Richard Portnow
Highest Rated: 90% Barton Fink (1991)
Lowest Rated: 8% Trial by Jury (1994)
Birthday: Jan 26, 1947
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Imagine studying all night for a test, only to walk into the class and realize you studied for the wrong exam. That's what happened to actor Richard Portnow on "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987), when he arrived in Bangkok and learned he had only a few days to learn a completely new role, that of Dan 'The Man' Levitan. But what could have been disaster turned into a highlight of the veteran character actor's career, which spanned from the New York City stage to Los Angeles TV studios. The Brooklyn-born Portnow brought a lifetime of eclectic experiences to his later-in-life profession, which made the jump from stage to screen in the 1980s with supporting roles in everything from "The Equalizer" (CBS, 1985-89) and "Tin Men" (1987) to "Radio Days" (1987) and "Say Anything..." (1989). By the '90s Portnow's rough and tumble demeanor had made him a go-to authority figure in increasingly high-profile projects such as "EZ Streets" (CBS, 1996-97), "Se7en" (1995) and "The Sopranos" (HBO, 1999-2007), where he portrayed pricey Mob lawyer Harold "Mel" Melvoin. And with his career still going strong with later roles on "Boston Legal" (Fox, 2004-08) and in "Hitchcock" (2012), Richard Portnow has become an enduring screen presence.
Photos
Richard Portnow
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sargasso | Pat Reed (Character) | - | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Duke | Carroll Green (Character) | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Holly Day | Benny (Character) | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet |
|
Andover | Shamus Trout (Character) | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet |
|
Soy Nero | Murray - the Garage Owner (Character) | - | 2016 |
71% |
|
Café Society | Walt (Character) | $11.1M | 2016 |
83% |
|
The Fourth Noble Truth | Lawyer (Character) | - | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Parallel |
Stewart (Character), Producer |
- | 2015 |
No Score Yet |
|
This Last Lonely Place | Jason Pure (Character) | $20.2K | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Seasons of Love | Pop (Character) | - | 2014 |
No Score Yet |
|
Nanny Cam | Detective Jones (Character) | - | 2014 |
39% |
|
Oldboy | Bernie Sharkey (Character) | $2.2M | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
Underdogs | John Handon II (Character) | $33.9K | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
In the Dark | Detective Archer (Character) | - | 2013 |
38% |
|
Two Jacks | Lorenzo (Character) | - | 2012 |
60% |
|
Hitchcock | Barney Balaban (Character) | $6.0M | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Night of Nightmares | Cliff Tanner (Character) | - | 2012 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Christmas Pageant | Leo Brenner (Character) | - | 2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Killer by Nature | Walter (Character) | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Wish List | Lenny (Character) | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
Under New Management | Carmello (Character) | - | 2009 |
26% |
|
Law Abiding Citizen | Bill Reynolds (Character) | $73.3M | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
Jack's Family Adventure | Denny Simpkins (Character) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Minis | Jack (Character) | - | 2008 |
14% |
|
The Spirit | Donenfeld (Character) | $19.8M | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Six Bullets from Now | Unknown (Character) | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Indian | Elliot (Character) | - | 2007 |
10% |
|
Perfect Stranger | Narron (Character) | $23.7M | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Made in Brooklyn |
Louis/ |
- | 2007 |
63% |
|
Find Me Guilty | Max Novardis (Character) | $1.2M | 2006 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Under the City | Minks (Character) | - | 2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Johnny Slade's Greatest Hits | Jerry Kaminski (Character) | - | 2005 |
No Score Yet |
|
Trump Unauthorized | Mayor Ed Koch (Character) | - | 2005 |
25% |
|
Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding | Vinnie Black (Character) | - | 2004 |
No Score Yet |
|
Laughter on the 23rd Floor | Harry Prince (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Double Bang | Lieutenant Shatkin (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Mystery of Spoon River | Agent Cicarelli (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Zigs | Arnold Zigman (Character) | - | 2000 |
70% |
|
Happy Accidents | Trip (Character) | $688.5K | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Unscarred | Tommy Matolla (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Lured Innocence | Jack Shelby (Character) | - | 1999 |
