Francesco Daniele Quinn (March 22, 1963 – August 5, 2011) was an Italian-American actor and voice actor. He made his film debut as Rhah Platoon (1986) and appeared on numerous television series, notably as Marcus Vinicius in the miniseries Quo Vadis? (1985), Tomas Del Cerro on The Young and the Restless (1999–2001), Syed Ali on 24 (2003), Guillermo Beltrán on The Shield (2008), and Fabrizio Raimondi on Il commissario Manara (2008). He was the son of Oscar-winning actor Anthony Quinn.
Early years Francesco Quinn was born in Rome, Italy, the first son of Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn and his second wife Iolanda Addolori, an Italian costume designer to whom the elder Quinn was married for 31 years. Francesco was raised in both Italy and the United States.
Career Television Quinn made his screen acting debut in Quo Vadis?, a 1985 RAI miniseries based on the novel of the same name.
From 1999 to 2001, Francesco appeared on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless as Nina Webster's boyfriend, Tomas del Cerro, and was nominated for an ALMA Award (an award reserved for Latino/a performers) as Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Soap Opera for his work as Tomas Del Cerro, an aloof writer from New York.
Quinn also appeared extensively in television guest-star roles in crime and thriller dramas. He was lead guest star in an episode of JAG (1995). On CBS's The Fugitive, Quinn played Victor Gutierrez, a DEA agent with an edge, and played the recurring role of Islamic terrorist Syed Ali on Fox's series 24. Other TV guest starring roles occurred in Criminal Minds, ER, CSI: Miami, The Glades, Navy NCIS, Alias, Crossing Jordan, In the Heat of the Night, Miami Vice, Red Shoe Diaries, The Handler, Soldier of Fortune, Good vs. Evil, Vengeance Unlimited, and The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones. Quinn also portrayed the final criminal/villain, Guillermo Beltran, in the long-running F/X series, The Shield. In 2008, Quinn joined Luke Perry and C. Thomas Howell in the western TV film A Gunfighter's Pledge.
Quinn was one of the earlier working actors to branch out into contributing to video games with his role as a main character in Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun (1999). In 2010–2011, he took part in the second season of the Italian TV series Il commissario Manara. Film Quinn made his film debut in Oliver Stone's Academy Award-winning Vietnam War film Platoon (1986), playing Private "Rhah" Ramucci. During the late 1980s, he appeared in a string of Italian films, including the historical biopic Stradivari (also starring his father), the Rambo-esque action film Indio, and the war movie Casablanca Express.
He appeared in many feature films including the New York Independent Film Festival winner Placebo Effect. He acted with his father in several films, including A Star For Two with Lauren Bacall. The two Quinns also had the opportunity to share the role of Santiago in the 1990 mini-series The Old Man and the Sea, son and father playing the character as a young and old man.
Quinn sometimes played moody, dangerous characters, such as vampire Vlad Tepes in the 2003 direct to video alt-historical thriller Vlad, and wandering warrior Thane Le Mal in the short film The Gnostic. Like his father, Quinn also appeared in historical dramas, playing such roles as Latino Captain Salamanca in Steven Spielberg’s mini-series Into the West (2005) and a lead role in TNT's Rough Riders (1997) (TV). One of Quinn's earliest roles was as Marcus Vinicius in the 1985 mini-series Quo Vadis?, co-starring with some major film actors of the 1980s.
Later examples of Quinn's work included Park, which won the audience award at 2007 CineVegas, and the short film Muertas, starring America Ferrera. In 2007, he appeared as Ruben Vega in the Academy Award-nominated short film The Tonto Woman, adapted from the Elmore Leonard short story. In 2011, he would voice Dino / Mirage in Transformers: Dark of the Moon which would be his final role before his death shortly after the film's release.
Personal life Francesco married Julie McCann and had two children: Massimiliano and Michela Quinn. The marriage ended in divorce in 2008. Before his death he was dating Valentina Castellani.
Quinn has two siblings: Danny and Lorenzo. Quinn has eight other surviving half siblings: Alex, Antonia, Catalina, Christina, Danny, Duncan, Ryan, Sean, and Valentina Quinn. His eldest sibling, Christopher, drowned in 1941, aged two.
Quinn was Roman Catholic, his children Massimiliano and Michela were both baptized by Pope John Paul II.
