Barry Primus (born February 16, 1938) is an American television and film actor, director, and writer.

Career

While Primus is primarily an actor, he has also worked as a writer and director in films in which he has acted. For the first decade of his career, he was employed as a stage actor. He gained some experience on TV in shows like '' The Defenders'', ''

East Side/West Side ''East Side/West Side'' is an American drama series starring George C. Scott, Elizabeth Wilson, Cicely Tyson, and, later on, Linden Chiles. The series aired for one season (1963–1964), and was shown Monday nights on CBS. Set in New York City ...

'' and '' The Virginian''. He then made his initial film appearance in the Manhattan-filmed '' The Brotherhood'' (1968). His other films include ''

Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me (film) ''Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me'' is a 1971 American drama film directed by Jeffrey Young and written by Robert Schlitt and adapted from the Richard Fariña novel of the same name. The film stars Barry Primus, David Downing, Susan Ty ...

'' (1971) ''

Boxcar Bertha ''Boxcar Bertha'' is a 1972 American romantic crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Roger Corman, from a screenplay by Joyce H. Corrington and John William Corrington, Made on a low budget, the film is loose adaptation o ...

'' (1972), '' Autopsy'' (1975), '' Heartland'' (1979), '' The Rose'' (1979), '' Night Games'' (1980), '' Absence of Malice'' (1981), and ''

Guilty by Suspicion ''Guilty by Suspicion'' is a 1991 American drama film about the Hollywood blacklist, McCarthyism, and the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Written and directed by Irwin Winkler, it stars Robert De Niro, Annette Bening, and ...

'' (1991). He had a recurring role on the TV series ''

Cagney and Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very di ...

'' (1982 — 1988) as Christine Cagney's (

Sharon Gless Sharon Marguerite Gless (born May 31, 1943) is an American actress and author, who is known for her television roles as Maggie Philbin on ''Switch'' (1975–78), Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series ''Cagney & Lacey'' (1982 ...

's) boyfriend, Sergeant Dory McKenna, whose drug problem compromises his value as a police officer. He also guest starred in '' Murder, She Wrote''. After working as second unit director on

Mark Rydell Mark Rydell (born Mortimer H. Rydell; March 23, 1929) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has directed several Academy Award-nominated films including '' The Fox'' (1967), '' The Reivers'' (1969), ''Cinderella Liberty'' (1973) ...

's ''The Rose'' (1979), Primus increased his behind-the-camera activities; in 1992, he directed his first theatrical feature, the "inside" Hollywood comedy/drama ''

Mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a ...

''. A member of the Actors Studio, Primus has taught acting and directing classes at the American Film Institute,

Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute (originally the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute) is an acting school founded in 1969 by actor, director, and acting teacher Lee Strasberg. The Institute is located in Union Square on East 15th Street, ...

, the

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

campus, and at The Maine Media Workshops in Maine. He also teaches acting classes at

Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...

and at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. Primus's recent film work includes ''

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

'', a film directed by J.F. Lawton; he had a cameo in ''

Righteous Kill ''Righteous Kill'' is a 2008 American action thriller film directed by Jon Avnet and written by Russell Gewirtz. The film stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as New York City Police Department detectives on the hunt for a serial killer. It is the ...

'' with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, '' American Hustle'', ''

Grudge Match ''Grudge Match'' is a 2013 American sports comedy film directed by Peter Segal. The film stars Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro as aging boxers stepping into the ring for one last bout. Stallone and De Niro have both previously been in suc ...

'', and '' The Irishman''.

Personal life

Primus has been married to choreographer Julie Arenal for over 50 years.

Select filmography

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Primus, Barry 1938 births Living people American film directors American male television actors Male actors from New York City