Conrad Dunn (born March 9, 1950)[1] is an Americanactor. He began his screen career with the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer inStripes (1981). Working for some ten years under the nameGeorge Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom inDays of Our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved from bad guy to romantic lead. He returned to the name Conrad Dunn and began working extensively in Canadian as well as U.S. film and television. He excels as a villain, and has found depth in such TV films asWe the Jury (1996) and the miniseriesThe Last Don (1997–1998). For two seasons he portrayed the freelance detectiveSaul Panzer in the A&E TV seriesNero Wolfe (2001–2002).
Born and raised in Los Angeles,[2]: 31 Conrad Dunn studied at theAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts-Los Angeles and withStella Adlerin New York. After seeing him on the stage, a casting director asked him to read for the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer[3] inStripes (1981), his first feature film.[4][a] His introductory speech,[5] described by one reviewer as "Conrad Dunn's adroit tribute toTravis Bickle",[6] was singled out by film criticRoger Ebert: "The movie has especially good writing in several scenes. My favorite comes near the beginning, during a session when recruits in the new platoon get to know one another. One obviously psycho draftee, who looks like Robert De Niro, quietly announces that if his fellow soldiers touch him, touch his stuff, or interfere in any way with his person or his privacy, he will quite simply be forced to kill them."[7] The response from drill sergeant Hulka, played byWarren Oates—"Lighten up, Francis"—became a popular movie quote.[8]
Taking the name George Jenesky, Dunn performed over seven seasons (1981–1990) in theNBCdaytimesoap opera,Days of Our Lives. His character, Nick Corelli, became a fan favorite, a despicable pimp who evolved into a romantic lead and one of the show's main characters.[2]: 34, 36 [9]: 71, 191 Nick's murder was one of the series' notable whodunits.[9]: 146–149
Dunn had his own theatre company,[4] and his stage credits include a 1994 production ofEdward Albee'sThe Zoo Story simultaneously performed inAmerican Sign Language. "Notwithstanding the value of bringing this important work to a non-hearing audience, the energy of the gestures generated by the actors actually underscores the emotional impact of their fateful encounter," wroteVariety.[10]
He has made numerous appearances in films and on television, frequently as the villain.[4] In the mid-1990s he returned to the name Conrad Dunn and began working extensively in Canada as well as the U.S. Notable TV roles include an antagonistic juror in theUSA Network film,We the Jury (1996),[11] a remorseless mobster in twoCBS miniseries (1997–1998) adapted fromMario Puzo'sThe Last Don,[12] and the arch villain in the 2000pilot forTNT's supernatural drama seriesWitchblade.[13] In 2001 he joined the principal cast of theA&E TV series,Nero Wolfe (2001–2002), portraying the superlatively competent freelance detectiveSaul Panzer for two seasons.[14] His later film appearances includeChicago (2001),[15]Owning Mahowny (2003)[16] andVing Rhames'Animal 2 (2007).[17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Stripes | Francis "Psycho" Soyer | [4][18] |
| 1981 | Days of Our Lives (TV series) | Nick Corelli | as George Jenesky[9]: 191 |
| 1983 | T.J. Hooker (TV series) | Douglas Nelson | "Too Late for Love"[19] |
| 1983 | Buffalo Bill (TV series) | "Woody Quits"[20] | |
| 1983 | Alice (TV series) | Customer | "The Robot Wore Pink"[20] |
| 1984 | Days of Our Lives | Nick Corelli | as George Jenesky[9] |
| 1985 | Hill Street Blues (TV series) | Sonny Murdo | "You're in Alice's"[20] |
| 1986 | Stewardess School | Referee | as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | Man with Umbrella at Phone Booth | as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1986 | Amazing Stories (TV series) | Gas Station Attendant Warden's Guard | "Gather Ye Acorns", as George Jenesky "Life on Death Row", as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1986 | Hunter (TV series) | Rocket | "The Set Up", as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1986–1990 | Days of Our Lives | Nick Corelli | as George Jenesky[9] |
| 1988 | Alien Nation | Quint | as George Jenesky[21] |
| 1989 | True Believer | Slim Jim | as George Jenesky[2]: 31 |
| 1988 | Hunter | Tommy Orlowski | "Presumed Guilty", as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1990 | Death Warrant | Konefke | as George Jenesky[22] |
