Paul Ben-Victor (born July 24, 1965) is an American character actor. He is best known for playing Greek mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos on the HBO drama series The Wire, Alan Gray in Entourage (2005–2008), and Ray in Body Parts (1991).
Paul Ben-Victor | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ben-Victor in 2016 | |
| Born | Paul Friedman July 24, 1965 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse |
Cali Senkpiel (m. 2020) |
Early life
Ben-Victor was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Leah Kornfeld, a playwright, and Victor Friedman. He attended Midwood High School, graduating in 1983.[1]
Career
Ben-Victor debuted on the small screen in 1987 in the television film Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife and on an episode of Cagney & Lacey.
Ben-Victor has been featured on many television cop dramas like FBI, Monk and CSI, and also had a recurring role as two-bit con man Steve Richards on three episodes of NYPD Blue from 1994 to 1997. He also appeared as Steve Richards on a 1998 episode of the short-lived police drama Brooklyn South.[2]
Ben-Victor had a starring role in the Sci-Fi Channel television show The Invisible Man, alongside Vincent Ventresca. The two later guest starred together on the hit TV show Las Vegas. They were reunited again on an episode of the new USA Network series In Plain Sight ("Hoosier Daddy"), on which Ben-Victor has a supporting role.
He was cast in important roles on HBO dramas The Wire (as mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos) and Entourage, as well as making a 2006 appearance as Coach Lou on My Name Is Earl. He portrayed Moe Howard in the 2000 television film The Three Stooges.[3]
Ben-Victor has roles in the films The Irishman (2019), The Banker (2020), and Last Looks (2022).[2]
He has co-written stage plays with his mother, including Club Soda and The Good Steno.[4]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife | - | TV movie |
| Pass the Ammo | Eddie DePaul | ||
| 1988 | Assault of the Killer Bimbos | Customer | |
| 1989 | Wired | Tom Perino | |
| 1990 | Streets | Officer #2 | |
| After the Shock | Dr. Steven Brattesani | TV movie | |
| The Rookie | Felix 'Little Felix' | ||
| 1991 | Body Parts | Ray Kolberg | |
| Alone | Al | Short | |
| 1992 | Cool World | Valet | |
| Midnight Heat | New Yorker | TV movie | |
| Eyes of the Beholder | Dr. Medaris | ||
| Soulmates | Driver | ||
| 1993 | Trouble Bound | Zand | |
| Extreme Justice | Councilman Joe Taylor | ||
| True Romance | Luca | ||
| The Last Outlaw | Posseman Grubb | TV movie | |
| Dream Lover | Clown | ||
| Tombstone | Florentino 'Indian Charlie' Cruz | ||
| 1994 | State of Emergency | Trevor Jacobs | TV movie |
| Web of Deception | Detective Fracinetti | TV movie | |
| Red Scorpion 2 | Vince D'Angelo | ||
| 1995 | Houseguest | Pauly Gasperini | |
| Toughguy | Sol Lipsteiger | ||
| Bushwhacked | Dana's Father | ||
| The Fifteen Minute Hamlet | Various Roles | Short | |
| 1996 | Firestorm | Duran | |
| Maximum Risk | FBI Agent Pellman | ||
| 1997 | Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Heatwave | Det. Meyer | TV movie |
| Metro | Clarence Teal | ||
| The 6th Man | Bernie | ||
| 1998 | Standoff | Hank McGill | |
| Tempting Fate | Police Officer | TV movie | |
| Point Blank | Howard | ||
| Heist | Abbie | ||
| A Civil Action | Bobby Pasqueriella | ||
| 1999 | The Corruptor | FBI Agent Pete Schabacker | |
| Crazy in Alabama | Mackie | ||
| Kiss Toledo Goodbye | Vince | ||
| 2000 | Drowning Mona | Deputy Tony Carlucci | |
| The David Cassidy Story | Wes Farrell | TV movie | |
| Gun Shy | Howard | ||
| The Three Stooges | Moe Howard | TV movie | |
| Very Mean Men | Jimmy D. | ||
| 2001 | The Cure for Boredom | Rudy | |
| Choosing Matthias | Chase | ||
| 2002 | Niche | Spike | Short |
| 2003 | Daredevil | Jose Quesada | |
| 2004 | Woman at the Beach | Pablo | Short |
| 2006 | Push | Toni | |
| 2007 | Randy and The Mob | Franco | |
| Naked Under Heaven | Ben | ||
| 2008 | On the Doll | Jimmy Sours | |
