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Dennis Farina, as a sixty-something Chicagoan who faces everything going against him, in the drama, 'The Last Rites of Joe May.' (Images.net)
LOS ANGELES—“Joe May is more like me than I’d like to admit,” says the seasoned actor Dennis Farina of his starring role in his new film The Last Rites of Joe May.
In a late September interview, I spoke with the down-to-earth Farina about his recent work, the roles that interest him, and the parts he would still like to play.
“I’m interested in people who are a fish out of water … they’re always on the outside looking in,” muses Farina.
In the gritty film, written and directed by Joe Maggio, the title character is an aging hustler who is broke, in poor health, and at a crossroads. He must confront his life choices and consider his future.
Farina tells me that he knew guys like Joe May and still does today. “The funny thing about guys like Joe May is that they take themselves very seriously, but the rest of the world,” Farina explains, “sees him very differently.”
The movie is set in Chicago, where Farina was born and raised. He was delighted to film in the neighborhoods he remembers so well. “It was the first time I worked in Chicago in a long time,” the actor explains.
Perhaps best known for movie characters Jimmy Serrano, the mob boss from Midnight Run, Ray Bones Barboni in Get Shorty, or detective Joe Fontana from NBC’s Law and Order, Farina’s career broke through with Michael Mann’s famed 1980s drug-enforcement drama, Miami Vice.
Since that time, Farina has built up quite a résumé working with performers like Bette Midler, Brad Pitt, and Sir Ben Kingsley, as well as directors such as Steven Spielberg, Ed Burns, and Guy Ritchie.
“The older I get, the more the world changes,” observes Farina, who shrugs it off acknowledging that he is perfectly happy in his own world.
“I try to work, play some golf,” the ingredients for a happy life, according to Farina.
Are there still roles that Farina wants to explore?
“I’d like to play a priest,” he says. There’s also the title from the book by James Frey, My Friend Leonard, who he notes is similar to Joe May in some respects.
“I always wanted to play a lounge singer,” says Farina, who tells me that although he appreciates listening to music, he can’t hold a tune.
“Then, it’s a good thing you’re a good actor,” I joke as we share a laugh.
For now, Farina is proud to be back again working with Michael Mann, executive producer of the HBO original series Luck, which Farina describes as “a good project with kind and talented people.” He just completed filming 10 episodes of the horse-race gambling series, joining the impressive cast that includes Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, and Joan Allen.