Hispanic Brooklyn-born actor Joe Santos started out a football jock at Fordham University and turned semi-pro before finding a new avenue in acting. Success was hard-reaching, paying his dues for years in a number of blue-collar jobs including railroad worker, tree trimmer, cabbie and barkeep while taking acting classes. A soap opera job and work in Joseph Sarno's cheapjack film exploitation ("Flesh and Lace," "Moonlighting Wives," and "My Body Hungers") in the 60s seemed to lead nowhere. His first real break came with the searing film downer Panic in Needle Park (1971), getting a part at the urging of up-and-coming friend and star of the film Al Pacino, who had also played some softball with Santos. A prime role as a sergeant in the acclaimed TV mini-movie The Blue Knight (1973) led Santos in the direction of 'good cop' parts, with a long-running role as Lt. Becker on the series "The Rockford Files" (1974-80). Other series roles in Me and Maxx (1980), "A.K.A. Pablo" (1984), as Paul Rodriguez's dad, and Lt. Harper in the 1985-86 season of "Hardcastle and McCormick" kept him busy. Missing out on the one big role that might have put him on the map, the beefy and balding Santos remains a durable and consistent support player, most recently getting some deserved notice in 2004 with his recurring role of Consigliere Angelo Garepe in the hit hitman series "The Sopranos." He has also dabbled in playwrighting, having penned "Sunset Normandie" which he also starred in.
|