60% |
|
Witness Protection | Niko (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Road Kill | Mr. Charboneau (Character) | - | 1999 |
84% |
|
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai | Handsome Frank (Character) | $3.3M | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Desert Thunder | Adm. Le Clair (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Postal Worker | Dr. Nicholas Brink (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Milo | Lieutenant Parker (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fallen Arches | Nicky Kaplan (Character) | - | 1998 |
73% |
|
Private Parts | Ben Stern (Character) | $41.2M | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man (And His Faithful Sidekick Tadpole) | Sid Higgins (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
Guy | Al (Character) | $3.1K | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 87th Precinct: Lightning | Monaghan (Character) | - | 1995 |
83% |
|
Seven | Dr. Beardsley (Character) | $100.1M | 1995 |
13% |
|
Man of the House | Joey Renda (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
Donor Unknown | Nash Creed (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
Dragstrip Girl | Det. Dryden (Character) | - | 1994 |
12% |
|
S.F.W. | Joe Dice (Character) | $44.2K | 1994 |
8% |
|
Trial by Jury | Leo Greco (Character) | $6.8M | 1994 |
58% |
|
Heart and Souls | Max Marco (Character) | $16.4M | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Night Eyes 3 | Kaplan (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Paydirt | Marty Rollins (Character) | $8.2K | 1992 |
73% |
|
Sister Act | Willy (Character) | $139.6M | 1992 |
90% |
|
Barton Fink | Detective Mastrionotti (Character) | $5.7M | 1991 |
27% |
|
Havana | Mike MacClaney (Character) | $8.8M | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
|
Meet the Hollowheads | Mr. Crabneck (Character) | $1.8K | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Deadly Silence | D.A. Ed Jablonski (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Peter Gunn | Spiros (Character) | - | 1989 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
95% | 89% | Elementary | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2016 |
93% | 91% | The Good Wife | Judge Ben Margovski (Guest Star) | 2015 |
91% | 87% | Suits | Pete Kreeling (Guest Star) | 2014 |
93% | 90% | Parks and Recreation | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2014 |
82% | 87% | Castle | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2014 |
61% | 84% | Franklin & Bash | Richard Kohl (Guest Star) | 2012 |
No Score Yet | 69% | Hawaii Five-0 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2012 |
No Score Yet | 82% | CSI: New York | Preston Seville, Sr. (Guest Star) | 2012 |
No Score Yet | 89% | The Mentalist | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2011 |
9% | No Score Yet | Outlaw | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2010 |
74% | 81% | Nip/Tuck | Manny Caldarello (Guest Star) | 2004 2009 |
No Score Yet | 95% | Cold Case | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2008 |
No Score Yet | 88% | Hannah Montana | Marty Kline (Guest Star) | 2006 |
86% | 91% | Boston Legal | Judge Peter Harding (Guest Star) | 2004-2006 |
83% | 93% | NYPD Blue | Howard Segal (Guest Star) | 1995 2005 |
92% | 96% | The Sopranos | Harold "Mel" Melvoin (Guest Star) | 1999-2002 2004 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Sopranos (With Audio Commentary) | Attorney Melvoin (Guest Star) | 2000 2002 |
90% | 96% | The Shield | Jim Wright (Guest Star) | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Judging Amy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
14% | No Score Yet | Ryan Caulfield: Year One | Sgt. Palermo (Character) | 1999 |
No Score Yet | 87% | Boy Meets World | Stan (Guest Star) | 1999 |
68% | No Score Yet | Spin City | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bella Mafia | Unknown (Character) | 1997 |
83% | No Score Yet | EZ Streets | Det. Frank Collero (Character) | 1996-1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mad About You | Arthur (Guest Star) | 1996-1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Walker, Texas Ranger | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fallen Angels | Jack Malkov (Character) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | Lt. Walt Murphy (Guest Star) | 1991 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Commish | PBenny (Guest Star) | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Civil Wars | Jerry DeSantos (Guest Star) | 1992 |
91% | 79% | Dinosaurs | Mel Luster (Guest Voice) | 1991-1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wiseguy | Louis Cabra (Guest Star) | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Beverly Hills Buntz | Jimmy Montaigne (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Head Cases | Unknown (Guest Star) |