Dennis Franz

Biography for Dennis Franz

Dennis Franz was born Dennis Franz Schlacta in Maywood, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His father was a German immigrant and both he and Franz's mother, were postal workers. He has two sisters, Marlene (born 1938) and Heidi (born 1935). He graduated from Southern Illinois University and was immediately drafted into the military. He served 11 month in Vietnam in a reconnaissance unit, and after his service he suffered depression for some time afterwards. In 1972 he joined the Organic Theatre Company. Robert Altman discovered him at an auditions and urged him to go to Los Angeles, where he became part of Altman's resident company. He married the former Joanie Zeck in 1982 and has aided her in raising her two daughters, Krista (born 1976) and Tricia (born 1974).

Dennis Franz is an American actor, born October 28, 1944 in Chicago.

He began his career in 1978, notably with Furie de Brian de Palma. The director will run it in other films such as drilling and double body. For almost fifteen years, we saw it sometimes on the small screen, sometimes on the big one. In 1990, he was noticed in the Irascible Washington Police who gave Bruce Willis a hard time in 58 minutes to live. But it was in 1993 with the NYPD Blue series that he obtained public recognition thanks to his role as Andy Sipowicz, a cop with brutal, alcoholic and somewhat perverse methods that after being shot by a cat decides to be in search of the redmption.

Dennis Franz is an American actor known for his role in the television series "NYPD Blue". He was born on October 28, 1944 in Maywood, Illinois. Franz began his career in the 1970s, playing in theatrical productions in Chicago. In 1981, he obtained his first important role in the television series "Hill Street Blues". It was in 1993, with his role in "NYPD Blue", that he really knew celebrity. Franz plays the detective Andy Sipowicz there, for which he won four Primetime Emmy Awards.

Photos

Filmography

Trivia

• Before entering "Hill Street Blues" (1981), as Norm Buntz, appeared as Sal Benedetto for a few episodes.
• Always travels with a pet bird.
• Graduated from Proviso East H.S. Maywood IL, in 1962.
• Served 11 months in Vietnam with the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions.
• Frequently plays cops
• Franz's own recipes are included in "The Cop Cookbook" by Greta Garner-Hewitt, Ken Beck and Jim Clark, published in 1997.
• Attended Wright Junior College and Southern Illinois University, with a major in speech and theater
• By 11th grade, he tried out for a part in a school play called, "The Crucible," because his girlfriend was auditioning. He won the part, but his girlfriend didn't
• In high school, he was active in baseball, football and swimming
• Is a board member of the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance
• Is an animal lover, has a dog named Bigelow.
• Was a mailman before becoming an actor
• Hobbies: Snow-skis, plays golf and gives time and talent to charitable organizations.
• He and Jimmy Smits began their association with Steven Bochco in the 1980s.
• Andy Sipowicz, Franz's character on "NYPD Blue" (1993), was ranked #31 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].
• His former "NYPD Blue" (1993) co-star, David Caruso, is currently the star of "CSI: Miami" (2002), the spin-off of William Petersen's series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000). Franz and Petersen co-presented an award at the 2004 Emmys.

Quotes

For lack of a better term, they've labeled me a sex symbol. It's flattering and it should happen to every bald, overweight guy.

Family

• Spouse : Joanie Zeck (1 April 1995 - present)
• Children: Tricia and Krista

Author of the card

• Creation date: 08/01/2008 by abdest