Robert Davi | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Davi in 2025 | |
| Born | Robert John Davi (1951-06-26)June 26, 1951 (age 74) Queens,New York City, U.S. |
| Education | Hofstra University (B.A.) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 6 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Traditional pop,Great American Songbook |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Website | davisingssinatra |
Robert John Davi (born June 26, 1951)[1] is an American actor, singer, and filmmaker.[2] Over the course of his acting career, Davi has performed in more than 130 films. Among his most known roles are opera-singing Jake Fratelli inThe Goonies (1985), FBI Special Agent Johnson inDie Hard (1988),James Bond villain Franz Sanchez inLicence to Kill (1989), police deputy chief Phil Heinemann inPredator 2 (1990) and strip club manager Al Torres inShowgirls (1995). On television, he portrayed FBI Special Agent Bailey Malone in theNBC television seriesProfiler (1996–2000).
Classically trained as a singer, Davi launched his professional singing career in 2011.[1][3] His first album,Davi Sings Sinatra – On the Road to Romance, hit No. 6 on theBillboard jazz charts. Praised for his strong baritone voice and vocal interpretations, Davi debuted as a headliner atThe Venetian Las Vegas, six months after the record was released.[4]
In 2016, Davi replacedJerry Doyle as radio host for a nationally syndicatedradio program onTalk Radio Network.[5]
Robert Davi was born on June 26, 1951,[6] inAstoria, Queens, New York, the son of Maria (née Rulli) and Sal Davi.[1] His mother was an Italian American whose family came fromNusco,Avellino,Campania, and his grandfather and father were fromTorretta,Palermo,Sicily.[7] His grandfather, Franco, enlisted in the US Army after emigrating and served in World War I. He received anOak Leaf Cluster for his services.[8]
Davi spoke Italian during his childhood.[1] He attendedSeton Hall, aRoman Catholic high school inPatchogue, New York.[1] There he studied opera vocals, and became the winner of the New York State School Music Association Solo Competition at the age of fifteen.[9] He has two sisters, Yvonne Davi (deceased), and Michelle Queal. He graduated fromHofstra University, which he attended because of that university's strong drama department as well as its reproduction ofShakespeare'sGlobe Theater.[10] Davi studied with acting coachStella Adler when he moved to Manhattan.[11] During this time he was also a member of the Actor’s Studio,[12] where he studied with Lee Strasburg.[6]
Davi made his television film debut inContract on Cherry Street, in which he shared the screen withFrank Sinatra. Davi later mentioned Sinatra as an early supporter.[13] He was also the lead in "Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami", a performance that received critical praise. In 1989, he had a recurring role on the television seriesWiseguy.[6]
As for major motion pictures, he has appeared in films includingThe Goonies, where his role of Jake Fratelli was based upon Davi’s own artistic ideas differing from the original script.[14] He also starred inPredator 2,Illicit Behavior,Night Trap,The Iceman,Mob Town,Buckle Up,Inside Man,[15]Die Hard,Showgirls,Son of the Pink Panther, and in theBond filmLicence to Kill (1989) as the villain Franz Sanchez, a South American drug lord and murderer.[16] During the 1990s, he played the role of FBI detective Bailey Malone on the television seriesProfiler. He also starred in comedic films, including the 2002 moviesThe 4th Tenor andThe Hot Chick. The year he also produced and was lead actor in the independent filmThe Hitters.[6] In 2004, Davi was cast as the antagonist Acastus Kolya in the television seriesStargate: Atlantis, a military leader for the enemy group the Genii.[17]
In 2014, Davi appeared as Goran Vata inThe Expendables 3.[18] In 2015, Davi appeared in a music video forBob Dylan's recording of "The Night They Called It a Day", from Dylan's albumShadows in the Night, a selection of songs which had been recorded by Frank Sinatra.Rolling Stone suggested that Davi's role in the video may be a nod towards Davi's having made his acting debut alongside Sinatra in the crime filmContract on Cherry Street, and Davi's release of his own album of Sinatra covers.[19] In 2014 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Long Island Film and TV Foundation.[20]
In 2015, he interpretedGabriele Tinti's poetry giving voice to theBoxer at Rest at theGetty Museum.[21] As of 2021, he had acted in more than 160 films and television shows.[22]
Davi is the owner and founder of Sun Lion Films.[6]In 2007, Davi made his directorial debut withThe Dukes, a parable regarding the mid-2000 economic crisis and its impact. The film starred Davi himself,Chazz Palminteri, andPeter Bogdanovich.The Dukes was selected for the premiere section at theRome Film Festival, along with films byFrancis Ford Coppola,Sean Penn,Robert Redford, andSidney Lumet. Davi was the only first-time director in the premiere section.[23] The film was screened internationally and won awards atQueens International Film Festival,WorldFest Houston [tr], Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festiva and the Festival international du film de comédie de l'Alpe d'Huez.[24][better source needed]In 2011, David sold an original screenplay entitled The Voiceto Atmosphere Entertainment MM. The production company said of Davi’s anticipated role in the film that “The character that he will portray is so impassioned and obsessed with finding the secret to Sinatra’s voice that it brings him to the brink of insanity.”[25]In 2017, a documentary entitledDavi’s Way, about Davi’s real life performance of Sinatra’s work, was premiered at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival.[26]Davi directed his third film,My Son Hunter, it was released on September 7, 2022.[27] He was approached in 2021 to direct the film by documentary filmmakers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney, which focuses on the relationship betweenHunter Biden and his father.[28]
In high school, Davi was praised for his singing, and auditioned for theMetropolitan Opera after being awarded first place at the New York State School Music Association's Solo Competition, where he sang Vincent Youman's "Without A Song". He subsequently received classical training with vocal teachersSamuel Margolis and Danial Ferro ofJuilliard andTito Gobbi. Davi damaged his voice and later explained that he was a baritone with the "heart of a tenor and had pushed too hard, too early".[29]
Davi began to focus again on singing in 2011, and worked withGary Catona as he prepared to record his first children's album.[30]
With a thirty-piece orchestra, Davi recorded the album at theCapitol Records Building in Hollywood.[31] The album was produced byPhil Ramone, engineered by Dan Wallin, and mixed byAl Schmitt. The album,Davi Sings Sinatra -- On The Road To Romance, was released on October 24, 2011, and garnered positive reviews.[32]Jazztimes calledDavi Sings Sinatra "uniformly impressive",[33] and critic Don Heckman wrote in theOrange County Register that "there are, of course, dozens of Sinatra imitators and simulators. But what Davi does is a whole different matter. A tribute? Yes, indeed; all that and more."[34]AllMusic noted that "Davi makes no attempt to copy Sinatra's vocal sound ... Rather, he is his own singer."[35] The album reached the Top 10 on theBillboard jazz charts.[9]
In December 2012, Davi appeared along withRoger Cicero in the French/German Arte TV programDurch die Nacht mit … The episode was shot in theLittle Italy area of New York City and featured conversation between Cicero and Davi and solos of Sinatra standards by both performers. In December 2013, Davi released a Christmas single, "Mistletoe and Holly", with all proceeds benefitingThe Salvation Army.[30]
That year he performed tribute concert series for Frank Sinatra at the Venetian Showroom in Las Vegas.[13] During his Sinatra performances, which he has toured with, he has a selection of 300 songs to choose from depending on the audience and mood in the room.[14] He has been called one of the premiere Frank Sinatra cover acts in the United States, with the Huffington Post calling him “A legend in the making” in 2013.[36]
Davi has lent his voice to political ads, includingCarly Fiorina's "Demon Sheep" attack ad, "Hot Air: The Movie", and others produced by media consultant Fred Davis.[37]
Davi was chosen by the United Nations to celebrate the Transformative Power of Music at the General Assembly in New York, in June 2015 – and again for the 70th Anniversary Celebration of the UN in September 2015.[38]
Davi was chosen to tribute Sinatra's 100th birthday for the July 4PBS special; it was watched by 500,000 people outside theCapitol Building in DC and 15 million viewers.[38]
Davi was the guest singer on theItalian version of the TV programThe Voice.[38]
In 2024, he will be releasing his albumI’m Not Anyone.[14]
Davi was married to Jan Borenstein from 1970 to 1980. His second marriage was to Jeri McBride from 1980 to 1990; they had one son. His next marriage was to Christine Bolster in 1990, which ended in 2019.[39][40][41] They have four children together.[39][40] Davi married Diana Davi in 2019, and they have a daughter.[citation needed] He is a recipient of the George M. Estabrook Distinguished Service Award from the Hofstra University Alumni Association, has served on the Steering Committee for George Washington University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute, and is a past recipient of the Man of the Year Award from the Los Angeles FBI.[42]
Davi is a political conservative, often speaking at Republican Party gatherings.[43] He has been invited to comment on numerous political shows and backedJohn McCain during his presidential campaign. He narrated several film montages that aired during the 2008Republican National Convention.[44][45] Davi has spoken at numerousConservative Political Action Conferences in Washington, D.C. He was a frequent guest onFox News's late-night satire programRed Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.[46] Davi endorsedDonald Trump in the2016 U.S. presidential election, again in2020, and again in2024.[47]
He has issued statements supporting fellow conservative celebrities, includingJon Voight, as well as statements advocating civility between those of different political views.[48]
Davi has been active in various children’s non-profits.[6] He is also a goodwill ambassador for the Saint Pio Foundation.[49]
For his contributions to the Canadian Italian community, Davi was enshrined in Toronto'sItalian Walk of Fame in 2013.[50]
He was nominated for aGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Al Torres inShowgirls (1995).[citation needed]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | City Heat | Nino | |
| 1985 | The Goonies | Jake Fratelli | |
| 1986 | Raw Deal | Max Keller | |
| 1987 | Wild Thing | "Chopper" | |
| 1988 | Action Jackson | Tony Moretti | |
| Die Hard | FBI Special Agent Johnson | ||
| Traxx | Aldo Palucci | ||
| 1989 | Licence to Kill | Franz Sanchez | |
| 1990 | Peacemaker | Sergeant Frank Ramos | |
| Deceptions | Jack "Harley" Kessler | ||
| Maniac Cop 2 | Detective Sean McKinney | ||
| Predator 2 | Deputy Chief Phil Heinemann | ||
| Amazon | Dan | ||
| 1991 | White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd | Charlie "Lucky" Luciano | |
| The Taking of Beverly Hills | Robert Masterson | ||
| Legal Tender | Fix Cleary | ||
| Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue | "Sully" Sullivan | ||
| 1992 | Christopher Columbus: The Discovery | Martín Alonso Pinzón | |
| Center of the Web | Richard Morgan | ||
| Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence | Detective Sean McKinney | ||
| 1993 | Night Trap | Detective Mike Turner | |
| Son of the Pink Panther | Hans Zarba | ||
| 1994 | No Contest | Sergeant Crane | |
| Cops and Robbersons | Horace Osborn | ||
| 1995 | Delta of Venus | The Collector | |
| Showgirls | Al Torres | ||
| Cyber Vengeance | R.D. Crowley | ||
| 1996 | An Occasional Hell | State Trooper Abbott | |
| 1997 | The Bad Pack | McQue | |
| 2001 | Soulkeeper | Mallion | |
| 2002 | The Sorcerer's Apprentice | Merlin, Milner | |
| The 4th Tenor | Lerra | ||
| The Hot Chick | Stan, April's Dad | ||
| Hitters | Nick | Also producer | |
| 2003 | One Last Ride | Father | |
| 2004 | Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss | Ivan Nagy | |
| 2005 | In the Mix | "Fish" | |
| 2007 | The Dukes | Danny | Also directorial debut, screenwriter and producer |
| 2008 | An American Carol | Aziz | |
| American Summer | Himself | ||
| 2009 | The Butcher | Murdoch | |
| Ballistica | Macarthur | Also executive producer | |
| 2010 | Magic Man | Simpson | |
| Game of Death | Frank Smith | ||
| Magic | David Ortero | Also director and producer | |
| 2011 | Kill the Irishman | Ray Ferritto | |
| Swamp Shark | Sheriff Watson | ||
| 2012 | The Iceman | Leo Merks | Based onAnthony Gaggi |
| 2013 | Doonby | Sheriff Woodley | |
| Blood of Redemption | Hayden | ||
| 2014 | Black Rose | Captain Frank Dalano | |
| A Long Way Off | Frank | ||
| The Expendables 3 | Goran Vata | ||
| Lost Time | Xavier Reed | Also executive producer | |
| 2015 | Sicilian Vampire | Salvatore "Big Sal" | |
| 2016 | Criminal | Admiral Lance | Uncredited |
| 2018 | Bachelor Lions | Maurice | |
| 2019 | Mob Town | Vito Genovese | |
| 2020 | Roe v. Wade | William J. Brennan Jr. | |
| 2022 | The Man Who Drew God | Lawyer | |
| My Son Hunter | N/a | Director | |
| 2023 | Inside Man | Anthony 'Nino' Gaggi | |
| The Engineer | Senator David Adler | ||
| 2024 | Bardejov | Refuel Lowy | |
| Reagan | Leonid Brezhnev | ||
| TBA | Bad News on the Doorstep | Post-production[51] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Contract on Cherry Street | Mickey Sinardos, Greek Hijacker | TV movie |
| 1978 | Charlie's Angels | Ritchie | Episode: "Mother Angel" |
| 1979 | From Here to Eternity | Guard | TV miniseries |
| The Legend of the Golden Gun | William Quantrill | TV movie | |
| Lou Grant | Hector | Episode: "Hector" | |
| The Incredible Hulk | Rader | Episode: "The Slam" | |
| Barnaby Jones | Pete Cerilla | Episode: "False Witness" | |
| Trapper John, M.D. | Officer Ed Buxton | Episode: "Licensed to Kill" | |
| 1980 | Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story | Hubbard | TV movie |
| 1981 | Dynasty | Amos | Episode: "The Honeymoon" |
| Shannon | Mel | Episode: "Gotham Swansong" | |
| The Gangster Chronicles | Vito Genovese | TV miniseries | |
| 1982 | St. Elsewhere | Parick | 2 episodes |
| T. J. Hooker | Joe 'The Barber' Picartus, Tom Warfield | 2 episodes | |
| The Powers of Matthew Star | Zealotta | Episode: "The Italian Caper" | |
| Hill Street Blues | Stan Mizell | Episode: "Stan the Man" | |
| 1983 | The Optimist | The Cabbie | Episode: "Burning Rubber" |
| 1983–1984 | The Fall Guy | Scar De Bond, Dan Kowal | 2 episodes |
| 1984 | Hart to Hart | Tony Bairos | Episode: "Always, Elizabeth" |
| The A-Team | Boyle | Episode: "Sheriffs of Rivertown" | |
| 1985 | Hunter | Sonny Dunbar | Episode: "Million Dollar Misunderstanding" |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Michael Riegert | Episode: "Wash Up" |
| 1988 | L.A. Law | Dominic Simonetti | Episode: "Leapin' Lizards" |
| 1989 | Wiseguy | Albert Cerrico | 5 episodes |
| 1993 | FBI: The Untold Stories | Joe Pistone | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Blind Justice | Alacran | TV movie |
| 1995 | VR.5 | Simon Buchanan | Episode: "Simon's Choice" |
| 1996–2000 | Profiler | FBI Agent Bailey Malone | 84 episodes |
| 1999 | Batman Beyond | Dr. Mike Morgan / Magma | Voice, episode: "Heroes" |
| 1999–2000 | The Pretender | Agent Bailey Malone | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Karen Sisco | Denton | Episode: "No One's Girl" |
| 2004–2008 | Stargate: Atlantis | Acastus Kolya | 6 episodes |
| 2005 | Breaking Vegas | The Narrator | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | Huff | Dickins | Episode: "Which Lip Is the Cervical Lip?" |
| 2010 | Nip/Tuck | Christian's Dad | Episode: "Christian Troy II" |
| Criminal Minds | Detective Kurzbard | 2 episodes | |
| 2014 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Marvin Braxton | Episode: "Uninvited" |
| Asteroid vs. Earth | General Masterson | TV movie | |
| 2015 | Hell's Kitchen | Himself | Reality TV series |
| 2021–2022 | Paper Empire | Lawrence Fintch | 11 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Colonel Juan Garcia Cortez | [52] |
| Disney's PK: Out of the Shadows | General Zondag | ||
| 2004 | Halo 2 | Rtas 'Vadumee | |
| 2006 | Scarface: The World Is Yours | Alejandro Sosa | |
| 2007 | Halo 3 | Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum | [52] |
| 2021 | Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition | Colonel Juan Carcia Cortez | Archival recordings Remaster ofGrand Theft Auto: Vice City only |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Burnin' Up" | Jonas Brothers |
| 2015 | "The Night We Called It a Day" | Bob Dylan |
| "Sopra la media" | J-Ax |
