Cause of death Pneumonia Occupation Actor Name John Finnegan | Nationality United States Years active 1970–2004 Role Film actor | |
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Born August 18, 1926 ( 1926-08-18 ) New York City, U.S. Spouse Carolynn Jacobs (m. 1992–2012) Movies and TV shows Similar People Richard Levinson, Tony Geiss, William Link, John Cassavetes, David Kirschner | ||
John P. "J.P." Finnegan (August 18, 1926 – July 29, 2012) was an American film and television actor, mostly known for his recurrent role on the American crime fiction series Columbo. He voiced the villainous character Warren T. Rat in the 1986 Don Bluth film An American Tail.
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A friend of director/actor John Cassavetes, Finnegan appeared in five of his films, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Gloria (1980) and Big Trouble (1986), which also starred Columbo star Peter Falk. He also appeared in Heroes (1977), The Natural (1984), School Spirit (1985), Big Man on Campus (1989) and Come See the Paradise (1990), and portrayed Judge Edward A. Haggerty in Oliver Stone's JFK (1991).
Background
One of 11 children born to Irish immigrant parents, Finnegan served in the United States Navy during World War II. He became friends with Cassavetes and Falk at the Actors Studio in his native New York City. They helped Finnegan in the early 1950s, when he moved to Los Angeles.
Finnegan died on July 29, 2012 at his home in Palm Desert, California from complications of pneumonia, aged 85. He was survived by his second wife, Carolynn, whom he married in 1992, and by his four children by his first wife, who died in 1989.
Filmography
Actor
2003
Columbo Likes the Nightlife (TV Movie) as
Sean Jarvis
2000
The District (TV Series) as
Bob Graham
- The Jackal (2000) - Bob Graham
2000
The Independent as
Guard
1997
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (TV Series) as
Jerome Metz (segment "The Magic Rose Garden")
- Candlestick/The Diner/From the Agency/The Magic Rose Garden/The Jeep (1997) - Jerome Metz (segment "The Magic Rose Garden")
1997
A Trace of Murder (TV Movie) as
Barney
1997
Vegas Vacation as
Hoover Dam Guide
1996
Mars Attacks! as
Speaker of the House
1995
ER (TV Series) as
Mitchell
- Do One, Teach One, Kill One (1995) - Mitchell
1995
Strange Bedfellows (TV Movie) as
Barney
1993
It's All in the Game (TV Movie) as
Barney
1993
Last Action Hero as
Watch Commander
1990
Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) as
Douglas Foudy / Uncle Charlie
- The Wind Around the Tower (1992) - Douglas Foudy
- Good-Bye Charlie (1990) - Uncle Charlie
1992
Reasonable Doubts (TV Series) as
Billy's Grandfather
- Home Is Where the Heart Is (1992) - Billy's Grandfather
1991
Birch Street Gym (Short) as
Rudy
1991
JFK as
Judge Haggerty
1991
Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star (TV Movie) as
Chief Quentin Corbett
1990
The Knife and Gun Club (TV Movie) as
Mr. Warshawski
1990
Come See the Paradise as
Brennan
1990
Uneasy Lies the Crown (TV Movie) as
Waiter (uncredited)
1990
The Last of the Finest as
Tommy Grogan
1990
Midnight Caller (TV Series) as
Pappy
- Kid Salinas (1990) - Pappy
1990
Columbo Cries Wolf (TV Movie) as
Police Chief
1989
Highway to Heaven (TV Series) as
Ronald Hays
- Merry Christmas from Grandpa (1989) - Ronald Hays
1989
Big Man on Campus as
Judge Ferguson
1989
Finish Line (TV Movie) as
Purdy Hall
1988
Matlock (TV Series) as
Mr. Gillespie
- The Ambassador: Part 2 (1988) - Mr. Gillespie
- The Ambassador: Part 1 (1988) - Mr. Gillespie
1988
Spellbinder as
George (uncredited)
1988
The Law and Harry McGraw (TV Series)
- Harry Does the Hustle (1988)
1988
Hunter (TV Series) as
Peterson
- The Black Dahlia (1988) - Peterson
1987
Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Pat Hobby Teamed with Genius (TV Movie) as
Guard #1
1987
Cagney & Lacey (TV Series) as
Captain Stewart
- The City Is Burning (1987) - Captain Stewart
1987
Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 (TV Movie documentary) as
Mayor of Chicago
1986
An American Tail as
Warren T. Rat (voice)
1986
Big Trouble as
Det. Murphy
1986
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Sidney
- The Deacon Street Deer (1986) - Sidney
1986
227 (TV Series) as
Senator James
- We the People (1986) - Senator James
1985
School Spirit as
Pinky Batson
1985
The Journey of Natty Gann as
Logging Boss
1985
Hill Street Blues (TV Series) as
Tommy Leland
- The Life and Time of Dominic Florio Jr. (1985) - Tommy Leland
1984
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (TV Movie)
1984
The Natural as
Sam Simpson
1984
Love Streams as
Taxi Driver (Animals)
1982
Terror at Alcatraz (TV Movie) as
Murphy
1982
Rehearsal for Murder (TV Movie) as
Damon
1980
Gloria as
Frank
1980
Galactica 1980 (TV Series) as
Officer in Trauma Room
- The Night the Cylons Landed: Part II (1980) - Officer in Trauma Room
1980
Little Miss Marker as
Casino Clerk
1980
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (TV Series) as
Teddy
- The Martians Are Coming, the Martians Are Coming (1980) - Teddy
1979
The In-Laws as
Deliveryman #1
1979
Lou Grant (TV Series) as
Tim / Tim Butterfield
- Bomb (1979) - Tim
- Marathon (1979) - Tim Butterfield
1978
All in the Family (TV Series) as
Santa Claus
- Bogus Bills (1978) - Santa Claus
1978
The Eddie Capra Mysteries (TV Series) as
Gerard
- Dirge for a Dead Dachshund (1978) - Gerard (as J.P. Finnegan)
1978
Bloodbrothers as
Bartender (as J.P. Finnegan)
1978
The Amazing Spider-Man (TV Series) as
Male Reporter
- Night of the Clones (1978) - Male Reporter
1978
Nowhere to Run (TV Movie) as
O'Neil (as John P. Finnegan)
1977
Opening Night as
Bobby
1977
Heroes as
Mr. Munro (as John P. Finnegan)
1977
Lucan (TV Series) as
Jess
- Pilot (1977) - Jess
1972
McCloud (TV Series) as
1st Officer / 1st Sergeant / 1st Desk Sergeant / ...
