James Farentino

Born on February 24, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, James Ferrantino – he later changed his last name – was the son of a clothing designer and a housewife. He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He debuted as an actor on television, in series like The Alfred Hitchcock Hour , where he appeared in two chapters.

His first film appearance was in the forgotten film Violent Midnight . Franco Zeffirelli chose him to play Saint Peter in Jesus of Nazareth , a careful adaptation of the Gospels. In addition, he starred in the horror film Dead and Buried , where he was a sheriff who investigates some strange murders. His face became especially popular when he played Nick Toscanni, a doctor extraordinaire, in the series Dynasty .

He was also one of the leads in The End of the Countdown , along with Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen . He was a fighter pilot of the Nimitz aircraft carrier, who by a strange phenomenon finds himself transferred to the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He also appeared in the films Jack and Archie and The Lord of War and in series such as Melrose Place and ER , and starred in the television version of Blue Thunder .

James Farentino was very devoted to the theater, and in 1973 he received the Joseph Jefferson Award for his work in the play “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” He also got to play Stanley Kowalski in “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Thus, Farentino was a talented actor who was about to achieve some recognition. Unfortunately, his personal life was complicated, because the people of the profession considered him a drug addict and alcoholic. In addition, he was indicted for harassing and persecuting Tina Sinatra , the daughter of Frank Sinatra .

Divorced from Elizabeth Ashley ( Treme ), he was also attached to Michele Lee , Debrah Farentino , and Stella Farentino. All of them are actresses. With his second wife he had his only son, David Farentino, who tried to follow in his footsteps as an actor, but without much success.