James Anthony Luisi (November 2, 1928 – June 7, 2002) was an American professional basketball player and actor. Luisi is perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Doug Chapman, the apoplectic foil to detective Jim Rockford, in a total of 23 episodes during Seasons 3 through 6 of the television series The Rockford Files.
Basketball career Born in East Harlem, New York City, Luisi attended St. Francis College on a basketball scholarship before being drafted by the Boston Celtics in the sixth round of the 1951 NBA draft. After serving in the US Army during the Korean War, he played with the Baltimore Bullets for one year in the 1953–54 season. At and , he played guard for 31 games and averaged 3 points a game.
Career statistics Legend GP Games played FGM Field-goals made FG% Field-goal percentage FTM Free-throws made FTA Free-throws attempted FT% Free-throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game PTS Points PPG Points per game Bold Career high
College {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;" |+ ! scope="col"|Year ! scope="col"|Team ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"| ! scope="col"|<noinclude> |- | style="text-align:left;"|1948–49 | style="text-align:left;"|St. Francis |30 |34 |36 |74 |.486 |104 |3.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1949–50 | style="text-align:left;"|St. Francis |27 |131 |134 |202 |.663 |396 |14.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1950–51 | style="text-align:left;"|St. Francis |30 |158 |123 |188 |.654 |439 |14.6 |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career |87 |323 |293 |464 |.631 |939 |10.8
NBA Source
Regular season YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPGBaltimore3111.8.326.659.81.12.9
Stage Luisi then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and appeared on Broadway in productions of Alfie and Do I Hear a Waltz? as well as the original 1966 production of Sweet Charity.
Television and movies From 1961 to the mid-1970s Luisi appeared on such television shows as Naked City, The Rifleman, The Doctors (5 episodes), Bonanza (2 episodes), The F.B.I. (2 different roles in 2 episodes), Adam-12, Kojak (2 roles in a total of 3 episodes), Cannon, Police Story (2 roles in a total of 3 episodes), The Rookies (2 roles in 2 episodes), Mannix (2 roles in 2 episodes), Ironside, Barnaby Jones (5 roles in 5 episodes), The Streets of San Francisco, Gunsmoke (2 episodes), Hawkins, Vega$, Chopper One and S.W.A.T.
In 1976 Luisi had a guest role as a shady businessman on a Season 2 episode of The Rockford Files. The next season on the same show he portrayed Lt. Doug Chapman, a high-ranking, disagreeable police officer who dislikes the titular character portrayed by James Garner. Luisi ultimately played Chapman in 23 episodes, until the end of the show's six-year run. He reprised the role in two Rockford TV movies in 1996.
In 1976, Luisi shared a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Special for his portrayal of George Washington in the 1975 miniseries First Ladies Diaries: Martha Washington.
Also in 1976 he appeared on The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode titled "Sue Ann Falls In Love". He subsequently had guest roles in Starsky and Hutch; Black Sheep Squadron; Hunter (2 episodes); Wonder Woman; Fantasy Island; Quincy, M.E. and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
During the 1980s Luisi guest starred on such television staples as CHiPs, Vega$; Hart to Hart (in 2 episodes); The A-Team; Knight Rider; T. J. Hooker; Matt Houston; The Fall Guy; Simon & Simon; Magnum, P.I.; Knots Landing (the same role in 4 episodes) and It's a Living. In 1987 and 1988 he appeared as Ben Clark in 23 episodes of the soap opera Santa Barbara. From 1987 to 1992 he appeared as Duke Earl Johnson in 21 episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Luisi appeared in the studio films Ben (1972), I Escaped from Devil's Island (1973), The Man from Independence (1974), The Take (1974), Stunts (1977), Killer's Delight (1978), Moment by Moment (1978), Norma Rae (1979), Fade to Black (1980), Star 80 (1983), Murphy's Law (1986), The Hidden (1987), Feds (1987), Lethal Woman (1987) and Wanted (1998).
He also appeared in the made-for-television movies Cat Ballou (1971), Cry Rape (1973), Honky Tonk (1974), Don't Call Us (1976), The Cabot Connection (1977), A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story (1977), Contract on Cherry Street (1977), Love Is Not Enough (1978), One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story (1978), The Asphalt Cowboy (1980), Our Family Business (1981), The Renegades (1982), Sunset Limousine (1983) and The Red-Light Sting (1984).
Death Luisi died of cancer in 2002, aged 73. He was survived by his wife of 41 years, the former Georgia Phillips. He was also survived by his daughter, Jamie Swartz; a brother, Jerry Luisi; and two grandchildren. He is buried in Los Angeles at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park.
Filmography (partial) Film Year Title Role Notes 1967 The Tiger Makes Out Pete Copolla 1972 Ben Ed 1973 I Escaped from Devil's Island Dazzas 1974 The Man from Independence Stranger 1974 The Take Benedetto 1977 Stunts Alvin Blake Alternative title: The Deadly Game 1978 Killer's Delight Sgt. Vince De Carlo 1978 Moment by Moment Dan Santini 1979 Norma Rae George Benson 1980 Fade to Black Capt. M.L. Gallagher 1983 Star 80 Roy 1983 China Lake Watch Commander Short 1986 Murphy's Law Ed Reineke 1987 The Hidden Sleazy cocaine-sniffing Ferrari Salesman 1988 Lethal Woman Colonel Jerry Maxim Alternative title: The Most Dangerous Woman Alive 1988 Feds Sperry 1999 Wanted Vincent Argento (final film role) Television Year Title Role Notes 1961 Naked City Mark Andrew Screen / Television debut 1962 The Rifleman Chuley Carr 1 episode 1963–1964 Bonanza Willard 2 episodes 1964 The Reporter Joe 1 episode 1971 The Interns Nick 1 episode1972 Cannon Sonny 1 episode The Rookies Kendall Episode "Rabbits on the Runway" 1973 Hawkins 1 episode1974 The Rookies Del Bonner Episode "Rolling Thunder" Ironside Mike Purcell 1 episode Mannix John Larkin 1 episode The Streets of San Francisco Lloyd Davies 1 episode 1975 S.W.A.T Phil Garland 1 episode1976 Starsky and Hutch Carl Boyce 1 episode Kojak Captain Rosseau 1 episode The Mary Tyler Moore Show Doug 1 episode The Rockford Files Lieutenant Chapman Season 3 through 6 Good Heavens Bart Matson 1 episode1978 Wonder Woman George 1 episode Fantasy Island Arbogast 1 episode1979 The Eddie Capra Mysteries Dale Monday Episode "Murder Plays a Dead Hand" Quincy M.E. Marine Colonel Charles Casey 1 episode Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Hood 1 episode1980 CHiPs Lazarri 1 episode Here's Boomer Combs 1 episode 1982 Beyond Witch Mountain Foreman Television movie1983The Renegades Lt. Marciana 6 episodes1984 Riptide Uptown Bill Brown 1 episode Hart to Hart Damian Troy 1 episode The A-Team Jimmy Durkee 1 episode1985 Finder of Lost Loves Jordan Hollis 1 episode Knight Rider D.G. Grebs 1 episode The Fall Guy Brazzi 1 episode1987 Magnum, P.I. John Walter Costa 1 episode Knots Landing Detective Gilbert Garcia 4 episodes 1987–1988 Santa Barbara Ben Clark 11 episodes 1988 It's a Living Roscoe 1 episode 1989 The Hogan Family Leopold 3 episodes 1991 L.A. Law Paul Viola 1 episode 1992 Tequila and Bonetti Harry Dirday 1 episode 1996 Baywatch Nights Murray 1 episode
References
External links
NBA statistics at basketball-reference.com