Wincott was also the star of several martial arts films in the 1990s.[9] In 1996 he was named one of the "Martial Arts Movie Stars of the Next Century" by Black Belt magazine.[9]
Wincott began studying taekwondo at 15 and also swam competitively.[5] Wincott became interested in acting while in high school and wound up turning down a swimming scholarship to study acting at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, where he studied for 2 years.[1][5]
Career
One of Wincott's first acting jobs was in 1979 when he appeared on two episodes of the Canadian sitcom King of Kensington.[3][13] He also appeared in an episode of the Canadian series The Littlest Hobo. that same year.[3][13]
Wincott appeared in an episode of the Canadian drama series The Great Detective in 1982.[3][13] In 1981 and 1983 he appeared again in episodes of The Littlest Hobo.[3][13] He also appeared in episodes of the Canadian TV series Hangin' In in 1983 and 1984.[3][13]
In 1984 Wincott returned to Toronto and began working on the Canadian police drama series Night Heat.[1] The series starred Scott Hylands as Detective Kevin O'Brien and Wincott as his partner, the brash and impulsive Detective Frank Giambone.[5][7] The series ran for four seasons from 1985 to 1989 and also aired on CBS, making it the first Canadian-produced drama series to air on an American network.[7][13] In 1986 he also appeared in the Canadian drama film The Boy in Blue starring Nicolas Cage.[14]
In 2003 Wincott appeared in two episodes of the second season of TV series 24.[13] He played the recurring role of James 'Jimmy' Cacuzza on the crime drama series Sons of Anarchy, appearing in episodes that aired in 2008, 2012 and 2013.[13] In 2012 Wincott played Captain Mancuso in an episode in the third season of the TV series Blue Bloods, and reprised the role in the series fifth season.[13] He also played recurring character Marshal Hilliard in the miniseries The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015) and Detective Lucas in the miniseries The Night Of (2016).[13]
He was featured in the action films The Invasion (2007) and Unstoppable (2010) and played a supporting role in the independent film Kringle Time.[17]
In 2019, Jeff and his wife Charlotte founded Hollow Metropolis Films in order to create and produce their own work.[18] In 2020, the Wincotts co-produced their first feature film, The Issue with Elvis.[19][20] Directed by Charlotte, the film stars Jeff, as well as their son Wolfgang.[19] Wincott won the Best Actor award for his role in the film at the Toronto Beaches Film Festival,[21] and the Montgomery International Film Festival.[22] The Wincotts also co-produced Fall Fight Shine, a documentary about addiction and recovery featuring Jeff's own recovery story.[20] The film premiered in 2021.[20]
^ abcdeKnutzen, Eirik (August 2, 1987). "Fighting crime, on the set and off". The Philadelphia Inquirer - TV Week (insert). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 4. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^Petrucelli, Alan W. (September 15, 1985). "TV Chatter". The Philadelphia Inquirer - TV Week (insert). Frankfort, Illinois. p. 9. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
^ abcdefghCrew, Val (November 16, 1985). "Ask About TV". Baxter Bulletin - Passtimes (insert). Mountain Home, Arkansas. p. Page 8. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^Ross, Rene (December 31, 1985). "Home workouts keep Wincott looking trim". The Chilliwack Progress. Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. p. 43. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcBelcher, Walt (October 16, 1986). "Secret 'Night Heat' is innovative TV". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. p. 68. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abCrockett, Lane (March 14, 1986). "'Night Heat' a gritty, late-might success". Lansing State Journal. Lansing, Michigan. Gannet News Service. p. 2C. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcKnutzen, Eirik (August 2, 1987). "Fighting crime, on the set and off". The Philadelphia Inquirer - TV Week (insert). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 55. Retrieved September 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^"2021 MIFF Winners". miffus.com. Montgomery County, Maryland, United States: Montgomery International Film Festival. September 19, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2022.