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Dann Florek

 
Actor: Dann Florek
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  • Born: May 01, 1950 in Flat Rock, Michigan
  • Occupation: Actor, Director
  • Active: '80s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Season 08, Exiled: A Law & Order Movie, The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
  • First Major Screen Credit: Law & Order: Season 01 (1990)

Biography

Dann Florek was a working actor for 15 years, on stage, in movies, and on television before he became a television star on Law and Order. Born in Flat Rock, MI (near Detroit) in 1950, he was a physics major at Eastern Michigan University until he discovered his affinity for acting and theater. He moved to New York in the early 1970s and became a member of The Acting Company at The Juilliard School. Florek's New York theater credits included work in productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Love's Labour's Lost, and Death of a Salesman. He later performed in many productions staged at the La Jolla Playhouse and the Old Globe Theater in San Diego. Florek's film credits include Sweet Liberty, Hard Rain, Angel Heart, and The Flintstones, and he has made appearances on NYPD Blue, Wings, The Pretender, and The Practice. Additionally, he played Abraham Lincoln in the short-lived Fox Network series The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer. It was as Dave Meyer on L.A. Law that Florek first came to the attention of television viewers, but it was his four seasons on Law and Order that made him a star. He became a familiar and popular actor as Lieutenant (and later Captain) Donald Cragen, the head of the detective squad on whose investigations the series focuses from week to week. Florek also directed several episodes of the series after leaving the cast of the show in 1993, and is an active member of the Directors Guild of America. In 1999, he joined the cast of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, reprising and greatly expanding his role of Captain Cragen, now head of a detective unit specifically assigned to the investigation of sex crimes. Equally skilled at comedy and drama (although more familiar for his work in the latter), Florek is one of a new generation of triple-threat actor/directors to emerge from television in the 1980s and 1990s. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
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Dann Florek

Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen in NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Born Ezekial Dann Florek
May 1, 1950 (1950-05-01) (age 59)
Flat Rock, Michigan,
United States

Ezekial Dann Florek, professional name Dann Florek, is an American actor and director.

Contents

Career

Florek was born on May 1, 1950 in Flat Rock, Michigan. He attended Eastern Michigan University, but never graduated. He moved to New York City to pursue an acting career in the theatre. Florek worked his way into supporting roles in such diverse '80's films as Sweet Liberty, Moon Over Parador, and Angel Heart.

Law & Order

After a brief stint as the boring husband of Susan Ruttan on NBC's hit drama L.A. Law, Florek co-starred in the NBC crime drama Law & Order as Capt. Don Cragen. The first few years of Law & Order had mediocre ratings, and finally after the close of the 1992-1993 season, NBC told creator/executive producer Dick Wolf that they would cancel the show unless he added a few women to the all-male cast. Wolf reluctantly complied and fired Florek as well as Richard Brooks (who played Paul Robinette), replacing them with S. Epatha Merkerson and Jill Hennessy, respectively. However, Florek was allowed to direct a few Law & Order episodes in 1994 and 1995.

Florek reprised the role of Cragen in a 1995 episode (which he also directed), and in the 1998 TV-movie Exiled, centered on former L&O star Chris Noth's character, Mike Logan. In 1999 he returned to the Cragen role, only this time on the Law & Order spin-off series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as unit captain, a part he plays to this day. Florek also had a recurring role in the WB sitcom Smart Guy as the high school gym coach. He also played a High School principal in an episode of Roseanne.

Personal life

Florek at Eastern Michigan University

Florek's wife, Karen, works as an artist. His brother, Dave, is also an actor. All three trained in the Daniel L. Quirk Jr. drama school at Eastern Michigan University. On December 13, 2008 Dann received an honorary Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Michigan University from President Susan Martin and the EMU board of registrants. During the Winter 2008 Eastern Michigan Graduation Commencement on December 14, 2008 he received an honorary Doctorate of Arts from Eastern Michigan University from EMU president Susan Martin; Mr. Florek was the head speaker at this event as well.

