American actor
Paul Ben-Victor
Ben-Victor in 2016
Born Paul Friedman
(1965-07-24 ) July 24, 1965 (age 59) Occupation Actor Years active 1974–present Spouse
Cali Senkpiel
(
m. 2020)
Paul Ben-Victor (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Greek mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos on the HBO drama series The Wire , Alan Gray in Entourage (2005–2008), and Ray in Body Parts (1991).
Early life
Ben-Victor was born in Brooklyn , New York, the son of Leah Kornfeld, a playwright, and Victor Friedman. He attended Midwood High School , graduating in 1983.[ 1]
Career
Ben-Victor debuted on the small screen in 1987 in the television film Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife and on an episode of Cagney & Lacey .
Ben-Victor has been featured on many television cop dramas like FBI , Monk and CSI , and also had a recurring role as two-bit con man Steve Richards on three episodes of NYPD Blue from 1994 to 1997. He also appeared as Steve Richards on a 1998 episode of the short-lived police drama Brooklyn South .[ 2]
Ben-Victor had a starring role in the Sci-Fi Channel television show The Invisible Man , alongside Vincent Ventresca . The two later guest starred together on the hit TV show Las Vegas . They were reunited again on an episode of the new USA Network series In Plain Sight ("Hoosier Daddy"), on which Ben-Victor has a supporting role.
He was cast in important roles on HBO dramas The Wire (as mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos ) and Entourage , as well as making a 2006 appearance as Coach Lou on My Name Is Earl . He portrayed Moe Howard in the 2000 television film The Three Stooges .[ 3]
Ben-Victor has roles in the films The Irishman (2019), The Banker (2020), and Last Looks (2022).[ 2]
He has co-written stage plays with his mother, including Club Soda and The Good Steno .[ 4]
Filmography
Film
Television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1986
L.A. Law
Sgt. Costellano
Episode: "The Princess and the Wiener King"
1987
Cagney & Lacey
Trucker #2
Episode: "Waste Deep"
1988
Ohara
Billy
Episode: "They Shoot Witnesses, Don't They?"
China Beach
Lazaro
Episode: "Chao Ong"
Freddy's Nightmares
Paul
Episode: "Mother's Day"
1990
1st & Ten
Rocko
Episode: "Who Stole Johnny Gunn?"
Dragnet
Jack Middleton
Episode: "Parachute to Death"
Hunter
Loan Shark
Episode: "This Is My Gun"
Doogie Howser, M.D.
Karl
Episode: "TV or Not TV"
The New Adam-12
Gregory Smith
Episode: "Escapees"
1991
Father Dowling Mysteries
Security Guard
Episode: "The Fugitive Priest Mystery
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage
Charlie Dilwig
Episode: "For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll"
The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
Vinnie
Episode: "Knock, Knock"
1992
The Commish
Benny Gorzo
Episode: "Sex, Lies and Kerosene"
Sibs
Lance
Episode: "If I Only Had a Dad"
1994
L.A. Law
Bowles' Atty. Peters
Episode: "Age of Insolence"
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Joey Tataglia
Episode: "Wild Card"
The X-Files
Dr. Aaron Monte
Episode: "Tooms "
1995
Sweet Justice
Terry Phillips
Episode: "Clouds of Glory"
1996
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
Carney/Man on Stilts (voice)
Episode: "Baby It's You/Monsters Are Fun"
1994-97
NYPD Blue
Steve Richards
Guest Cast: Season 2-3 & 5
1997
The Practice
Benny Small
Episode: "Search and Seizure" & "Save the Mule"
1998
Brooklyn South
Steve Richards
Episode: "Skel in a Cell"
1998-99
Rude Awakening
Carl
Guest Cast: Season 1-2
1999
Early Edition
Elliot Rosenfield
Episode: "Funny Valentine"
L.A. Doctors
-
Episode: "Forty-Eight Minutes"
2000
The Invisible Man
Robert Albert Hobbes
Main Cast
2002
Crossing Jordan
Theo
Episode: "Someone to Count On"
2003
Fastlane
Marty
Episode: "Strap On"
Las Vegas
Michael
Episode: "Pros and Cons"
2003-08
The Wire
Spiros 'Vondas' Vondopoulos
Main Cast: Season 2 , Guest: Season 4 , Recurring Cast: Season 5
2004
Strong Medicine
Frank
Episode: "Body Mass Increase"
2005
Alias
Carter
Episode: "Another Mister Sloane"
Monk
Al Nicoletto
Episode: "Mr. Monk Gets Drunk"
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Ticket Scalper
Episode: "The Larry David Sandwich"
2005-08
Entourage
Alan Gray
Guest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 3 & 5
2006
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Joey
Episode: "Killer"
The Shield
Detective Paul Reyes
Episode: "Man Inside"
My Name Is Earl
Coach Lou
Episode: "Sticks & Stones"
2007
John from Cincinnati
Palaka
Main Cast
Shark
Ricky Rago
Episode: "For Whom the Skel Rolls"
2008-12
In Plain Sight
Marshal Stan McQueen
Main Cast
2009
Everybody Hates Chris
Coach Thurman
Recurring Cast: Season 4
2010
The Mentalist
Noah Landau
Episode: "Redline"
2011
CSI: NY
Carmen Enzo
Episode: "Party Down"
Childrens Hospital
Spiros
Episode: "Father's Day"
2012
Are We There Yet?
