A Look Back at Character Actor Extraordinaire Jon Polito’s Prolific Career
On Friday, Sept. 2, the world learned about the passing of longtime character actor Jon Polito at the age of 65. Born in Philadelphia, Polito knew he wanted to be an actor at the age of 12 after he saw his sister Rosemary’s performance as Anastasia on a local stage.
Polito honed his craft at Villanova University’s theater program. Upon graduation, he headed to New York and immediately found work. Thanks to his undeniable talent, Polito told the Philadelphia Inquirer, he “never had another job but acting.”
After a successful run in theater that earned him an Obie Award in 1980, Polito decided to try his luck in Los Angeles and was almost immediately rewarded for it. According to the actor, he left New York on a Friday and landed his first television role the following Monday. The ’80s would see Polito split his time between theater in New York and various TV shows, typically playing police officers or gangsters.
In 1990 Polito had what he called his “greatest professional experience,” playing Johnny Caspar in the Coen brothers’ Miller’s Crossing. According to Polito, he almost didn’t get the part. He told Groucho Reviews that he refused to read for any part other than Caspar. After a long casting session, he said: “They eventually came back and asked me to read, to see what I would do with Johnny Casper. And not only did I read, and they liked it, but they made me go through the entire role. I had to read every scene from the movie. And then they finally cast me as that part.”
From there, Polito went on to have a fruitful relationship with the Coen Brothers. He had memorable roles in Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Big Lebowski, and The Man Who Wasn’t There.
In the ’90s, Polito worked constantly in both films and television. He had a run on Homicide as Detective Steve Crosetti and notable guest appearances on Seinfeld and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
As for films, Polito worked in many, such as The Crow, Blankman, Stuart Little, Gangster Squad, and Big Eyes. All told, he would work in more than 100 movies. Combined with several television roles and off- and on-Broadway plays, Polito amassed more than 200 showbiz credits over four decades.
As prolific as he was, Polito said he lost out on roles because he was openly and proudly gay. Following an infection after a recent surgery, Polito slipped into a coma on Sunday and passed away on September 1. He is survived by his husband, Darryl Armbruster. Rest in peace, Jon Polito.
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