Robert Costanzo
Biography
Biography
Bald and stocky with a gruff Brooklyn accent, Robert Costanzo has accrued a steady stream of work getting cast as working class Italian-American types whose outspokenness cries "native New Yorker." Early film roles were bit parts that included his debut as a cop in 1975's "Dog Day Afternoon," a liquor store salesman in 1977's "The Goodbye Girl," and a paint store customer in "Saturday Night Fever" the same year. He fared better in television, where guest spots on episodes of "Rhoda," "Baretta," and "The Bob Newhart Show" led to his being cast as a blue-collar dad to Paul Regina's John Travolta-like Joe Piza in the short-lived 1978 sitcom "Joe and Valerie." Never quite able to land a part in any kind of long-running series or film franchise, Costanzo nonetheless consistently played reoccurring roles in a variety of programs including "Hill Street Blues," "Family Ties," and "NYPD Blue." His film resume is equally impressive, with appearances in "Die Hard 2," "City Slickers," "Dick Tracy," and "Total Recall" to his credit. He even starred in a semi-autobiographical indie film project about the travails of a character actor desperately trying to land an audition with Martin Scorsese (1998's "With Friends Like These."). Costanzo's distinct voice has been his greatest asset and made him a constant in the world of cartoon voiceovers, most notably playing Detective Harvey Bullock, a character who has been used extensively in animated series for Batman, Superman, and Static Shock.