| 1990 | Dark Justice (TV series) | Ted | "Prime Cuts", as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1992 | Tequila and Bonetti (TV series) | Wayne | "Mama", as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1993 | Inside Edge | Hip-Hop | as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1993 | Without Warning: Terror in the Towers (TV) | Mohammed Salameh | as George Jenesky[20] |
| 1995 | Highlander: The Series (TV series) | Matthew | "Blind Faith"[16] |
| 1995 | The Marshal (TV series) | Louie-Louie | "Rainbow Comix"[23] |
| 1995 | Due South (TV series) | Siracusa | "The Witness"[16] |
| 1996 | Side Effects (TV series) | Dr. Irwin Pfaff | "Behind the Scenes"[20] |
| 1996 | Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Ice (TV) | Henry Gore | [16][24] |
| 1996 | Mask of Death | Frank Dallio | [16] |
| 1996 | Silent Trigger | Klein "Supervisor" | [16] |
| 1996 | We the Jury (TV) | Rafael Ramos | [25] |
| 1996 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (TV series) | Mr. Marsden | "Who Is Kwai Chang Caine?"[20] |
| 1997 | The Last Don (TV miniseries) | Lia Vazzi | [16][26] |
| 1997 | F/X: The Series (TV series) | "Script Doctor"[20] | |
| 1997 | Goosebumps (TV series) | Grimm | "The Barking Ghost"[20] |
| 1997 | The New Ghostwriter Mysteries (TV series) | Harry | "Designer Crime"[16] |
| 1998 | Mr. Headmistress | Farley | [16][27] |
| 1998 | The Last Don II (TV miniseries) | Lia Vazzi | [16][28] |
| 1999 | Traders (TV series) | "Eat the Loss"[20] | |
| 1999 | Vendetta (TV) | Pasquale Corte | [16] |
| 1999 | The Famous Jett Jackson (TV series) | Marley | "Saving Mr. Dupree"[20] |
| 1999 | Black and Blue (TV) | Enrique | [16] |
| 1999 | Execution of Justice (TV) | Gay Teacher | [16] |
| 2000 | Harry's Case (TV) | [29] | |
| 2000 | La Femme Nikita (TV series) | The Director of Red Cell | "Sleeping with the Enemy"[20] |
| 2000 | Witchblade (TV) | Tommy Gallo | [13][16][30] |
| 2000 | Turn It Up | Urie | [16] |
| 2001 | Haven (TV miniseries) | Josef | [16][31] |
| 2001–2002 | Nero Wolfe (TV series) | Saul Panzer[32] | [b] |
| 2002 | Witchblade (TV series) | Tommy Gallo | "Emergence"[20] "Hierophant"[20] |
| 2002 | Martin and Lewis (TV) | Lou Perry | [16][33] |
| 2002 | Chicago | Doctor | [15] |
| 2003 | Control Factor (TV) | Thrillkill | [16] |
| 2003 | Owning Mahowny | Edgar | [20] |
| 2003 | Blue Murder (TV series) | Kenney Roswell | "John Doe"[20] |
| 2003 | Veritas: The Quest (TV series) | Moondawg | "Skulls"[20] |
| 2004 | Direct Action | Captain Stone | [20] |
| 2004 | Zeyda and the Hitman | Mr. Valenti | [20] |
| 2004 | Clubhouse (TV series) | Defense Lawyer | "Road Trip"[20] |
| 2004 | The Eleventh Hour (TV series) | "Megan Ice Cream"[20] | |
| 2005 | Cool Money (TV) | City | [20] |
| 2006 | Puppets Who Kill (TV series) | Plumber | "Mr. Big"[20][34] |
| 2006 | At the Hotel (TV series) | Señor Arioso | "Modern Solutions to Modern Problems"[20] |
| 2006 | Covert One: The Hades Factor (TV miniseries) | Ghalib Hassan | [20] |
| 2006 | Jeff Ltd. (TV series) | Vincent | "Ali Baba and the 40 Carpets"[20] "Nightmare on Stevens Street"[20] |
| 2007 | Animal 2 | Kasada | [4][17] |
| 2007 | Degrassi: The Next Generation (TV series) | Vlad | "Don't You Want Me?"[20] |
| 2007 | The Dead Zone (TV series) | Frankie Toro | "Drift"[20] |
| 2009 | Murdoch Mysteries (TV series) | Professor Otranto | "Snakes and Ladders"[20] |
| 2011 | XIII: The Series (TV series) | Peralta | "Costa Verde"[20] |
| 2012 | Suits (TV series) | Oscar Mendoza | "Break Point"[20] |
Pvt. Francis 'Psycho' Sawyer played by Conrad Dunn was a memorable character from the 1981 Bill Murray and Harold Ramis comedy 'Stripes.'
… The pulse of 'The Zoo Story' beats from the heart of Jerry. This strangely repulsive but hypnotic being is personified by Conrad Dunn. He is immediately dangerous but poetic, a loose cannon with the patience of a Buddhist monk. It is an amazing experience to watch this gifted performer use his words and his almost dancelike signing ability to frighten yet somehow give comfort to his newfound soulmate Peter.
Decent acting is in evidence, with standouts coming from two of the smaller roles—Robert Wuhl as Bobby Bantz, providing lively comic relief, and Conrad Dunn as Lia Vazzi, the most menacing of Cross' henchmen.
The best performance inWitchblade is delivered by Conrad Dunn as the sociopathic Gallo.
Veteran stage actors Michael Rhoades, Tony Munch, Bill MacDonald, Joe Pingue and Conrad Dunn make cameo appearances, and they're clearly having a blast.
