hart (TV Series)
1979
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV Series) · as Hood
1979
Norma Rae · as George Benson
1978
Moment by Moment · as Dan Santini
1978
1978
Sword of Justice (TV Series)
1978
1978
Killer's Delight · as Sgt. Vince De Carlo
1978
Vega$ (TV Series)
1978
1977
Contract on Cherry Street · as Al Palmini / Arnold Palmer
1977
CHiPs (TV Series)
1977
Stunts · as Alvin Blake
1977
Fantasy Island (TV Series) · as Arbogast
1976
Quincy, M.E. (TV Series)
1976
Black Sheep Squadron (TV Series) · as Col. Frank Hutton
1976
Hunter (1977) (TV Series)
1976
Future Cop (TV Series) · as Paterno
1976
Most Wanted (TV Series) · as Johnny Moore
1976
Good Heavens (TV Series)
1976
1975
Wonder Woman (TV Series) · as George
1975
Starsky & Hutch (TV Series)
1975
S.W.A.T. (TV Series)
1974
The Take · as Benedetto
1974
Honky Tonk · as Blackie
1974
The Rockford Files (TV Series) · as Burt Stryker
1974
Manhunter (TV Series) · as Crowley
1974
Chopper One (TV Series) · as Eddie
1973
Cry Rape · as Det. Kroger
1973
1973
Kojak (TV Series) · as Capt. Henry 'hank' Rosseau
1973
Police Story (TV Series)
1973
Hawkins (TV Series) · as Andy Tyler
1973
Barnaby Jones (TV Series) · as Nick Gorman
1972
Anna and the King (TV Series) · as Cast
1972
1972
Ben · as Ed
1972
Ghost Story (TV Series) · as Rick
1972
The Rookies (TV Series)
1971
Cade's County (TV Series) · as Hal Claybourne
1971
Cannon (TV Series)
1971
Owen Marshall, Counselor At Law (TV Series) · as Tom Mundy
1970
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series) · as Doug
1970
The Interns (TV Series) · as Nick
1968
Adam-12 (TV Series) · as Antonio Minetti
1967
Mannix (TV Series) · as Bobby Quinn
1967
The Tiger Makes Out · as Pete Copolla
1967
Ironside (TV Series) · as Mike Purcell
1965
Days of our Lives (TV Series) · as Duke Johnson
1965
The F.B.I. (TV Series) · as Little Julio
1964
Another World (TV Series)
1963
East Side/West Side (TV Series) · as Walter (bartender)
1963
The Doctors (TV Series) · as Fred Dalton
1961
Target: The Corruptors (TV Series) · as Burt Granz
1959
Bonanza (TV Series) · as Willard
1958
Naked City (TV Series) · as Mark Andrew
1958
1955
Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Ivers
1954
Disneyland (TV Series) · as Foreman
1952
This Is The Life (TV Series) · as Pastor

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