George Dzundza

George Dzundza
Born (1945-07-19) July 19, 1945 (age 78)
OccupationActor
Years active1973–2011
Spouse
Mary Jo Vermeulen
(m. 1982)
Children3

George Dzundza (/ˈzʊndzə/ ZUUND-zə; born July 19, 1945) is an American television and film actor. His notable work includes The Waltons (1975), Skokie (1981), Open All Night (1981), No Way Out (1987), The Beast (1988). He appeared in The Deer Hunter, Streamers, Impulse, White Hunter Black Heart, The Butcher's Wife, Basic Instinct, Crimson Tide, Dangerous Minds and City by the Sea, Law & Order, and Jesse.

Early life and education

Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, to a Ukrainian father, Roman Dzundza, originally from Kalush, Poland (now a city of Ukraine), and a Polish mother, Maria Humenecka, originally from Lviv, Poland (another city now part of Ukraine). His parents were forced into factory labour by the Nazis. He spent the first few years of his life in displaced persons camps with his parents and one brother.

The family moved to Amsterdam in 1949, then moved to the US in 1956, settling in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He attended Xavier High School in Manhattan. He attended St. Johns University and also studied under Stella Adler and Harold Clurman.

Career

Dzundza began acting in his freshman year of college at the insistence of another student. However, his professional stage debut was in a 1973 New York Shakespeare Festival production of King Lear.

Dzundza starred in a short-lived 1981 sitcom series Open All Night, about the owner of a "Store 364" convenience store in Inglewood, California. He portrayed American Nazi leader Frank Collin in the 1981 made-for-television movie Skokie.

In 1987, Dzundza played Sam Hesselman, a disabled man in a wheelchair, in No Way Out and Commander Daskal in The Beast in 1988. Other major film roles of his include The Deer Hunter, Streamers, Impulse, White Hunter Black Heart, The Butcher's Wife, Basic Instinct, Crimson Tide, Dangerous Minds and City by the Sea.

He was an original cast member of the NBC drama Law & Order, playing NYPD Sergeant Max Greevey in the first season only. Dzundza quit after the first season of the show.

His other acting work includes an appearance on The Waltons (1975), and playing the Archie Bunker-like father in the short-lived Christina Applegate sitcom Jesse. He voiced supervillain the Ventriloquist in Batman: The Animated Series, and Perry White in Superman: The Animated Series.

In 2005, he played Anubis (aka "Jim") in the Stargate SG-1 Season 8 episode "Threads". Dzundza portrayed George O'Malley's father Harold on Grey's Anatomy.

Personal life

Dzundza has been married since 1982 to Mary Jo Vermeulen. They have three daughters as well as two grandchildren.

He is a naturalized US citizen.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Massage Parlor Murders Mr. Creepy
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 Chief of the Boat (COB)
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 TV film
1979 Salem's Lot Cully Sawyer 2 episodes

TV miniseries

1979–1980 Young Maverick Clem 2 episodes
1981 Skokie Frank Collin TV film
A Long Way Home Floyd Booth
1981–1982 Open All Night Gordon Feester 13 episodes
1983 The Face of Rage Nick TV film
Faerie Tale Theatre The Woodsman Episode: "Sleeping Beauty"
1984 The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck Lt. DeCarlo TV film
When She Says No Paul Fellows
1984, 1988 CBS Schoolbreak Special Mr. Elder / Arthur Jennings 2 episodes
1985 The Rape of Richard Beck Blastig TV 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 TV film
1987 Crime Story Ivan Ivanovitch Patchenko Episode: "Mig 21"
Glory Years John Moss TV film
1988 Something Is Out There Frank Dileo 2 episodes
1989 Terror on Highway 91 Sheriff Jessie Barton TV film
The Ryan White Story Dr. Kleiman
Cross of Fire Boyd Gurley TV miniseries (2 episodes) / TV film
1990–1991 Law & Order Sergeant Max Greevey 22 episodes
1992 What She Doesn't Know Jack Kilcoin TV film
1993–1995 Batman: The Animated Series Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist, G. Carl Francis, Chubb Voice, 6 episodes
1993 The Untouchables Warden Wyandotte 3 episodes
Animaniacs Ivan Bloski Voice, episode: "Plane Pals"
1994 The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story Dr. Cecil Jacobson TV film
Matlock Michael Brennan Episode: "Brennan"
The Enemy Within Jake TV film
1996 The Limbic Region Lloyd
Road Rovers Gustav Hovac Voice, episode: "Where Rovers Dare"
1996–1999 Superman: The Animated Series Perry White Voice, 8 episodes
1997 The New Batman Adventures Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist Voice, episode: "Double Talk"
1998–1999 Jesse John Warner, Sr. 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"
2002–2003 Hack Tom Grzelak 22 episodes
2005 Stargate SG-1 Jim/Anubis Episode: "Threads"
2005–2007 Grey's Anatomy Harold O'Malley TV series, 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 TV film

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Superman: Shadow of Apokolips Perry White

This page was last updated at 2024-03-27 09:17 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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