Daniel J. Travanti

Actor

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his four-and-a-half hour Archive interview, Daniel J. Travanti talks about his early years breaking into television as a guest-star on shows including Route 66, The Defenders, and Gunsmoke. He speaks in detail about the role with which he is most closely identified, "Captain Frank Furillo" on Hill Street Blues. He also discusses the production of this series and some of the key series' storylines. Travanti then talks about his later work, including the television movies Adam and Murrow, and the police drama series Missing Persons. He concludes with a discussion of his difficulty finding good scripts. Karen Herman conducted the interview on October 13, 2004 in Chicago, IL.

“If it's good writing and it's going to be made, it means that the people making it have good taste. And if the people making it have the good sense to hire me, I’m completely on board.”

People Talking About ...

Daniel J. Travanti

Highlights

Daniel J. Travanti on his appearance on an episode of The Bob Newhart Show

Daniel J. Travanti on his character, "Captain Frank Furillo's," function on Hill Street Blues

Daniel J. Travanti on his reluctance to discuss Hill Street Blues, and on his acting career

Daniel J. Travanti on his reluctance to do a series, and then accepting the role of "Captain Frank Furillo" on Steven Bochco's Hill Street Blues

Daniel J. Travanti on the final episode of Hill Street Blues, and on the end of the series

Daniel J. Travanti on the challenge of playing characters based on real people, like Edward R. Murrow

Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on his early interest in acting; on his early acting career

On his earliest experiences with television; on early theater roles

Chapter 2

On his distaste for doing interviews; on his television debut, guest-starring on the Route 66 episode "Child of the Night," and on his reluctance to do television; on being cast on Route 66 for being a James Dean type

On appearing on Flipper, and on his issues with early episodic television; on appearing on The Defenders with Robert Redford; on The Defenders director Stuart Rosenberg

Chapter 3

On working with Stuart Rosenberg on The Defenders; on appearing on East Side/West Side with Moses Gunn

On his guest appearance on an episode of Lost in Space; on his early struggles as an actor

On his guest appearances on Gunsmoke; on his appearance on an episode of The Bob Newhart Show; on playing himself on an episode of Newhart

Chapter 4

On working with Sada Thompson on various projects, including Family; on moving to Los Angeles for his acting career, and on appearing in commercials; on appearing on The Doctors and General Hospital

On his reluctance to do a series, and then accepting the role of "Captain Frank Furillo" on Steven Bochco's Hill Street Blues; on Steven Bochco finding him to play "Captain Frank Furillo" on Hill Street Blues

Chapter 5

On the casting process of Hill Street Blues, and for the role of "Captain Frank Furillo"; on meeting Steven Bochco and Grant Tinker when he read for Hill Street Blues

On the experience of reading with Barbara Bosson for Hill Street Blues for Steven Bochco; on waiting to hear if he was cast after his audition for Hill Street Blues, and on being approved by Fred Silverman to be cast

Chapter 6

On finding out he was cast on Hill Street Blues; on the premise of Steven Bochco's Hill Street Blues, and on the quality of the writing; on his opinion of the notion that Hill Street Blues was the most realistic show on television

On his character, "Captain Frank Furillo's," function on Hill Street Blues; on Hill Street Blues' Emmy wins; on the production of Hill Street Blues

On the ensemble cast of Hill Street Blues; on Veronica Hamel as "Joyce Davenport" on Hill Street Blues; on Michael Conrad as "Phil Esterhaus" on Hill Street Blues, and on the death of the actor

Chapter 7

On Michael Warren as "Officer Bobby Hill" and Bruce Weitz as "Sgt. Mick Belker" on Hill Street Blues; on the ensemble cast of Hill Street Blues; on his relationship with the writers of Hill Street Blues

On his Hill Street Blues character, "Captain Frank Furillo's," alcoholism; on the Hill Street Blues episode "Remembrance of Hits Past," where his character "Captain Frank Furillo" is shot; on the final episode of Hill Street Blues, and on the end of the series

On appearing in A Case of Libel, and on playing "John Walsh" in Adam; on starring as "Edward R. Murrow" in Murrow

Chapter 8

On playing "Edward R. Murrow" in Murrow; on the challenge of playing characters based on real people, like Edward R. Murrow; on starring in Howard Beach: Making a Case for Murder and various feature films

On appearing on American Playhouse in the episode "I Never Sang for My Father"; on starring in the series Missing Persons and Poltergeist: The Legacy; on the life of an actor

Chapter 9

On guest-starring on The Outer Limits; on moving to Chicago; on career highlights

On advice to aspiring actors, and on career highlights and regrets; on his reluctance to discuss Hill Street Blues, and on his acting career

Shows

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Daniel J. Travanti

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Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Adam

American Playhouse

Bob Newhart Show, The (1972-78)

Defenders, The

Doctors, The

East Side/West Side

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

Family

Flipper

General Hospital

Gunsmoke

Hill Street Blues

Howard Beach: Making a Case for Murder

Lost in Space

Missing Persons

Murrow

Newhart

Outer Limits, The (1995-2002)

Poltergeist: The Legacy

Route 66

Advice

Characters & Catchphrases

Emmy Awards

First Big Break

Pivotal Career Moments

Pop Culture

Television Industry

Actor

Performers

Classic Anthology Series

Comedy Series

Commercials

Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

Daytime/Primetime Serials

Drama Series

Legal Dramas

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

Western Series

Lucille Ball

Steven Bochco

Edward R. Murrow

Bob Newhart

Stuart Rosenberg

Fred Silverman

Sada Thompson

Grant Tinker

John Walsh

Michael Warren

All Interviews