| Joe Mover | The Boss | Short | |
| Player 5150 | Jimmy | ||
| Ten: Thirty One | Gerry | Short | |
| Coma | - | Short | |
| 2009 | Anytown | Principal Wheeler | |
| This Monday | Tony | Short | |
| Clear Lake, WI | Sheriff Joe Dietzer | ||
| 2010 | A Reuben by Any Other Name | Max | Short |
| Venus & Vegas | Carlo | ||
| The Blue Wall | Charlie Sullivan | Short | |
| 2011 | Video Girl | Jermaine Stanford | |
| Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury | Kip Tippington | ||
| 2012 | FDR: American Badass! | Mussolini | |
| The Carrier | Vlade | Short | |
| Should've Been Romeo | Joey | ||
| Mighty Fine | Bobby | ||
| Desperate Endeavors | Bill Loney | ||
| 2013 | Don Jon | Priest | |
| Empire State | Tommy | ||
| Once Upon a Time in Queens | Vinnie Nero | ||
| Grudge Match | Lou Camare | ||
| 2014 | By the Gun | Vincent Tortano | |
| Friends and Romans | Dennis Socio | ||
| 2015 | Get Hard | Gayle | |
| Any Day | William | ||
| 2016 | Love Is All You Need? | Principal Birdsell | |
| Goliath | Cleft Chin | Short | |
| Blowtorch | Blackie | ||
| 2017 | Camera Store | Mr. Bibideaux | |
| His Lover | Scotty Davidson Jr. | Short | |
| A Crooked Somebody | Detective Zimmer | ||
| The Super | Mr. Johnson | ||
| 2018 | Monster | Anthony Petrocelli | |
| Feast of the Seven Fishes | Johnny | ||
| The Amityville Murders | Ronnie DeFeo, Sr. | ||
| 2019 | The Irishman | Jake Gottlieb | |
| Adventure Force 5 | Executive Victor | ||
| 2020 | The Banker | Donald Silverthorne | |
| Allagash | Bill | ||
| My Brothers' Crossing | Officer Byrd | ||
| 2021 | On Our Way | Mr. Adler | [5] |
| 2022 | Last Looks | Lieutenant Pete Conady | |
| Collide | Clyde | ||
| Emancipation | Major G. Halstead | ||
| 2023 | Plane | Hampton | |
| The Collective | Miro Lindell |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | L.A. Law | Sgt. Costellano | Episode: "The Princess and the Wiener King" |
| 1987 | Cagney & Lacey | Trucker #2 | Episode: "Waste Deep" |
| 1988 | Ohara | Billy | Episode: "They Shoot Witnesses, Don't They?" |
| China Beach | Lazaro | Episode: "Chao Ong" | |
| Freddy's Nightmares | Paul | Episode: "Mother's Day" | |
| 1990 | 1st & Ten | Rocko | Episode: "Who Stole Johnny Gunn?" |
| Dragnet | Jack Middleton | Episode: "Parachute to Death" | |
| Hunter | Loan Shark | Episode: "This Is My Gun" | |
| Doogie Howser, M.D. | Karl | Episode: "TV or Not TV" | |
| The New Adam-12 | Gregory Smith | Episode: "Escapees" | |
| 1991 | Father Dowling Mysteries | Security Guard | Episode: "The Fugitive Priest Mystery |
| The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage | Charlie Dilwig | Episode: "For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll" | |
| The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | Vinnie | Episode: "Knock, Knock" | |
| 1992 | The Commish | Benny Gorzo | Episode: "Sex, Lies and Kerosene" |
| Sibs | Lance | Episode: "If I Only Had a Dad" | |
| 1994 | L.A. Law | Bowles' Atty. Peters | Episode: "Age of Insolence" |
| The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | Joey Tataglia | Episode: "Wild Card" | |
| The X-Files | Dr. Aaron Monte | Episode: "Tooms" | |
| 1995 | Sweet Justice | Terry Phillips | Episode: "Clouds of Glory" |
| 1996 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Carney/Man on Stilts (voice) | Episode: "Baby It's You/Monsters Are Fun" |
| 1994-97 | NYPD Blue | Steve Richards | Guest Cast: Season 2-3 & 5 |
| 1997 | The Practice | Benny Small | Episode: "Search and Seizure" & "Save the Mule" |
| 1998 | Brooklyn South | Steve Richards | Episode: "Skel in a Cell" |
| 1998-99 | Rude Awakening | Carl | Guest Cast: Season 1-2 |
| 1999 | Early Edition | Elliot Rosenfield | Episode: "Funny Valentine" |
| L.A. Doctors | - | Episode: "Forty-Eight Minutes" | |
| 2000 | The Invisible Man | Robert Albert Hobbes | Main Cast |
| 2002 | Crossing Jordan | Theo | Episode: "Someone to Count On" |
| 2003 | Fastlane | Marty | Episode: "Strap On" |
| Las Vegas | Michael | Episode: "Pros and Cons" | |
