James Luisi

Last updated
James Luisi
Born(1928-11-02)November 2, 1928
DiedJune 7, 2002(2002-06-07) (aged 73)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Other namesJim Luisi
Occupation(s)Former NBA player, actor
Years active1961–1999
SpouseGeorgia Phillips (1961–2002)
Children1

James A. Luisi (November 2, 1928 June 7, 2002) was an American professional basketball player and actor. Luisi is perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Doug Chapman, the apoplectic foil to detective Jim Rockford, in a total of 23 episodes during Seasons 3 through 6 of the television series The Rockford Files.

Contents

Basketball career

Born in East Harlem, New York City, Luisi attended St. Francis College on a basketball scholarship before being drafted by the Boston Celtics in the sixth round of the 1951 NBA draft. After serving in the US Army during the Korean War, he played with the Baltimore Bullets for one year in the 1953–54 season. At 6'2" (1.88 m) and 180 lb (82 kg), he played guard for 31 games and averaged 3 points a game.

Stage

Luisi then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and appeared on Broadway in productions of Alfie and Do I Hear a Waltz? as well as the original 1966 production of Sweet Charity . [1]

Television and movies

From 1961 to the mid-1970s Luisi appeared on such television shows as Naked City , The Rifleman , The Doctors (5 episodes), Bonanza (2 episodes), The F.B.I. (2 different roles in 2 episodes), Adam-12 , Kojak (2 roles in a total of 3 episodes), Cannon , Police Story (2 roles in a total of 3 episodes), The Rookies (2 roles in 2 episodes), Mannix (2 roles in 2 episodes), Ironside , Barnaby Jones (5 roles in 5 episodes), The Streets of San Francisco , Gunsmoke (2 episodes), Hawkins , Vega$ , Chopper One and S.W.A.T .

In 1976 Luisi had a guest role as a shady businessman on a Season 2 episode of The Rockford Files . The next season on the same show he portrayed Lt. Doug Chapman, a high-ranking, disagreeable police officer who dislikes the titular Rockford character portrayed by James Garner. Luisi ultimately played Chapman in 23 episodes, until the end of the show's six-year run. He reprised the role in two Rockford TV-movies in 1996.

In 1976, Luisi shared a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Special for his portrayal of George Washington in the 1975 miniseries First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington. [2]

Also in 1976 he appeared on The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode titled “Sue Ann Falls In Love”. He subsequently had guest roles in Starsky and Hutch , Black Sheep Squadron , Hunter (2 episodes), Wonder Woman , Fantasy Island , Quincy M.E. and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century .

During the 1980s Luisi guest starred on such television staples as CHiPs , Vega$ , Hart to Hart (in 2 episodes), The A-Team , Knight Rider , T. J. Hooker , Matt Houston , The Fall Guy , Simon & Simon , Magnum, P.I. , Knots Landing (the same role in 4 episodes) and It's a Living . In 1987 and 1988 he appeared as Ben Clark in 23 episodes of the soap opera Santa Barbara . From 1987 to 1992 he appeared as Duke Earl Johnson in 21 episodes of Days of Our Lives .

Luisi appeared in the studio films Ben (1972), I Escaped from Devil's Island (1973), The Man from Independence (1974), The Take (1974), Stunts (1977), Killer's Delight (1978), Moment by Moment (1978), Norma Rae (1979), Fade to Black (1980), Star 80 (1983), Murphy's Law (1986), The Hidden (1987), Feds (1987), Lethal Woman (1987) and Wanted (1998).

He also appeared in the made-for-television movies Cat Ballou (1971), Cry Rape (1973), Honky Tonk (1974), Don't Call Us (1976), The Cabot Connection (1977), A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story (1977), Contract on Cherry Street (1977), Love Is Not Enough (1978), One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story (1978), The Asphalt Cowboy (1980), Our Family Business (1981), The Renegades (1982), Sunset Limousine (1983) and The Red-Light Sting (1984).

Death

Luisi died of cancer in 2002, aged 73. He was survived by his wife of 41 years, the former Georgia Phillips. He was also survived by his daughter, Jamie Swartz; a brother, Jerry Luisi; and two grandchildren. He is buried in Los Angeles at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park. [1] [2]

Filmography (partial)

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1967 The Tiger Makes Out Pete Copolla
1972 Ben Ed
1973 I Escaped from Devil's Island Dazzas
1974 The Man from Independence Stranger
1974 The Take Benedetto
1977 Stunts Alvin BlakeAlternative title: The Deadly Game
1978 Killer's Delight Sgt. Vince De Carlo
1978 Moment by Moment Dan Santini
1979 Norma Rae George Benson
1980 Fade to Black Capt. M.L. Gallagher
1983 Star 80 Roy
1983China LakeWatch CommanderShort
1986 Murphy's Law Ed Reineke
1987 The Hidden Sleazy cocaine-sniffing Ferrari Salesman
1988Lethal WomanColonel Jerry MaximAlternative title: The Most Dangerous Woman Alive
1988 Feds Sperry
1999WantedVincent Argento(final film role)
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1961 Naked City Mark AndrewScreen / Television debut
1962 The Rifleman Chuley Carr1 episode
1963–1964 Bonanza Willard2 episodes
1964 The Reporter Joe1 episode
1971 The Interns Nick1 episode
1972 Cannon Sonny1 episode
1973 Hawkins 1 episode
1974 Ironside Mike Purcell1 episode
Mannix John Larkin1 episode
The Streets of San Francisco Lloyd Davies1 episode
1975 S.W.A.T Phil Garland1 episode
1976 Starsky and Hutch Carl Boyce1 episode
Kojak Captain Rosseau1 episode
The Mary Tyler Moore Show Doug1 episode
The Rockford Files Lieutenant ChapmanSeason 3 through 6
Good Heavens Bart Matson1 episode
1978 Wonder Woman George1 episode
Fantasy Island Arbogast1 episode
1979 The Eddie Capra Mysteries Dale MondayEpisode "Murder Plays a Dead Hand"
Quincy M.E. Marine Colonel Charles Casey1 episode
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Hood1 episode
1980 CHiPs Lazarri1 episode
Here's Boomer Combs1 episode
1982 Beyond Witch Mountain ForemanTelevision movie
1983 Renegades Lt. Marciana6 episodes
1984 Riptide Uptown Bill Brown1 episode
Hart to Hart Damian Troy1 episode
The A-Team Jimmy Durkee1 episode
1985 Finder of Lost Loves Jordan Hollis1 episode
Knight Rider D.G. Grebs1 episode
The Fall Guy Brazzi1 episode
1987 Magnum, P.I. John Walter Costa1 episode
Knots Landing Lieutenant Gilbert Garcia4 episodes
1987–1988 Santa Barbara Ben Clark11 episodes
1988 It's a Living Roscoe1 episode
1989 The Hogan Family Leopold3 episodes
1991 L.A. Law Paul Viola1 episode
1992 Tequila and Bonetti Harry Dirday1 episode
1996 Baywatch Nights Murray1 episode

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References

  1. 1 2 Oliver, Myrna (June 21, 2002). "Character Actor James Luisi". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 11, 2009.
  2. 1 2 James Luisi at IMDb