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Paul Ben-Victor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paul Ben-Victor
Ben-Victor in 2016
Born
Paul Friedman

(1965-07-24) July 24, 1965 (age 59)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1974–present
Spouse
Cali Senkpiel
(m. 2020)

Paul Ben-Victor (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Greek mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos on the HBO drama series The Wire, Alan Gray in Entourage (2005–2008), and Ray in Body Parts (1991).

Early life

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Ben-Victor was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Leah Kornfeld, a playwright, and Victor Friedman. He attended Midwood High School, graduating in 1983.[1]

Career

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Ben-Victor debuted on the small screen in 1987 in the television film Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife and on an episode of Cagney & Lacey.

Ben-Victor has been featured on many television cop dramas like FBI, Monk and CSI, and also had a recurring role as two-bit con man Steve Richards on three episodes of NYPD Blue from 1994 to 1997. He also appeared as Steve Richards on a 1998 episode of the short-lived police drama Brooklyn South.[2]

Ben-Victor had a starring role in the Sci-Fi Channel television show The Invisible Man, alongside Vincent Ventresca. The two later guest starred together on the hit TV show Las Vegas. They were reunited again on an episode of the new USA Network series In Plain Sight ("Hoosier Daddy"), on which Ben-Victor has a supporting role.

He was cast in important roles on HBO dramas The Wire (as mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos) and Entourage, as well as making a 2006 appearance as Coach Lou on My Name Is Earl. He portrayed Moe Howard in the 2000 television film The Three Stooges.[3]

Ben-Victor has roles in the films The Irishman (2019), The Banker (2020), and Last Looks (2022).[2]

He has co-written stage plays with his mother, including Club Soda and The Good Steno.[4]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1987 Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife - TV movie
Pass the Ammo Eddie DePaul
1988 Assault of the Killer Bimbos Customer
1989 Wired Tom Perino
1990 Streets Officer #2
After the Shock Dr. Steven Brattesani TV movie
The Rookie Felix 'Little Felix'
1991 Body Parts Ray Kolberg
Alone Al Short
1992 Cool World Valet
Midnight Heat New Yorker TV movie
Eyes of the Beholder Dr. Medaris
Soulmates Driver
1993 Trouble Bound Zand
Extreme Justice Councilman Joe Taylor
True Romance Luca
The Last Outlaw Posseman Grubb TV movie
Dream Lover Clown
Tombstone Florentino 'Indian Charlie' Cruz
1994 State of Emergency Trevor Jacobs TV movie
Web of Deception Detective Fracinetti TV movie
Red Scorpion 2 Vince D'Angelo
1995 Houseguest Pauly Gasperini
Toughguy Sol Lipsteiger
Bushwhacked Dana's Father
The Fifteen Minute Hamlet Various Roles Short
1996 Firestorm Duran
Maximum Risk FBI Agent Pellman
1997 Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Heatwave Det. Meyer TV movie
Metro Clarence Teal
The 6th Man Bernie
1998 Standoff Hank McGill
Tempting Fate Police Officer TV movie
Point Blank Howard
Heist Abbie
A Civil Action Bobby Pasqueriella
1999 The Corruptor FBI Agent Pete Schabacker
Crazy in Alabama Mackie
Kiss Toledo Goodbye Vince
2000 Drowning Mona Deputy Tony Carlucci
The David Cassidy Story Wes Farrell TV movie
Gun Shy Howard
The Three Stooges Moe Howard TV movie
Very Mean Men Jimmy D.
2001 The Cure for Boredom Rudy
Choosing Matthias Chase
2002 Niche Spike Short
2003 Daredevil Jose Quesada
2004 Woman at the Beach Pablo Short
2006 Push Toni
2007 Randy and The Mob Franco
Naked Under Heaven Ben
2008 On the Doll Jimmy Sours
Joe Mover The Boss Short
Player 5150 Jimmy
Ten: Thirty One Gerry Short
Coma - Short
2009 Anytown Principal Wheeler
This Monday Tony Short
Clear Lake, WI Sheriff Joe Dietzer
2010 A Reuben by Any Other Name Max Short
Venus & Vegas Carlo
The Blue Wall Charlie Sullivan Short
2011 Video Girl Jermaine Stanford
Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury Kip Tippington
2012 FDR: American Badass! Mussolini
The Carrier Vlade Short
Should've Been Romeo Joey
Mighty Fine Bobby
Desperate Endeavors Bill Loney
2013 Don Jon Priest
Empire State Tommy
Once Upon a Time in Queens Vinnie Nero
Grudge Match Lou Camare
2014 By the Gun Vincent Tortano
Friends and Romans Dennis Socio
2015 Get Hard Gayle
Any Day William
2016 Love Is All You Need? Principal Birdsell
Goliath Cleft Chin Short
Blowtorch Blackie
2017 Camera Store Mr. Bibideaux
His Lover Scotty Davidson Jr. Short
A Crooked Somebody Detective Zimmer
The Super Mr. Johnson
2018 Monster Anthony Petrocelli
Feast of the Seven Fishes Johnny
The Amityville Murders Ronnie DeFeo, Sr.
2019 The Irishman Jake Gottlieb
Adventure Force 5 Executive Victor
2020 The Banker Donald Silverthorne
Allagash Bill
My Brothers' Crossing Officer Byrd
2021 On Our Way Mr. Adler [5]
2022 Last Looks Lieutenant Pete Conady
Collide Clyde
Emancipation Major G. Halstead
2023 Plane Hampton
The Collective Miro Lindell
2024 Murder at Hollow Creek Jeff Rhodes

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 L.A. Law Sgt. Costellano Episode: "The Princess and the Wiener King"
1987 Cagney & Lacey Trucker #2 Episode: "Waste Deep"
1988 Ohara Billy Episode: "They Shoot Witnesses, Don't They?"
China Beach Lazaro Episode: "Chao Ong"
Freddy's Nightmares Paul Episode: "Mother's Day"
1990 1st & Ten Rocko Episode: "Who Stole Johnny Gunn?"
Dragnet Jack Middleton Episode: "Parachute to Death"
Hunter Loan Shark Episode: "This Is My Gun"
Doogie Howser, M.D. Karl Episode: "TV or Not TV"
The New Adam-12 Gregory Smith Episode: "Escapees"
1991 Father Dowling Mysteries Security Guard Episode: "The Fugitive Priest Mystery
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Charlie Dilwig Episode: "For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll"
The Trials of Rosie O'Neill Vinnie Episode: "Knock, Knock"
1992 The Commish Benny Gorzo Episode: "Sex, Lies and Kerosene"
Sibs Lance Episode: "If I Only Had a Dad"
1994 L.A. Law Bowles' Atty. Peters Episode: "Age of Insolence"
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Joey Tataglia Episode: "Wild Card"
The X-Files Dr. Aaron Monte Episode: "Tooms"
1995 Sweet Justice Terry Phillips Episode: "Clouds of Glory"
1996 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Carney/Man on Stilts (voice) Episode: "Baby It's You/Monsters Are Fun"
1994-97 NYPD Blue Steve Richards Guest Cast: Season 2-3 & 5
1997 The Practice Benny Small Episode: "Search and Seizure" & "Save the Mule"
1998 Brooklyn South Steve Richards Episode: "Skel in a Cell"
1998-99 Rude Awakening Carl Guest Cast: Season 1-2
1999 Early Edition Elliot Rosenfield Episode: "Funny Valentine"
L.A. Doctors - Episode: "Forty-Eight Minutes"
2000 The Invisible Man Robert Albert Hobbes Main Cast
2002 Crossing Jordan Theo Episode: "Someone to Count On"
2003 Fastlane Marty Episode: "Strap On"
Las Vegas Michael Episode: "Pros and Cons"
2003-08 The Wire Spiros 'Vondas' Vondopoulos Main Cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 4, Recurring Cast: Season 5
2004 Strong Medicine Frank Episode: "Body Mass Increase"
2005 Alias Carter Episode: "Another Mister Sloane"
Monk Al Nicoletto Episode: "Mr. Monk Gets Drunk"
Curb Your Enthusiasm Ticket Scalper Episode: "The Larry David Sandwich"
2005-08 Entourage Alan Gray Guest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 3 & 5
2006 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Joey Episode: "Killer"
The Shield Detective Paul Reyes Episode: "Man Inside"
My Name Is Earl Coach Lou Episode: "Sticks & Stones"
2007 John from Cincinnati Palaka Main Cast
Shark Ricky Rago Episode: "For Whom the Skel Rolls"
2008-12 In Plain Sight Marshal Stan McQueen Main Cast
2009 Everybody Hates Chris Coach Thurman Recurring Cast: Season 4
2010 The Mentalist Noah Landau Episode: "Redline"