Athletic pursuits Quinn pursued sports such as skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing, free diving, road cycling, mountain biking, and actively raced motocross and street bikes. Quinn also was an avid motorcycler, and was a spokesman for The Motorcycle Industry Council and Honda. He was fluent in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Quinn was a contestant on Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge on CMT, until he was sidelined with a broken rib after being stomped on by a Level 2 bull.
Death Quinn died on August 5, 2011, in Malibu, California after experiencing what was believed to be a heart attack while running up a street with his children near his home.
Filmography Feature films Year Title Role Notes1986PlatoonPVT. "Rhah" Ramucci1988Priceless BeautyPeterStradivariAlessandro1989Mahmud IIIndioDaniel MorellCasablanca ExpressCapt. Franchetti1991A Star for TwoYoung Gabriel ToddMurder BluesJohn Reed1992JudgementJimmy Sollera1993Deadly RivalsBunny Wedman1994Stephen1995Top DogMark CurtainsRamone1997Cannes ManFrank 'Rhino' Rhinoslavsky1998Nowhere LandWalfredoDeadly RansomLuis MendesPlacebo EffectZac2001ReflectionsHim2003VladVlad Tepes2006ParkSmoldering Park WorkerCut OffAgent Jones2007Afghan KnightsAmad2008Hell RideMacheteBroken PromiseSantos2009Four Single FathersDom2010RollersQuinnCorruption.GovRon Garcia2011Transformers: Dark of the MoonDino / Mirage (voice)2012Roma nudaBernard JovanniPosthumous release
Short films Year Title Role Notes2000Jean-Paul Esselen2006Man vs. MondayJuan Carlos2007WarriorMuertasCarlos2008Ruben Vega
Television Year Title Role Notes1985Quo Vadis?Marcus ViniciusTV miniseries1987Miami ViceFrancesco CruzEpisode: "God's Work"1990Young SantiagoTV miniseries1992Red Shoe DiariesTommyEpisode: "Double or Nothing"FrancoisEpisode: "Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal"In the Heat of the NightRamon SalazarEpisode: "Sanctuary"1996O. Henry's ChristmasRobby GilliamTV film1997Rough RidersSgt. Rafael CastilloTV miniseriesSoldier of Fortune, Inc.Ramon BoharoEpisode: "La Mano Negra"JAGMustapha Ben KessarEpisode: "Code Blue"1998Pensacola: Wings of GoldJavier NuñezEpisode: "Lost Shipment"Vengeance UnlimitedCol. Oscar PonceEpisode: "Security"1999–2001Tomas Del CerroMain cast2000G vs EAgent ShawEpisode: "Ambulance Chaser"2001VictorEpisode: "Past Perfect"2002AliasMinos SakkoulasEpisode: "The Confession"JAGMustapha Ben Kassir, Bedouin Leader, Kabir AtefGuest; Seasons 2 & 4, recurring role; Season 7Almost a WomanDon CarlosTV film200324Syed AliRecurring role; Season 2Det. LopezEpisode: "Hardcore"2004CSI: MiamiFidelEpisode: "Murder in a Flash"NCISGunnery Sgt. Freddy AlvarezEpisode: "One Shot, One Kill"ERDr. Alfonso RamirezEpisode: "Time of Death"2005Into the WestCapitan de SalamancaEpisode: "Wheel to the Stars"Criminal MindsMichael RussoEpisode: "Natural Born Killer"2006NCISCpl. Luis RomeroEpisode: "Once a Hero"2007TinseltownArturoTV film2008SheriffTV filmGuillermo BeltránRecurring role; Season 7Danny FrickePablo VicenteTV film2010–11Eduardo GarciaEpisodes: "Bird in the Hand", "Family Matters"2011ZenGilberto NiedduEpisodes: "Vendetta", "Cabal", "Ratking"Il commissario ManaraFabrizio Raimondi8 episodesNatalee HollowayRicardo FloresTV film
Video games Year Title Role Notes1999Command & Conquer: Tiberian SunGeneral Vega2008Quantum of SolaceAdditional charactersVoicesTom Clancy's EndWar2010Mass Effect 2
References
External links
QuickTime-viewable copy of Francesco Quinn as The Gnostic