Dan Lauria Biography

Daniel Joseph "Dan" Lauria (born April 12, 1947) is an American television, stage, and film actor.

Early life

Lauria, an Italian-American, was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Carmela (née Luongo) and Joseph J. Lauria. He also lived in Lindenhurst, New York. He graduated from Lindenhurst Senior High School in 1965 as a varsity football player, and he briefly taught physical education at Lindenhurst High School. A Vietnam War veteran, Lauria served as an officer in the US Marine Corps in the early 1970s, at the same point in his life that Jack Arnold, his character in The Wonder Years did during the Korean War. He got his start in acting while attending Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut, on a football scholarship.

Career

Lauria is best known for his portrayal of Jack Arnold, the money-conscious father on the TV series The Wonder Years, that ran from 1988 to 1993. He also played James Webb in the 1998 TV miniseries From the Earth to the Moon and Commanding Officer, USA in 1996's Independence Day. More recently he has appeared in a War Veterans public service announcement and as Police Commissioner Eustace Dolan in The Spirit. He appeared as Coach Hamstrung in The Three Stooges N.Y.U.K. on AMC in 2000. Lauria appeared on stage in New York in the summer of 2006 in an Off Broadway production of "A Stone Carver" by William Mastrosimone with Jim Iorio and Elizabeth Rossa. Lauria also had a small role in a Season two episode of Army Wives, as well as a season one episode of The Mentalist. In 2009, Dan has appeared as General Lee Whitworth, M.D. on T.V. series Criminal Minds Season 4. He has also appeared in an episode of Boy Meets World, starring Ben Savage, the younger brother of The Wonder Years's Fred Savage. In late 2009, Lauria returned to the Off Broadway stage, appearing as Jimmy Hoffa in Brian Lee Franklin's Good Bobby, a fictionalized account of Robert Kennedy's rise.

In 2010, Lauria appeared as Vince Lombardi in the Broadway play Lombardi. The play received positive reviews, with sports writer Jim Hague commenting, "Lauria truly becomes Vince Lombardi. You almost forget you're watching an actor. He's Lombardi through and through, down to the wire-framed glasses and intimidating scowl." North Bergen football coach Vince Ascolese, who met Lombardi, commented "I really felt like he was Lombardi. It was uncanny."

In 2012, Lauria played the part of Jean Shepard in the Broadway production of A Christmas Story, the musical. He currently plays Jack Sullivan on the Steve Byrne sitcom "Sullivan and Son" On TBS.

Filmography

• South Bronx Heroes (1985)
• Stakeout (1987)
• The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990)
• Another Stakeout (1993)
• In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco (1993)
• Amazing Grace (1995)
• Excessive Force II: Force on Force (1995)
• Faithful (1996)
• Independence Day (1996)
• No One Could Protect Her (1996)
• Terror in the Family (1996) (TV)
• Prison of Secrets (1997) (TV)
• From the Earth to the Moon (1998)
• Wide Awake (1998)
• Stranger in My House (1999)
• Big Momma's House 2 (2006)
• The Bronx is Burning (2007)
• The Spirit (2008)
• How I Met Your Mother (2008) (TV)
• Alien Trespass (2009)
• Criminal Minds (2009) (TV)
• Donna On Demand (2009)
• Life of Lemon (2010)
• Law and Order: Criminal Intent (2010) (TV)

Television

• Rogan, "Utopia Now" Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1985)
• Jack Arnold, The Wonder Years (1988"1993)
• Todd Martin, "Terror In The Family" (1996)
• Judge Lamb, "Wheels" Boy Meets World (1997)
• Salvatore Matacio, "A Father's Image" Walker, Texas Ranger (1997)
• Coach Walt Arnold, "Hothead", Smallville (2001)
• Allen Blaisdell, "Secret Agent Man" JAG (2003)
• Allen Blaisdell, "The One That Got Away" JAG (2003)
• Allen Blaisdell, "Touchdown" JAG (2003)
• Allen Blaisdell, "Back in the Saddle" JAG (2003)
• Ellis Conway, "Voices", Ghost Whisperer (2005)
• Bill Peterson, "Poker? I Barely Know Her", Psych (2007)
• Boxing Gym Owner, "Traffic" Law and Order: Criminal Intent (2010)
• Ray Stephens, "Personal Fouls" Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (2011)
• Judge Raymond Gillot, "Head Games" Harry's Law (2011)
• Jack Sullivan, Sullivan & Son (2012)
• Bill Wallace "Earth Mover", "Batman Beyond" Season 2; Episode 2 (Voice Characterization)