2011 CSI: NY Carmen Enzo Episode: "Party Down"
Childrens Hospital Spiros Episode: "Father's Day"
2012 Are We There Yet? Mr. Parker Recurring Cast: Season 3
2013 Vegas Barry Silver Recurring Cast
Person of Interest Detective Cameron Episode: "Reasonable Doubts"
Hawaii Five-0 Agent Devin Campbell Episode: "Hau'oli La Ho'omoaika'i"
Mob City Jack Dragna Recurring Cast
2014 True Detective Major Leroy Salter Episode: "Haunted Houses"
Matador Gene Balasco Recurring Cast
Castle Dino Scarpella Episode: "Bad Santa"
2015 Allegiance Special Agent Faber Recurring Cast
2016 Vinyl Maury Gold Main Cast
Kingdom Bob Recurring Cast: Season 2
Chicago Med Mr. McGregor Episode: "Win Loss"
2017 The Mick Jerry Berlin Recurring Cast: Season 1
Preacher Viktor Kruglov Recurring Cast: Season 2
Lethal Weapon Frank Truno Episode: "Fork-Getta-Bout-It"
2018 The Resident Edmund Carver Episode: "No Matter the Cost"
Santa Clarita Diet Mark Recurring Cast: Season 2
The Neighborhood Matty 'Cigars' Main Cast
2018-19 Goliath Cleft Chin Recurring Cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 3
2019 Bull Ryan Vance Episode: "Split Hairs"
The Village Angelo Napolitano Recurring Cast
FBI Mark Krawley Episode: "Appearances"
Will & Grace Mario Episode: "Pappa Mia"
2019-20 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Counselor Peter Abrams Recurring Cast: Season 21
2020 The Baker and the Beauty Contractor Episode: "Side Effects"
2020-23 Gravesend Matty 'Cigars' Main Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2
2022 Pam & Tommy Richard Alden Recurring Cast
FBI: Most Wanted Jackie 'The Fox' Bianchi Episode: "Greatest Hits"
2023 Paul T. Goldman Mob Boss Recurring Cast
2024 The Chosen Herod Antipas Recurring Cast: Season 4
Diarra from Detroit Zervas Recurring Cast
Everybody Still Hates Chris - Episode: "Everybody Still Hates the GED"
Nobody Wants This Ilan Roklov Recurring Cast

References

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  1. ^ midwoodargus (April 20, 2016). "Ex-Sing Commissioner, Actor Shares Insight With Hornets". Midwoodargus.org. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "In Character: The Cast of The Irishman | And So It Begins". Andsoitbeginsfilms.com. December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  3. ^ "Profile: An actor with Island roots | Shelter Island Reporter". Shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com. May 30, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "Paul Ben-Victor". Biography. TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  5. ^ Complex, Valerie (March 22, 2023). "Gravitas Ventures Acquires Sophie Lane Curtis Drama 'On Our Way' Starring Micheál Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave And Jordana Brewster". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
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