Jay Acovone is a multifaceted actor renowned for his ability to portray authoritative characters, such as Mafia bosses, villains, police/military figures, and lawyers, with remarkable depth and nuance.
Born in New York City, Acovone's family relocated to Mahopac, New York, where he graduated from Mahopac High School. Although he was always fascinated by films, a chance encounter with a friend, urging him to participate in a play, sparked his interest in a career in acting.
Acovone attended the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) and the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York. His breakthrough role came when he was cast as "Skip Lee" opposite Al Pacino in the controversial film Cruising (1980),directed by William Friedkin.
Subsequent years saw Acovone working on daytime television in New York City, before relocating to Los Angeles after landing a co-starring role in Hollywood Beat. He went on to have several supporting roles in films and television, including Women of Valor (1986) and Cold Steel (1987),before being recruited as a series regular on Beauty and the Beast (1987).
Following the conclusion of Beauty and the Beast, Acovone continued to appear in a wide range of TV and film projects, including Out for Justice (1991),Lookin' Italian (1994),Matlock (1986),and Friends (1994). The mid-1990s brought him a role in the blockbuster hit Independence Day (1996) and a major recurring role in the TV series Stargate SG-1 (1997),which won multiple awards, including the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series for three consecutive years.
The following decade saw Acovone appear in Cast Away (2000),Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003),and S.W.A.T. (2003); he also had recurring roles in Silk Stalkings (1991),Sliders (1995),NYPD Blue (1993),and The X-Files (1993); and guest-starred in CSI: NY (2004),Monk (2002),Criminal Minds (2005),and 24 (2001).
In recent years, Acovone has made a brief return to daytime television with a recurring role on General Hospital (1963),and has guest-starred on multiple hit TV dramas, including The Mentalist (2008),Leverage (2008),CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000),Vegas (2012),and NCIS (2003). In 2016, he acted in the motion capture video game Mafia III (2016),playing the role of Mafia boss Sal Marcano.
In 2017, Acovone was asked to perform the audiobook version of George R. R. Martin's novel "Wildcards-Dead Man's Hand", alongside Adrian Paul.
Acovone resides in Los Angeles with his wife and their cat.
