American actor and associate director George Dzundza is well-known for his roles in movies like “The Deer Hunter,” “Basic Instinct,” and “Crimson Tide.” Throughout his nearly four-decade playing career, he has also appeared in a sizable number of television programs, such as “Law & Order,” “Batman: The Animated Series,” “Superman: The Animated Series,” “Jesse,” “Hack,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” He was raised in refugee camps after being born in Germany during a turbulent time in the country’s past. Later, his family relocated to the US, where he was able to pursue a quality education. He soon started performing and made numerous appearances in movies, telefilms, and TV series. George Dzundza has directed a number of stage plays since his last performance as an actor in the early 2010s, including some well-known ones like “Doubt” and “I Am My Own Wife.”
George Dzundza’s Career
Once George Dzundza and his family immigrated to the United States, he developed a passion for drama. In 1973, he made his theatrical debut in a performance of “King Lear” at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He was given the chance to take part in television production that same year, but his participation was uncredited. To make his formal television debut, he had to wait almost two years. He played the role of “Crandell” in the American action television series “Starsky & Hutch,” which was developed by William Blinn.
He made his acting début in the Academy Award-winning movie “The Deer Hunter,” which Michael Cimino wrote and directed, in 1978. Alongside actors like Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale, and Meryl Streep, he portrayed the part of “John Welsh.” The movie gave Dzundza a strong start in the film industry and received five Academy Awards.
In 1987, George Dzundza played two pivotal roles: Commander Daskal in the American war movie “The Beast,” which was helmed by Kevin Reynolds and written by William Mastrosimone, and Sam Hesselman, a disabled man in a wheelchair, in the American political thriller “No Way Out,” which Roger Donaldson directed.
He played the role of “Sgt. Max Greevey” in the Dick Wolf-created American police procedural and judicial drama television series “Law & Order” in 1990. However, due to a timing conflict and a poor script, he was fired after just one season. He had to juggle between the sets and his house because his wife was expecting at the time in order to spend time with her. He left the program to be with his wife after the producers threatened to fire him for delaying the shootings.
He played the role of “Detective Gus Moran” in the 1992 Paul Verhoeven-directed neo-noir erotic suspense movie “Basic Instinct.” Then he appeared in Tony Scott’s American submarine movie “Crimson Tide” as an actor opposite Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. He played the role of “Hal Griffith” in the 1995 American drama film “Dangerous Minds” opposite Michelle Pfeiffer, Wade Dominguez, and Renoly Santiago.
He starred as “John Warner, Sr.” in the NBC comedy “Jesse” in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He also made appearances in David Koepp’s CBS action-drama series “Hack” and the NBC sitcom “Jesse.” He was, however, written out of both of these series after just one season. Following his final performance as a performer, George Dzundza concentrated on his directing endeavors and went on to helm several stage productions, including “Doubt” and “I Am My Own Wife.”
George’s Individual Existence
On July 19, 1945, George Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany. His mother was Polish, and his father was Ukrainian. His parents were both made to work as slaves by the Nazis. They finally succeeded in emigrating, first to Amsterdam and then, in 1956, to the United States.
George and his family made their home in New York City, where he registered at Xavier High School. Later, he went to St. John’s University to pursue theater and speaking studies. In 1982, he wed Mary Jo Vermeulen, with whom he has three daughters.
Estimated Net Worth
George Dzundza, a German-American actor, has a $2 million personal worth. In July 1945, George Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany. He played Gordon Feester on the TV show Open All Night from 1981 to 1982.