| 2003-08 | The Wire | Spiros 'Vondas' Vondopoulos | Main Cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 4, Recurring Cast: Season 5 |
| 2004 | Strong Medicine | Frank | Episode: "Body Mass Increase" |
| 2005 | Alias | Carter | Episode: "Another Mister Sloane" |
| Monk | Al Nicoletto | Episode: "Mr. Monk Gets Drunk" | |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Ticket Scalper | Episode: "The Larry David Sandwich" | |
| 2005-08 | Entourage | Alan Gray | Guest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 3 & 5 |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Joey | Episode: "Killer" |
| The Shield | Detective Paul Reyes | Episode: "Man Inside" | |
| My Name Is Earl | Coach Lou | Episode: "Sticks & Stones" | |
| 2007 | John from Cincinnati | Palaka | Main Cast |
| Shark | Ricky Rago | Episode: "For Whom the Skel Rolls" | |
| 2008-12 | In Plain Sight | Marshal Stan McQueen | Main Cast |
| 2009 | Everybody Hates Chris | Coach Thurman | Recurring Cast: Season 4 |
| 2010 | The Mentalist | Noah Landau | Episode: "Redline" |
| 2011 | CSI: NY | Carmen Enzo | Episode: "Party Down" |
| Childrens Hospital | Spiros | Episode: "Father's Day" | |
| 2012 | Are We There Yet? | Mr. Parker | Recurring Cast: Season 3 |
| 2013 | Vegas | Barry Silver | Recurring Cast |
| Person of Interest | Detective Cameron | Episode: "Reasonable Doubts" | |
| Hawaii Five-0 | Agent Devin Campbell | Episode: "Hau'oli La Ho'omoaika'i" | |
| Mob City | Jack Dragna | Recurring Cast | |
| 2014 | True Detective | Major Leroy Salter | Episode: "Haunted Houses" |
| Matador | Gene Balasco | Recurring Cast | |
| Castle | Dino Scarpella | Episode: "Bad Santa" | |
| 2015 | Allegiance | Special Agent Faber | Recurring Cast |
| 2016 | Vinyl | Maury Gold | Main Cast |
| Kingdom | Bob | Recurring Cast: Season 2 | |
| Chicago Med | Mr. McGregor | Episode: "Win Loss" | |
| 2017 | The Mick | Jerry Berlin | Recurring Cast: Season 1 |
| Preacher | Viktor Kruglov | Recurring Cast: Season 2 | |
| Lethal Weapon | Frank Truno | Episode: "Fork-Getta-Bout-It" | |
| 2018 | The Resident | Edmund Carver | Episode: "No Matter the Cost" |
| Santa Clarita Diet | Mark | Recurring Cast: Season 2 | |
| The Neighborhood | Matty 'Cigars' | Main Cast | |
| 2018-19 | Goliath | Cleft Chin | Recurring Cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 3 |
| 2019 | Bull | Ryan Vance | Episode: "Split Hairs" |
| The Village | Angelo Napolitano | Recurring Cast | |
| FBI | Mark Krawley | Episode: "Appearances" | |
| Will & Grace | Mario | Episode: "Pappa Mia" | |
| 2019-20 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Counselor Peter Abrams | Recurring Cast: Season 21 |
| 2020 | The Baker and the Beauty | Contractor | Episode: "Side Effects" |
| 2020-23 | Gravesend | Matty 'Cigars' | Main Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2 |
| 2022 | Pam & Tommy | Richard Alden | Recurring Cast |
| FBI: Most Wanted | Jackie 'The Fox' Bianchi | Episode: "Greatest Hits" | |
| 2023 | Paul T. Goldman | Mob Boss | Recurring Cast |
| 2024 | Diarra from Detroit | Zervas | Recurring Cast |
References
- ^ midwoodargus (April 20, 2016). "Ex-Sing Commissioner, Actor Shares Insight With Hornets". Midwoodargus.org. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ a b "In Character: The Cast of The Irishman | And So It Begins". Andsoitbeginsfilms.com. December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ "Profile: An actor with Island roots | Shelter Island Reporter". Shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com. May 30, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ "Paul Ben-Victor". Biography. TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
- ^ Complex, Valerie (March 22, 2023). "Gravitas Ventures Acquires Sophie Lane Curtis Drama 'On Our Way' Starring Micheál Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave And Jordana Brewster". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
External links
- Paul Ben-Victor at IMDb
- ‹The template AllMovie name is being considered for deletion.› Paul Ben-Victor at AllMovie