- McCloud Meets Dracula (1977) - 1st Officer (as J.P. Finnegan)
- The Day New York Turned Blue (1976) - 1st Sergeant
- Return to the Alamo (1975) - 1st Desk Sergeant
- The 42nd Street Cavalry (1974) - Mounted Sgt.
- Showdown at the End of the World (1973) - Doorman
- The New Mexican Connection (1972) - Detective (uncredited)
- Give My Regrets to Broadway (1972) - Landlord (uncredited)
1977
Quincy M.E. (TV Series) as
Joe Ives
- -The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone- (1977) - Joe Ives (as J.P. Finnegan)
1977
Once an Eagle (TV Mini Series) as
Bartender
- Part 7 (1977) - Bartender (as J.P. Finnegan)
1976
Nickelodeon as
Kathleen's Director
1976
Delvecchio (TV Series) as
Sgt. Potts
- Wax Job (1976) - Sgt. Potts (as J.P. Finnegan)
1972
Columbo (TV Series) as
Assistant Director / Guard / Lt. Dreyer / ...
- Fade in to Murder (1976) - Assistant Director (as J.P. Finnegan)
- Last Salute to the Commodore (1976) - Guard (as J. P. Finnegan)
- A Friend in Deed (1974) - Lt. Dreyer
- Lovely But Lethal (1973) - Sergeant
- The Most Dangerous Match (1973) - 1st Workman
- Blueprint for Murder (1972) - Carl
1976
Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II (TV Series) as
Reporter
- Chapter III (1976) - Reporter (as J.P. Finnegan)
1976
McMillan & Wife (TV Series) as
Captain Emerson
- Point of Law (1976) - Captain Emerson
1976
One Day at a Time (TV Series) as
Man #1
- Julie's Job (1976) - Man #1
1976
The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (TV Movie) as
Artie
1976
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie as
Taxi Driver
1976
Mallory: Circumstantial Evidence (TV Movie) as
Deputy Marshal Vieler
1976
Rich Man, Poor Man (TV Mini Series) as
Jack
- Part II: Chapters 3 and 4 (1976) - Jack
1975
Conspiracy of Terror (TV Movie) as
Sgt. Carroll
1974
Police Woman (TV Series) as
Sgt. Bingham / Ballistic Expert
- Incident Near a Black & White (1975) - Ballistic Expert (as John P. Finnegan)
- No Place to Hide (1975) - Sgt. Bingham
- Shoefly (1974) - Sgt. Bingham
1975
Switch (TV Series) as
Sargeant
- Death by Resurrection (1975) - Sargeant
1975
Ellery Queen (TV Series) as
Elevator Starter / Fred Durnhoffa / Matthew Thomas Cleary
- The Adventure of the 12th Floor Express (1975) - Elevator Starter / Fred Durnhoffa
- Too Many Suspects (1975) - Matthew Thomas Cleary
1975
Maude (TV Series) as
Bartender
- The Election (1975) - Bartender
1975
Capone as
N.Y. Police Lt.
1974
A Woman Under the Influence as
Clancy
1974
Terror on the 40th Floor (TV Movie) as
Stark
1974
The Rookies (TV Series) as
Robbie / Bartender
- Something Less Than a Man (1974) - Robbie (as John P. Finnegan)
- Trial by Doubt (1974) - Bartender (as John P. Finnegan)
1973
Toma (TV Series) as
Bartender
- Ambush on 7th Avenue (1973) - Bartender
1973
Savage (TV Movie) as
Mike
1972
Banacek (TV Series) as
Lt. Hallohan
- To Steal a King (1972) - Lt. Hallohan
- Let's Hear It for a Living Legend (1972) - Lt. Hallohan
1972
Play It As It Lays as
Frank
Miscellaneous
1971
Dirty Harry (voice - uncredited)
Soundtrack
1978
All in the Family (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
- Bogus Bills (1978) - (performer: "Deck the Halls" - uncredited)
Archive Footage
2023
Les Chroniques du Mea (TV Series) as
Self
- Columbo: Ville Fatale (2023) - Self
References
John Finnegan (actor) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA