James Luisi
Acting
1928-11-11 · New 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.
Filmography
The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play
1996 · Movie
The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits...
1996 · Movie
Baywatch Nights
1995 · Series
Silk Stalkings
1991 · Series
Dark Justice
1991 · Series
Lethal Woman
1989 · Movie
Feds!
1988 · Movie
The Hidden
1987 · Movie
L.A. Law
1986 · Series
Murphy's Law
1986 · Movie
The Hogan Family
1986 · Series
Hell Town
1985 · Series
Partners in Crime
1984 · Series
Finder of Lost Loves
1984 · Series
The Red-Light Sting
1984 · Movie
Star 80
1983 · Movie
Sunset Limousine
1983 · Movie
The Renegades
1983 · Series
The A-Team
1983 · Series
Knight Rider
1982 · Series
Matt Houston
1982 · Series
The Renegades
1982 · Movie
T. J. Hooker
1982 · Series
The Fall Guy
1981 · Series
Our Family Business
1981 · Movie
Here's Boomer
1981 · Series
Magnum, P.I.
1980 · Series
The Asphalt Cowboy
1980 · Movie
Fade to Black
1980 · Movie
Knots Landing
1979 · Series
Hart to Hart
1979 · Series
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979 · Series
Harris and Company
1979 · Series
Norma Rae
1979 · Movie
Moment by Moment
1978 · Movie
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
1978 · Movie
Vega$
1978 · Series
Sword of Justice
1978 · Series
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
1978 · Series
Love Is Not Enough
1978 · Movie
Killer's Delight
1978 · Movie
Fantasy Island
1978 · Series
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
1978 · Movie
Contract on Cherry Street
1977 · Movie
CHiPs
1977 · Series
Stunts
1977 · Movie
Hunter
1977 · Series
Quincy, M.E.
1976 · Series
Spencer's Pilots
1976 · Series
Future Cop
1976 · Movie
Good Heavens
1976 · Series
City of Angels
1976 · Series
Wonder Woman
1975 · Series
First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington
1975 · Movie
Starsky & Hutch
1975 · Series
S.W.A.T.
1975 · Series
The Rockford Files
1974 · Series
The Take
1974 · Movie
Honky Tonk
1974 · Movie
The Man from Independence
1974 · Movie
Cry Rape
1973 · Movie
Kojak
1973 · Series
I Escaped from Devil's Island
1973 · Movie
Police Story
1973 · Series
Hawkins
1973 · Series
Barnaby Jones
1973 · Series
The Streets of San Francisco
1972 · Series
Ghost Story
1972 · Series
The Rookies
1972 · Series
Ben
1972 · Movie
Cannon
1971 · Series
Cat Ballou
1971 · Movie
Adam-12
1968 · Series
Ironside
1967 · Series
The F.B.I.
1965 · Series
Another World
1964 · Series
The Rifleman
1958 · Series
Naked City
1958 · Series
Gunsmoke
1955 · Series