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Joe Santos

Joe Santos

Highest Rated: 98% The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Lowest Rated: 8% Trial by Jury (1994)

Birthday: Jun 9, 1931

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA

A street-edged character player of TV and movies, often cast as an urban detective or crook, Joe Santos is perhaps best remembered as Detective Dennis Becker, cop pal who respects James Garner's Jim Rockford, on "The Rockford Files" (NBC, 1974-80) and its numerous TV-movies. Santos began his on-screen career with a bit part in "My Body Hungers," a low-budget 1967 film. Subsequent roles included DiBono in "The Panic in Needle Park" and Ezmo in "The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight" (both 1971). He was a little known working actor when cast in "The Rockford Files," which triggered much additional work, including TV-movies such as "A Matter of Wife . . . and Death (NBC, 1976). When film work remained sporadic, even after the demise of "Rockford," Santos tried, unsuccessfully, to hook onto another top series. Instead, he weathered flops such as "Me and Maxx" (NBC, 1980), "a.k.a. Pablo" (ABC, 1984) and "Hardcastle and McCormick" (ABC, 1985-86). He had a recurring role as a cop during the 1986-87 season of "Magnum, P.I." (CBS). By the late 80s, Santos was a familiar face in numerous episodic guest appearances, including several as a detective who doesn't like Jessica's meddling on "Murder, She Wrote." His fortunes were revived in 1992 when Santos was cast in a key role in "Sinatra," the CBS miniseries based on the life of the singer. Work in the features "The Last Boy Scout" (1991), "Mo' Money" (1992) and "Trial By Jury" (1994) followed. The revival of "The Rockford Files," which became a once or twice-a-year TV event between 1994 and 1999, also brought Santos back into the public eye, as did roles in Kevin Costner's "The Postman" (1997) and George Hickenlooper's "The Man from Elysian Fields" (2001). A seven-episode arc on "The Sopranos" (HBO 1999-2007) as Angelo Garepe proved to be Santos' final major role. Joe Santos died on March 18, 2016 at the age of 84.

Highest rated movies

98% 87% The Friends of Eddie Coyle
80% 75% Panic in Needle Park
78% 53% Blue Thunder
69% 33% Fear City
60% 26% The Don Is Dead
58% 46% Shaft's Big Score!
54% 47% Auggie Rose
25% 38% Shamus

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hammerlock Warden Stan Cromwell (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 14% Proximity Clive Plummer (Character) - 2000
54% 47% Auggie Rose Emanuel (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds... It Leads Lt. Dennis Becker (Character) - 1999
14% 51% The Postman Col. Getty (Character) $17.6M 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files: Murder and Misdemeanors Lieutenant Dennis Becker (Character) - 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files: Punishment and Crime Lt. Dennis Becker (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files: Godfather Knows Best Lt. Dennis Becker (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits Lt. Dennis Becker (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play Lt. Dennis Becker (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise Lt. Becker (Character) - 1995
8% 29% Trial by Jury Johnny Verona (Character) $6.8M 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Art Deco Detective Detective Guy Lean (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files: I Still Love L.A. Dennis Becker (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet 62% Sinatra Marty Sinatra (Character) - 1992
16% 52% Mo' Money Lt. Raymond Walsh (Character) $39.5M 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Deadly Desire Gus (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Deadline: Madrid Jake Gilbert (Character) - 1988
69% 33% Fear City Frank (Character) - 1984
78% 53% Blue Thunder Montoya (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet River of Promises Sgt. Cordelia (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Matter of Wife... and Death Lieutenant Vince Promuto (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet 58% Zandy's Bride Frank Gallo (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Girl on the Late, Late Show Lieutenant Scott (Character) - 1974
25% 38% Shamus Lieutenant Promuto (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Blade Spinelli (Character) - 1973
60% 26% The Don Is Dead Joe Lucci (Character) - 1973
98% 87% The Friends of Eddie Coyle Artie Van (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Blue Knight Sergeant Cruz Segovia (Character) - 1973
58% 46% Shaft's Big Score! Pascal (Character) - 1972
80% 75% Panic in Needle Park Detective DiBono (Character) - 1971
20% 26% The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight Exmo (Character) - 1971

TV

Credit
92% 96% The Sopranos Angelo Garepe (Guest Star) 2004
83% 93% NYPD Blue Angelo Marino (Guest Star) 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sinatra Unknown (Character) 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hunter Ernesto Delgado (Guest Star) 1990
No Score Yet 90% Quantum Leap Tony La Palma (Guest Star) 1989
71% 88% Miami Vice Oscar Carrera (Guest Star) 1988
No Score Yet 89% Murder, She Wrote NYPD Lt. Bert Alfano (Guest Star) 1988
No Score Yet 68% MacGyver Unknown (Guest Star) 1986-1987
No Score Yet 95% Magnum, P.I. Police Lieutenant Nolan Page (Guest Star) 1986-1987
No Score Yet 70% The A-Team Rudy Garcia - Plant Foreman (Guest Star) 1984
97% 82% Hill Street Blues Lastarza (Guest Star) 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet a.k.a. Pablo Unknown (Character) 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Greatest American Hero Henry Fetchner (Guest Star) 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Trapper John, M.D. Unknown (Guest Star) 1982
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files Det. Dennis Becker (Character) 1974-1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Match Game Self 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet Joe Forrester Unknown (Guest Star) 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet Police Story Officer John Fernandez (Character) 1974 1976
No Score Yet 100% Kung Fu Unknown (Guest Star) 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Streets of San Francisco Frank Perez (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Barnaby Jones Unknown (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Room 222 Unknown (Guest Star) 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gibbsville Unknown (Guest Star)