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1983 Eddie Macon's Run Men in bar
1986 Sweet Liberty
1987 Angel Heart Herman Winesap
Five Corners Policeman
1988 Sunset Marty Goldberg
Moon Over Parador Toby
1989 An Innocent Man Prosecuting Attorney Uncredited
1991 Flight of the Intruder Lt. Comdr. Mad Jack/Doc
1994 The Flintstones Mr. Slate
Getting Even with Dad Wayne
1998 Hard Rain Mr. Mehlor
2000 Beautiful Joe Happy
2002 Law & Order: The Beginning Himself Direct-to-video
aka The Creation of 'Law & Order' with Dick Wolf
2003 Focus Room William
SVU Beginning Himself Direct-to-video
2004 Law & Order: The First 3 Years Himself Direct-to-video
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Police Sketch: Dann Florek Himself Direct-to-video
2005 Jerry Orbach Tribute Himself Direct-to-video
2006 Copy That Dann
2007 TV Land Confidential Himself - interviewee Episode: "Locations"
aka TV Land Confidential: The Untold Stories
2010 Santorini Blue Trent Parker Post-production

Television

Year Film Role Notes
1982 The Country Girl Larry TV film
1985 Hill Street Blues Episode: "Intestinal Fortitude"
Braker Hayes TV film
1986 The Equalizer Lieutentant Episode: "Breakpoint"
Alex: The Life of a Child Dr. Tom Dolan TV film
1988-93 L.A. Law David Meyer / Dave Meyer 22 episodes
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Winthrop Episode: "Doctors Wilde"
Hunter John Edleton Episode: "Night on Bald Mountain"
1988 Matlock Ken Pritchard Episode: "The Hucksters"
21 Jump Street Jim Crawford Episode: "Brother Hanson & the Miracle of Renner's Pond"
The Trial of Bernhard Goetz Judge Crane TV film
CBS Schoolbreak Special Stan Pallon Episode: "Gambler"
1989 The Edge Strip-Joint Operator TV film
Free Spirit Bill / Mr. Flynn Episode: "The Bosses Are Coming"
Major Dad Buzz Episode: "Rescue Mission"
1990 Grand Robert Episode: "The Healing"
Roseanne Principal Hiller Episode: "Bird Is the Word"
1990-04 Law & Order Captain Donald Cragen 69 episodes
1994 Hardball Ernest 'Happy' Talbot Unknown episodes
Wings Bob Episode: "Insanity Claus"
1995 Ellen Mr. Woodruff Episode: "$5,000"
The John Larroquette Show Lennox Episode: "Love on the Line"
1996 Champs Ernie Episode: "It's Must Have Been Gridlock"
1997 A Nightmare Come True Det. Ron Shaye TV film
aka A Dream of Murder
Roseanne Doctor/Dr. Rudmen Episode: "A Second Chance" (as Doctor)
Episode: "The Miracle" (as Dr. Rudmen)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Bob Gordon Episode: "Cat Showdown"
Total Security Morris Silver Episode: "Dental Men Prefer Blondes"
NYPD Blue Gary Hogan Episode: "Sheedy Dealings"
1998 The Pentagon Wars Maj. Gen. Bob Braden TV film
The Pretender Don Larson Episode: "Crash"
From the Earth to the Moon Robert Seamans HBO Miniseries
Episode: "Apollo One"
Episode: "Spider"
The Practice Father Michael Ryan Episode: "Duty Bound"
Little Girl Fly Away Chief Gelbart TV film
aka The Poet
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer Abraham Lincoln Episode: "School DaZe"
Episode: "Kidnapped"
Episode: "A.O.L.: Abe on Line"
Episode: "Saving Mr. Lincoln"
Exiled: A Law & Order Movie Captain Donald Cragen TV film
1997-99 Smart Guy Coach Gerber Episode: "Below the Rim"
Episode: "Most Hated Man on Campus"
Episode: "T.A. or Not T.A."
Episode: "List_of_Smart_Guy_episodes#Season_3:_1998-99Break Up Not to Make Up"
Episode: "Can't Buy Me Love"
Episode: "The Graduate?"
1999-present Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Captain Donald Cragen Supporting character

Producer

Year Film Role Notes
2010 Santorini Blue Associate Producer Post-production

Director

Year Film Role Notes
1993-95 Law & Order Television Director Episode: "The Pursuit of Happiness"
Episode: "Big Bang"
Episode: "Bad Faith"

References

Eastern Michigan University 2008 Winter Commencement. Lead Speaker Dann Florek. December 14, 2008.

Eastern Michigan University 2008 Winter Commencement. Speaker: EMU President Susan Martin. December 14, 2008.

External links

v • d • e
Actors in Law & Order
Senior Sergeant Actors
Senior Detective Actors
Junior Detective Actors
Police Commanding Officer Actors
Dann Florek • S. Epatha Merkerson
District Attorney Actors
Executive Assistant District Attorney Actors
Assistant District Attorney Actors
v • d • e
Actors in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Detective Actors
Assistant District Attorney Actors
Commanding Officer Actors
Dann Florek • Richard Belzer (1 episode)
Sergeant Actors
Richard Belzer
Medical Examiner Actors
Psychiatrist Actors
District Attorney Actors


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