James Luisi

Known for ActingBorn 1928-11-11Died 2002-06-07New York City, New York, USA

A native New Yorker, James Luisi attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights on a basketball scholarship. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He then played one season (1953-54) with the Baltimore Bullets in the National Basketball Association. His acting career began on the stage with early parts coming in the Broadway musicals "Sweet Charity" and "Zorba". His early movies were minor, though his "beefcake" appeal was evident in 1973's I Escaped from Devil's Island (1973) in which he rarely wore a shirt. Most of his later work was on TV. In 1976 he shared a "best actor" daytime Emmy for playing George Washington in a daytime drama special titled First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington (1975). Also in 1976 he started his four-season role as Jim Rockford's (James Garner) nemesis Lt. Chapman in The Rockford Files (1974). In 1983 he played the cop in charge of some street-gang-members-turned-undercover-agents in the short-lived series The Renegades (1983), which provided a boost for Patrick Swayze, who played one of the gang members. Along with guest spots on numerous TV shows, Luisi also appeared in the soap operas Days of Our Lives (1965) and Another World (1964). In the 1990s he returned to acting in and directing stage work in the Los Angeles area. Stricken with cancer he passed away on 7 June 2002 and is survived by his wife of 41 years, the former Georgia Phillips.Read more

Movies & web series

Love Is Not Enough

A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story

Our Family Business

Hunter

The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play

Harris and Company

First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington

Honky Tonk

The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits...

Hawkins

The Fall Guy

The Rockford Files

Knight Rider

The A-Team

Quincy, M.E.

Future Cop

Ghost Story

Magnum, P.I.

Starsky & Hutch

Norma Rae

L.A. Law

Kojak

S.W.A.T.

Dark Justice

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

Adam-12

Good Heavens

Vega$

The Hidden

Wonder Woman

Cry Rape

The Streets of San Francisco

Police Story

Cat Ballou

The Rifleman

Barnaby Jones

The Hogan Family

Hart to Hart

Knots Landing

CHiPs

Finder of Lost Loves

The Rookies

Ironside

Contract on Cherry Street

The Take

The Renegades

Cannon

Baywatch Nights