Vale: James Farentino

US actor James Farentino, who appeared in dozens of movies and television shows, has died in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 73.

Farentino died of heart failure after a long illness.

He made his Broadway debut in a 1961 production of Night of the Iguana and played Stanley Kowalski in a 1973 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Farentino’s feature films included The Final Countdown, Me, Natalie, The Pad and How to Use It and The Last Producer.

But his list of TV credits is more impressive: Naked City, 77 Sunset Strip, Route 66, Ben Casey, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Fugitive, Ironside, The Virginian, Love American Style, Police Story, Insight, Dynasty, Blue Thunder, Mary, Julie, ER, Melrose Place, The Bold Ones: The Lawyers.

In 1978, he was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Saint Peter in the television mini-series Jesus of Nazareth.

Farentino’s tumultuous personal life made headlines, too.

In March 1994, he pleaded no contest to stalking his ex-girlfriend Tina Sinatra, daughter of Frank Sinatra. In 2010, he was arrested at his Hollywood home on suspicion of battery when he tried to physically remove a man from his home.

His final role was the 2006 telemovie Drive/II.

Source: Washington Post