Mr. Parker
Recurring Cast: Season 3
2013
Vegas
Barry Silver
Recurring Cast
Person of Interest
Detective Cameron
Episode: "Reasonable Doubts "
Hawaii Five-0
Agent Devin Campbell
Episode: "Hau'oli La Ho'omoaika'i"
Mob City
Jack Dragna
Recurring Cast
2014
True Detective
Major Leroy Salter
Episode: "Haunted Houses"
Matador
Gene Balasco
Recurring Cast
Castle
Dino Scarpella
Episode: "Bad Santa"
2015
Allegiance
Special Agent Faber
Recurring Cast
2016
Vinyl
Maury Gold
Main Cast
Kingdom
Bob
Recurring Cast: Season 2
Chicago Med
Mr. McGregor
Episode: "Win Loss"
2017
The Mick
Jerry Berlin
Recurring Cast: Season 1
Preacher
Viktor Kruglov
Recurring Cast: Season 2
Lethal Weapon
Frank Truno
Episode: "Fork-Getta-Bout-It"
2018
The Resident
Edmund Carver
Episode: "No Matter the Cost"
Santa Clarita Diet
Mark
Recurring Cast: Season 2
The Neighborhood
Matty 'Cigars'
Main Cast
2018-19
Goliath
Cleft Chin
Recurring Cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 3
2019
Bull
Ryan Vance
Episode: "Split Hairs"
The Village
Angelo Napolitano
Recurring Cast
FBI
Mark Krawley
Episode: "Appearances"
Will & Grace
Mario
Episode: "Pappa Mia"
2019-20
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Counselor Peter Abrams
Recurring Cast: Season 21
2020
The Baker and the Beauty
Contractor
Episode: "Side Effects"
2020-23
Gravesend
Matty 'Cigars'
Main Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2
2022
Pam & Tommy
Richard Alden
Recurring Cast
FBI: Most Wanted
Jackie 'The Fox' Bianchi
Episode: "Greatest Hits"
2023
Paul T. Goldman
Mob Boss
Recurring Cast
2024
The Chosen
Herod Antipas
Recurring Cast: Season 4
Diarra from Detroit
Zervas
Recurring Cast
Nobody Wants This
Ilan Roklov
Recurring Cast
The Lincoln Lawyer
Sly Funaro Sr.
Recurring Cast: Season 3
Everybody Still Hates Chris
Mr. Thurman (voice)
Recurring Cast
References
^ midwoodargus (April 20, 2016). "Ex-Sing Commissioner, Actor Shares Insight With Hornets" . Midwoodargus.org. Retrieved December 28, 2019 .
^ a b "In Character: The Cast of The Irishman | And So It Begins" . Andsoitbeginsfilms.com. December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019 .
^ "Profile: An actor with Island roots | Shelter Island Reporter" . Shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com. May 30, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2019 .
^ "Paul Ben-Victor" . Biography . TVGuide.com . Retrieved June 27, 2013 .
^ Complex, Valerie (March 22, 2023). "Gravitas Ventures Acquires Sophie Lane Curtis Drama 'On Our Way' Starring Micheál Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave And Jordana Brewster" . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 23, 2023 .
External links
International National Artists Other