George Dzundza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Dzundza
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | July 19, 1945 |
| Alma mater | St. John's University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1973–2011 |
| Spouse(s) |
Mary Jo Vermeulen
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 3 |
George Dzundza (born July 19, 1945) is a well-known American actor who is now retired. He has appeared in many movies and TV shows. You might recognize him from films like The Deer Hunter, Basic Instinct, and Crimson Tide.
On television, he played Sergeant Max Greevey in the first season of Law & Order. He was also Tom Grzelack in Hack and Harold O'Malley in Grey's Anatomy. Kids might know his voice from cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series, where he voiced The Ventriloquist, and Superman: The Animated Series, where he was the voice of Perry White.
Contents
Early Life and Education
George Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, in 1945. His father was from Kalush, Ukraine, and his mother was from Lviv. During World War II, his parents were forced to work in factories by the Nazis.
After the war, George spent his first few years living in special camps for people who had been displaced from their homes. In 1949, his family moved to Amsterdam. Then, in 1956, they moved to the United States and settled in New York City.
George went to Xavier High School in Manhattan. He later studied at St. John's University. He also learned acting from famous teachers like Stella Adler and Harold Clurman.
Acting Career
George Dzundza started acting in college after another student encouraged him. His first professional acting job was in a play called King Lear in 1973. This play was part of the New York Shakespeare Festival.
He also performed in several plays on Broadway, which is famous for its live shows. Some of these plays included The Ritz and Legend.
Film Roles
George Dzundza has been in many movies. In 1978, he appeared in the film The Deer Hunter. In 1983, he starred in a movie called Streamers. For this film, he and the other actors won an award called the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival.
He also played a disabled man in a wheelchair in the 1987 movie No Way Out. Other notable films he appeared in include Basic Instinct (1992), Crimson Tide (1995), and Dangerous Minds (1995).
Television Roles
On television, George Dzundza was one of the first actors in the popular show Law & Order. He played Sergeant Max Greevey in the first season, from 1990 to 1991.
He also had roles in other TV series. He was in an episode of The Waltons in 1975. Later, he voiced the supervillain The Ventriloquist in Batman: The Animated Series. He also voiced Perry White in Superman: The Animated Series.
In 2005, he appeared in the science fiction show Stargate SG-1. From 2005 to 2007, he played Harold O'Malley, the father of George O'Malley, in the medical drama Grey's Anatomy.
Personal Life
George Dzundza married Mary Jo Vermeulen in 1982. They have three daughters and two grandchildren.
Today, George Dzundza is semi-retired from acting. He lives in Astoria, Oregon, where he enjoys directing plays for local theater groups.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Massage Parlor Murders | Mr. Creepy | Also assistant director |
| 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 | COB Walters | |
| 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 | Television film |
| 1979 | Salem's Lot | Cully Sawyer | Miniseries |
| 1979–1980 | Young Maverick | Clem | 2 episodes |
| 1981 | Skokie | Frank Collin | Television film |
| A Long Way Home | Floyd Booth | ||
| 1981–1982 | Open All Night | Gordon Feester | 13 episodes |
| 1983 | The Face of Rage | Nick | Television film |
| Faerie Tale Theatre | The Woodsman | Episode: "Sleeping Beauty" | |
| 1984 | The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck | Lt. DeCarlo | Television film |
| When She Says No | Paul Fellows | ||
| 1984, 1988 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Mr. Elder / Arthur Jennings | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | The ... of Richard Beck | Blastig | Television 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 | Television film | |
| 1987 | Crime Story | Ivan Ivanovitch Patchenko | Episode: "Mig 21" |
| Glory Years | John Moss | Television film | |
| 1988 | Something Is Out There | Frank Dileo | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Terror on Highway 91 | Sheriff Jessie Barton | Television film |
| The Ryan White Story | Dr. Kleiman | ||
| Cross of Fire | Boyd Gurley | Miniseries | |
| 1990–91 | Law & Order | Sergeant Max Greevey | Main cast (22 episodes) |
| 1992 | What She Doesn't Know | Jack Kilcoin | Television film |
| 1993–95 | Batman: The Animated Series | Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist, G. Carl Francis, Chubb (voices) | 6 episodes |
| 1993 | The Untouchables | Warden Wyandotte | 3 episodes |
| Animaniacs | Ivan Bloski (voice) | Episode: "Plane Pals" | |
| 1994 | The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story | Cecil Jacobson | Television film |
| Matlock | Michael Brennan | Episode: "Brennan" | |
| The Enemy Within | Jake | Television film | |
| 1996 | The Limbic Region | Lloyd | |
| Road Rovers | Gustav Hovac (voice) | Episode: "Where Rovers Dare" | |
| 1996–99 | Superman: The Animated Series | Perry White (voice) | 10 episodes |
| 1997 | The New Batman Adventures | Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist (voice) | Episode: "Double Talk" |
| 1998–99 | Jesse | John Warner Sr. | Main cast (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" |
| 2002–03 | Hack | Tom Grzelak | Main cast (22 episodes) |
| 2005 | Stargate SG-1 | Jim/Anubis | Episode: "Threads" |
| 2005–07 | Grey's Anatomy | Harold O'Malley | 7 episodes |
| 2006 | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | Coach (voice) | Episode: "The Secret Snake Club vs. P.E." |
| 2008 | October Road | Gloy Daniels | Episode: "Hat? No Hat?" |
| 2009 | The Beast | Lieutenant Platko | Episode: "Two Choices" |
| 2011 | Danni Lowinski | Augustus 'Gus' Lowinski | Television film |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Superman: Shadow of Apokolips | Perry White | |
| 2004 | Shellshock: Nam '67 | Platt | |
| 2009 | Batman: Arkham Asylum | Blackgate Thug | Uncredited |
Stage Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | King Lear | Gentleman | Delacorte Theater, Off-Broadway | For Shakespeare in the Park |
| That Championship Season | George Sikowski | U.S. tour | ||
| 1974 | Mert and Phil | Dream Man | Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway | |
| 1975-76 | The Ritz | Abe | Longacre Theatre, Broadway | |
| 1976 | A Streetcar Named Desire | McCarter Theatre, Princeton | ||
| Legend | William F. P. Morgan | Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway | ||
| 1977 | As To The Meaning of Words | Hartman Theatre, Stamford | ||
| 1977 | A Prayer for My Daughter | Kelly | Public Theater, Off-Broadway | |
| 1999 | Measure for Measure | Pompey | Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles |
Awards and Nominations
| Institution | Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Derby Awards | 2007 | Drama Guest Actor | Grey's Anatomy | Won |
| 2010 | Drama Guest Actor of the Decade | Nominated | ||
| Venice Film Festival | 1983 | Best Actor | Streamers | Won |
Images for kids
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A friendly robot
See also
In Spanish: George Dzundza para niños
