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Richard Portnow

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.

Highest rated movies

90% 89% Barton Fink
84% 86% Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
83% 83% The Fourth Noble Truth
83% 95% Seven
73% 69% Private Parts
73% 65% Sister Act
71% 56% Café Society
70% 75% Happy Accidents

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 86% Andover Shamus Trout (Character) - 2018
No Score Yet 50% Soy Nero Murray - the Garage Owner (Character) - 2016
71% 56% Café Society Walt (Character) $11.1M 2016
83% 83% The Fourth Noble Truth Lawyer (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Parallel Stewart (Character),
Producer
- 2015
No Score Yet 80% 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 39% Nanny Cam Detective Jones (Character) - 2014
39% 37% Oldboy Bernie Sharkey (Character) $2.2M 2013
No Score Yet 55% Underdogs John Handon II (Character) $33.9K 2013
No Score Yet 12% In the Dark Detective Archer (Character) - 2013
38% 19% Two Jacks Lorenzo (Character) - 2012
60% 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 40% The Christmas Pageant Leo Brenner (Character) - 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet Killer by Nature Walter (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet 39% The Wish List Lenny (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet 47% Under New Management Carmello (Character) - 2009
26% 75% Law Abiding Citizen Bill Reynolds (Character) $73.3M 2009
No Score Yet 57% Jack's Family Adventure Denny Simpkins (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 73% The Minis Jack (Character) - 2008
14% 25% 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% 51% Perfect Stranger Narron (Character) $23.7M 2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet Made in Brooklyn Louis/Vito Ungaro (Character) - 2007
63% 62% 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 33% Trump Unauthorized Mayor Ed Koch (Character) - 2005
25% 54% Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding Vinnie Black (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 40% Laughter on the 23rd Floor Harry Prince (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 14% Double Bang Lieutenant Shatkin (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 0% The Mystery of Spoon River Agent Cicarelli (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet 15% Zigs Arnold Zigman (Character) - 2000
70% 75% Happy Accidents Trip (Character) $688.5K 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Unscarred Tommy Matolla (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet 0% Lured Innocence Jack Shelby (Character) - 1999
60% 61% Witness Protection Niko (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 68% Road Kill Mr. Charboneau (Character) - 1999
84% 86% 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 33% Milo Lieutenant Parker (Character) - 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fallen Arches Nicky Kaplan (Character) - 1998
73% 69% 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 78% Guy Al (Character) $3.1K 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet 87th Precinct: Lightning Monaghan (Character) - 1995
83% 95% Seven Dr. Beardsley (Character) $100.1M 1995
13% 33% Man of the House Joey Renda (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 0% Donor Unknown Nash Creed (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 22% Dragstrip Girl Det. Dryden (Character) - 1994
12% 49% S.F.W. Joe Dice (Character) $44.2K 1994
8% 29% Trial by Jury Leo Greco (Character) $6.8M 1994
58% 76% Heart and Souls Max Marco (Character) $16.4M 1993
No Score Yet 14% Night Eyes 3 Kaplan (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 47% Paydirt Marty Rollins (Character) $8.2K 1992
73% 65% Sister Act Willy (Character) $139.6M 1992
90% 89% Barton Fink Detective Mastrionotti (Character) $5.7M 1991
27% 57% Havana Mike MacClaney (Character) $8.8M 1990
No Score Yet 44% 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)