John Pankow
John Pankow was an American actor who was best known for his long-running TV roles on the popular shows "Mad About You" (NBC, 1992-99) and "Episodes" (Showtime, 2011-17). Born in St. Louis and raised in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Pankow grew up in a big German-Irish family; he was the sixth of nine siblings. He lived a relatively normal middle-class childhood, and never had any intention on becoming a professional actor. That all changed, however, when he saw an early version of David Mamet's iconic play "The American Buffalo" performed at the St. Nicholas Theater in Chicago. Upon leaving the theater Pankow knew immediately that he wanted to become a professional actor, and soon after signed up for a two-year acting training program at the St. Nicholas Theater. Before long Pankow was appearing in plays both in Chicago and off-Broadway, and by the mid-80s was making a substantial living for himself as a film actor. Among the more notable movies he appeared in during this time included "To Live and Die in L.A." (1985), "The Secret of My Success" (1987), and "Talk Radio" (1988). Pankow continued acting mostly in movies well into the early 1990s, until landing his first big break in 1993 when he was asked to join the cast of the NBC sitcom "Mad About You." Pankow played Ira Buchman, brash cousin of star Paul Reiser's Paul Buchman, on 143 episodes of the Emmy Award-winning series. After "Mad About You" ended its run in 1999, Pankow spent the next decade working steadily in both films and TV, before returning to TV full-time once again in 2011 on the Showtime comedy "Episodes." He played Merc Lapidus on the Emmy Award-nominated series, which premiered its fifth and final season in August of 2017.
Photos
John Pankow
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
100% |
|
Before/During/After | Jim Lonergan (Character) | - | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Unorganized Crime | Fr. Anthony Corso (Character) | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Arrangement | Herman Mackey (Character) | - | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
Putzel | Sid (Character) | - | 2012 |
56% |
|
Morning Glory | Lenny Bergman (Character) | $31.0M | 2010 |
41% |
|
The Extra Man | George (Character) | $453.1K | 2010 |
10% |
|
Bride Wars | John (Character) | $58.7M | 2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Advice and Dissent | Jeffrey Goldman (Character) | - | 2002 |
53% |
|
The Object of My Affection | Vince McBride (Character) | $29.1M | 1998 |
22% |
|
A Stranger Among Us | Levine (Character) | $12.1M | 1992 |
29% |
|
Year of the Gun | Italo Bianchi (Character) | $1.2M | 1991 |
56% |
|
Mortal Thoughts | Arthur Kellogg (Character) | $17.8M | 1991 |
53% |
|
Monkey Shines | Geoffrey Fisher (Character) | $4.8M | 1988 |
84% |
|
Talk Radio | Dietz (Character) | $3.3M | 1988 |
48% |
|
The Secret of My Success | Fred Melrose (Character) | $65.3M | 1987 |
88% |
|
To Live and Die in L.A. | John Vukovich (Character) | $16.6M | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | First Steps | Fred (Character) | - | 1985 |
58% |
|
The Hunger | 1st Phone Booth Youth (Character) | - | 1983 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | 79% | Madam Secretary | Glenn, NASA Administrator (Guest Star) | 2014-2016 2019 |
No Score Yet | 81% | Blue Bloods | John Romano (Guest Star) | 2018 |
No Score Yet | 88% | Chicago P.D. | Judge Tommy Wells (Guest Star) | 2017-2018 |
80% | 90% | Episodes | Merc Lapidus (Character) | 2012 2014-2015 2017 |
87% | 73% | Lucifer | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2016 |
78% | 83% | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Lenny Simmons (Guest Star) | 2015 |
95% | 89% | Elementary | Edgar Knowles (Guest Star) | 2012 |
93% | 91% | The Good Wife | Judge Cyril Handley (Guest Star) | 2011 |
No Score Yet | 83% | Law & Order | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1992 2008 |
No Score Yet | 72% | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2006 |
No Score Yet | 75% | Without a Trace | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2004 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mad About You | Ira Buchman (Character) | 1993-1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Spenser: For Hire | Unknown (Character) | 1987 |
71% | 89% | Miami Vice | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1984 |