- Born
- Died
- Birth nameFerdinand James Ferrantino
- Nickname
- Jimmie
- Height5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
- James Farentino was an American actor, with many appearances in film and television. He is better known for playing fisherman and apostle Simon Peter in the miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" (1977), and revenge-seeking psychiatrist Dr. Nick Toscanni in the soap opera "Dynasty". He played the role of Toscanni from 1981 to 1982.
Farentino was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He studied drama and acting in a Catholic school. He was frequently cast in guest-star roles in television through the 1950s and 1960s. His first recurring role was that of lawyer Neil Darrell in the legal drama "The Bold Ones: The Lawyers" (1968-1972). He appeared in 19 of the series' 29 episodes.
Farentino found critical acclaim in his role as Simon Peter in "Jesus of Nazareth" (1977. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, but the award was instead won by rival actor Howard Da Silva (1909-1986).
Farentino next found a notable recurring role in the soap opera "Dynasty" as psychiatrist Dr. Nick Toscanni. Originally introduced as an old friend of protagonist Blake Carrington (played John Forsythe), Carrington was eventually revealed as a secret enemy of Carrington who held a grudge against him. Toscanni's vengeful plots were among the main subplots of the series' second season, but he was then written out.
In the 1990s, Farentino continued working an an actor, but he gained more notoriety for his personal life. In 1991 he was arrested for cocaine possession, and in 1993 he was charged with stalking his former girlfriend Tina Sinatra. Later he had a troubled marriage with his fourth wife Stella Farentino.
In the 2000s, Farentino entered retirement from acting, due to health problems. In 2010, Farentino was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery, because he tried to physically remove a man from his house. Farentino was briefly held by the Los Angeles Police Department. He was released after posting a 20,000 dollars bond.
In January 2012, Farentino died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. His death was caused from complications due to a right hip fracture. He was 73-years-old at the time of death, dying a full month before his 74th birthday.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Dimos I
- SpousesStella Farentino(August 3, 1994 - January 24, 2012) (his death)Debrah Farentino(June 15, 1985 - June 1988) (divorced)Michele Lee(February 20, 1966 - April 19, 1983) (divorced, 1 child)Elizabeth Ashley(September 1, 1962 - April 21, 1965) (divorced)
- Children
- Swarthy, Handsome, Tough Characters
- Arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 23, 1991 after Royal Canadian Mounted Police intercepted a package containing 3.2 grams of cocaine being sent to his hotel room. Farentino was in town filming the TV movie Miles from Nowhere (1992). He was charged with cocaine possession and released on bail.
- Was charged with stalking Tina Sinatra (daughter of Frank Sinatra).
- One of the last contract stars (Universal) in the late 60s.
- In 2003, after a long down period, he received rave reviews on the L.A. stage playing a Russ Meyer-like porn producer in "Boy Gets Girl".
- Won a Theatre World Award for his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in a 1973 revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" opposite Rosemary Harris.
- There are people in this business that for years said, "He's an alcoholic. He's a drunk. He stalked Tina [Tina Sinatra]". And the clamps were put on me in many ways. Unless you're making big box office, they're going to kill you. And that's OK because one thing they can't take away from me is whatever talent I feel I have, that people feel I have.
- I've got a resume that could choke a horse. I'm impressed by it. Producers who are casting people, they're all in their 20s now. You show it to somebody in the motion picture industry or television, they don't know and they don't care.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content