Dennis Boutsikaris

Dennis Boutsikaris (/ˌbtsɪˈkærɪs/; born December 21, 1952) is an American character actor who has won the Obie Award twice. He is also a narrator of audiobooks, for which he has won 13 Golden Earphone Awards and 8 Audie Awards. He won Best Audiobook of the Year from Amazon for his reading of The Gene.

Dennis Boutsikaris
Boutsikaris in 2016
Born (1952-12-21) December 21, 1952 (age 71)
OccupationActor
Years active1973–present
Spouse
Deborah Hedwall
(m. 1982; div. 2002)
Children2
Websitewww.dennisboutsikaris.com Edit this at Wikidata

Early life and education

Boutsikaris was born in Newark, New Jersey, to a Greek American father and Jewish mother,[1] and grew up in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.[2] He took up acting while a student at Governor Livingston High School, because he felt he was too small to succeed in athletics.[3] A graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Boutsikaris toured the country with John Houseman's The Acting Company doing classical theatre.

Career

Boutsikaris' film credits include leading roles in *batteries not included, The Dream Team, Crocodile Dundee II, Boys on the Side and In Dreams, among many others. His more recent films include Cherry Crush, The Education of Charlie Banks, Calling It Quits, and Money Monster.[4] He played Paul Wolfowitz in Oliver Stone's W.[5] In 2012, he co-starred in The Bourne Legacy, the fourth installment of the successful Bourne franchise.[6]

On television, he had the lead in the series Stat, The Jackie Thomas Show, and Misery Loves Company. He has also had recurring roles on Sidney Lumet's 100 Centre Street, Nurse, Trinity, ER, Law & Order and Showtime's Shameless.[7] Boutsikaris had a leading part in episode 20 of the second season of the hit CBS show Person of Interest which aired in the USA on Thursday, April 26, 2013.[8] He was part of NBC's State of Affairs, the TV series that marked the return to series television of Katherine Heigl.[9] In 2012, he also made an appearance as Jack Quayle in the season 2 episode "Collateral Damage" of the CBS show Blue Bloods. From 2015 to 2022, he played the role of lawyer Rich Schweikart in the first, second, then fourth through sixth seasons of the American series Better Call Saul.[10] In 2017, Boutsikaris was cast in the recurring role of Henry Roarke on the ABC thriller series Quantico.[11] In 2017-2018 Boutsikaris played a recurring role as Malcolm Croft, a professor at MIT and Liam's mentor in CBS's Salvation.

He has starred in over 20 TV movies, including Chasing the Dragon, And Then There Was One, Three Faces of Karen, Survival on the Mountain, Beyond Betrayal,[12] and as Woody Allen in the miniseries Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story (with Patsy Kensit).[13]

Theater

On Broadway Boutsikaris became the first American to play Mozart in Amadeus, and was directed by Laurence Olivier in Filumena. He starred in the Off-Broadway production of Sight Unseen to great critical acclaim.

He has been seen on Broadway in Bent and Amadeus (as the first American to play Mozart) with Frank Langella. He was seen in the Delacorte Theatre's production of Julius Caesar as Cassius. He was in the original New York productions of The Boys Next Door, A Picasso, and the revival of That Championship Season.

Off-Broadway he is probably best known for playing Jonathan Waxman in the original production of Sight Unseen at the Manhattan Theatre Club and later at the Orpheum Theatre. He received the Obie Award and a nomination for a Drama Desk Award for this performance. At the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles he appeared in the premiere of David Mamet's The Old Neighborhood and in 2007 Jane Anderson's The Quality of Life with Laurie Metcalf and Jo Beth Williams. For that performance he received the Backstage West Garland Award for Best Actor and was nominated for Best Actor by the L.A. Critics Drama Circle and by the LA Alliance Ovation Awards.

In 2009 he was in the Broadway revivals of Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound, again with Laurie Metcalf. The former opened to wide critical acclaim and then closed one week later. The latter never opened.

He continued his association with Laurie Metcalf, appearing with her in The Other Place Off-Broadway.

Voice work

He can be heard in over 160 audiobooks and has received eight Audie Awards and two Best Voices of the Year Awards from AudioFile Magazine.[14] He was voted Best Narrator of the Year by Amazon for The Gene.

Awards

Boutsikaris has received two Obie Awards: one in 1985 for Outstanding Performance in Nest of the Woodgrouse at the New York Shakespeare Festival, directed by Joseph Papp; and one in 1992 for Outstanding Performance in Sight Unseen at the Manhattan Theatre Club. He also received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Actor for Sight Unseen, as well as a Cable ACE nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Chasing the Dragon in 1995. He was nominated for a People's Choice Award as best Newcomer. He received the Best Actor Award at the Staten Island Film Festival and the Long island Film Festival for his role in Calling It Quits.

Personal life

Boutsikaris was married to actress Deborah Hedwall; they divorced in 2002.[citation needed]

Filmography

Film

List of Dennis Boutsikaris film credits
YearTitleRoleRef(s)
1973JeremyDanny
1980The ExterminatorFrankie[15]
1983Very Close QuartersAlex[16]
1985War and LoveMarek[15]
1987Batteries Not IncludedMason Baylor
1988Crocodile Dundee IIBob Tanner
1989Thunderboat RowTom Rampy[17]
The Dream TeamDr. Jeffrey "Jeff" Weitzman[15]
1991Talent for the GameGreg Rossi[18]
The Boy Who Cried BitchOrin Fell[19]
1995Boys on the SideMassarelli
1996Surviving PicassoKootz[20]
1999TakenBill McMurtrey[21]
In DreamsDr. Stevens[19]
2001They CrawlProfessor Jurgen
2002Crazy Little ThingDr. Levy[22]
2007Cherry CrushBen Wells[19]
The Education of Charlie BanksMr. Banks
2008W.Paul Wolfowitz
2010My Soul to TakePrincipal Pratt
2012The Bourne LegacyTerrence Ward
2014She's Lost ControlDr. Alan Cassidy
2015FreeheldPat Gerry
2016Money MonsterAvery Goodloe CFO
The InheritedSanders
2019Cliffs of FreedomTheodoros Kolokotronis[23]
Impossible MonstersSteven[19]
2021VioletTom Gaines
2022Pinball: The Man Who Saved the GameMr. Sharpe

Television series

List of Dennis Boutsikaris television series credits
YearTitleRoleNotesRef(s)
1980The American Short StoryVitoEpisode: "Rappaccini's Daughter"[24]
1981–1982NurseJoe Calvo10 episodes[19]
1987CBS Summer PlayhouseKeithEpisode: "In the Lion's Den"[25]
1987–1989The EqualizerYorgi Kostov, C.R. Heaton2 episodes[26][27]
1988American PlayhouseChristopher BoucherEpisode: "The Trial of Bernhard Goetz"[28]
TattingersScott SpaldingEpisode: "The Sonny Always Rises"[29]
1989Dream StreetMichaelEpisode: "Girl's Talk"[30]
1990MatlockProfessor John GallagherEpisode: "The Student"[31]
1990–2004Law & OrderVarious7 episodes
1991StatDr. Tony MenziesMain role; 6 episodes[32]
SistersDavid Joseph LevitskyEpisode: "A Kiss is Still a Kiss"[33]
Palace GuardMarshalEpisode: "Enchanted Simian Evening"[34]
Pros and ConsRobert WillsEpisode: "Ho! Ho! Hold Up!"[35]
1992–1993The Jackie Thomas ShowJerry HarperMain role; 18 episodes[19]
1994Murphy BrownMarty CraneEpisode: "A Piece of the Auction"[36]
Murder, She WroteDr. Jerry SantanaEpisode: "Murder on the Thirteenth Floor"[37]
1995Misery Loves CompanyJoeMain role; 8 episodes[38]
1996The Burning ZoneDr. Steven RydellEpisode: "Touch of the Dead"[39]
1997The Last DonSkippy DeereMiniseries; 2 episodes[40][41]
1998Diagnosis: MurderNeil Burnside2 episodes[42][43]
ERDr. David Kotlowitz4 episodes[19]
1998–1999TrinityJosh Beekman7 episodes[44]
1999–2014Law & Order: Special Victims UnitVarious3 episodes
2000Perfect Murder, Perfect TownChief KobyMiniseries; 2 episodes[45]
Touched by an AngelAlan BergerEpisode: "Bar Mitzvah"[46]
The X-FilesDr. Peter VossEpisode: "Brand X"[47]
BullHal BridgewaterEpisode: "In the Course of Human Events"[48]
2001Nash BridgesRobert SaxonEpisode: "Slam Dunk!"[49]
The FugitiveAgent Gagomiros2 episodes[50][51]
2001–2002100 Centre StreetGil Byrnes9 episodes[52]
2002The PracticeU.S. Attorney Greg MitchellEpisode: "Judge Knot"[53]
Third WatchRay Henry2 episodes[54]
MonkDr. Morris LancesterEpisode: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum"[55]
The AgencyDEA Agent RiddickEpisode: "Heartless"
20037th HeavenDr. NortonEpisode: "The One Thing"
2004DragnetLaPlattEpisode: "Frame of Mind"
2005Crossing JordanDr. Bernard KrumpEpisode: "You Really Got Me"
Las VegasLance MarshallEpisode: "Down and Dirty"
2005–2006RelatedProfessor Kasnov4 episodes
2006Criminal MindsLance WagnerEpisode: "A Real Rain"
2006–2007Close to HomePaul Ramont2 episodes
Six DegreesLeonard Ralston4 episodes
2007CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationDr. Sidney BuckmanEpisode: "Leapin' Lizards"
2008SharkD.A. Lester RiversEpisode: "Leaving Las Vegas"
2009Law & Order: Criminal IntentDr. ErnstEpisode: "In Treatment"
KingsMinister Fawkes2 episodes
2010MediumDr. Anthony WoodelEpisode: "Psych"
Grey's AnatomyDon TaylorEpisode: "Push"
HouseArtieEpisode: "Black Hole"
OutlawProsecutorEpisode: "Pilot"
2011–2012ShamelessProfessor Hearst5 episodes[7]
The Good WifeTommy Segarra2 episodes
2012Blue BloodsJack QuayleEpisode: "Collateral Damage"
2013The MentalistDr. RubinEpisode: "Days of Wine and Roses"
ElementaryGerald LydonEpisode: "Possibility Two"
Body of ProofJohn AndersonEpisode: "Disappearing Act"
Person of InterestDr. Richard NelsonEpisode: "In Extremis"
2014SatisfactionPrestonEpisode: "...Through Self Discovery"
State of AffairsCIA Director SkinnerEpisode: "Pilot"[9]
2015Madam SecretaryGary CoomerEpisode: "The Time Is at Hand"
2015–2022Better Call SaulRich SchweikartRecurring role; 15 episodes[56]
2016RectifyBernieEpisode: "Yolk"
2016–2018BillionsKenneth Malverne4 episodes
2017QuanticoHenry Roarke6 episodes[11]
2017–2018SalvationDr. Malcolm Croft11 episodes
2018MacGyverElliot LambeauEpisode: "Bozer + Booze + Back to School"
2019FBIPresident Edgar WhitmanEpisode: "A New Dawn"
BlindspotLucas Nash2 episodes
2020Prodigal SonWilliam VoightEpisode: "Wait & Hope"
BullJudge ThorntonEpisode: "Quid Pro Quo"
The BlacklistJudge Leonard BornsEpisode: "Gordon Kemp (No. 158)"
2022The EqualizerJudge ClemmensEpisode: "D.W.B."
2023Mayfair WitchesAlan Albrecht3 episodes[57]
SugarBernie SiegelMain role

Television films

List of Dennis Boutsikaris television film credits
YearTitleRoleRef(s)
1986LibertyJoseph Pulitzer[58]
1988Internal AffairsJerry Renfrew[59]
1989Big TimeMichael[60]
1991The Hit ManUnnamed Hollywood producer[61]
Love, Lies and MurderBaruch[62]
1992The KeysLeeson[19]
1993Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr StoryJack Mandel[63]
1994Tonya and Nancy: The Inside StoryScreenplay writer[64]
The Yarn PrincessSteven Hoffman[19]
Beyond BetrayalSam
And Then There Was OneVinnie Ventola
1995Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow StoryWoody Allen
1996Chasing the DragonNat
Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus No. 17Frank Caldwell
1997The Three Lives of KarenPaul
Survival on the MountainJoe Hoffman
2000Custody of the HeartNick Brody

References