Larry Manetti

Larry Manetti
Born
Lawrence Francis Manetti

(1947-07-23) July 23, 1947 (age 77)[1]
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, memoirist
Years active1973–present
Spouse(s)Nancy DeCarl Manetti
(m. 1980)
Children1

Lawrence Francis Manetti (born July 23, 1943),[1] known as Larry Manetti, is an American actor known for his role as Orville Wilbur Richard "Rick" Wright on the CBS television series Magnum, P.I. He co-starred in Baa Baa Black Sheep as First Lieutenant Robert A. "Bobby" Boyle, a pilot in the VMF-214 squadron headed by Greg "Pappy" Boyington.

Career

Manetti studied acting in Chicago with the Ted Liss Players. His first television role was as a young detective in Jack Webb's Chase (1973–1974). He would go on to play pilot Bobby Boyle in Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976–1978) with Robert Conrad. He followed this up with a role as a bookie on the short-lived NBC series The Duke (1979), which also featured Conrad in the title role.[2] His signature role on Magnum, P.I. lasted for the entire eight-year run of the series (1980–1988). He also had co-starring roles in twenty-five feature films, and guest-starred on many other television shows, including The Rockford Files, Emergency!, Starsky & Hutch, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, Fantasy Island, Battlestar Galactica, Renegade, Quantum Leap, JAG, and Walker, Texas Ranger. He also had a minor role in the 1993 film CIA II: Target Alexa.[2]

Since July 2011, Larry and Nancy Manetti have hosted a weekly radio program on CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks.[3]

It was announced on January 24, 2013 that Manetti had joined CBS' reboot of Hawaii Five-0 in the recurring role of Nicky "The Kid" Demarco. The character is described as "a local lounge legend ... [who], back in the day, was mentored by the one and only Frank Sinatra."[4] In October 2019, he appeared in the reboot of Magnum P.I., playing the same character. He also reunited with Tom Selleck on Blue Bloods as troubled retired police sergeant "Sam Velucci".[5]

Other

Manetti is the author of the semi-autobiographical Aloha Magnum, based on his time on Magnum P.I. and anecdotes about fellow cast members and celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Michelle Pfeiffer. He used to host a "Celebrity Brunch" and once owned a restaurant in the Plaza Hotel & Casino, which was owned by his friend D. W. Barrick of Barrick Gaming Corporation.

Books

  • Aloha Magnum: Larry Manetti's Magnum, P.I. Memories. Manetti, Larry & Chip Silverman (1999); Los Angeles, CA: Renaissance Books; ISBN 1-58063-052-9

Selected filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1976 Two-Minute Warning The S.W.A.T. - Team Pratt
1977 Sudden Death Dan
1993 Snapdragon Lengle
CIA II: Target Alexa Radcliffe
1995 Fatal Pursuit Gersi
1997 Top of the World Morgan
1998 Scar City Paul
Hijack Thomas Grady
1999 No Tomorrow Lewis[citation needed]
Time Served Billy
2000 The Alternate Agent Harris
2001 Random Acts
2002 The Stoneman Murders Sgt. C. "Chickie" Mudryck
2010 Sinatra Club Peg Leg Broncato
2012 The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1973-1978 Emergency! Paramedic (uncredited)/Bert Dwyer/Brian 4 episodes
1974-1976 The Streets of San Francisco Johnny Brennan/Larry Walsh 2 episodes
1975 Starsky & Hutch Stan "Pilot"
1976–1978 Baa Baa Black Sheep 1st Lt. Robert A. "Bobby" Boyle
1978-1979 Battlestar Galactica Lt. Giles
1979-1980 Tenspeed and Brown Shoe Chip Vincent
1980–1988 Magnum, P.I. Orville "Rick" Wright/Reverend Myron Bentley
1986 Tales from the Darkside Junior P. Harmon Episode: "Printer's Devil"
1993 Quantum Leap Vic
Street Justice Doc Nass
1998 Walker, Texas Ranger Shelby
2007 Las Vegas Larry Episode: "When Life Gives You Lemon Bars"
2013–2016 Hawaii Five-0 Nicky "The Kid" DeMarco
2019–2023 Magnum P.I.
2023 Blue Bloods Sam Velucci Episode: "Family Matters"

References

  1. ^ a b Lawrence F. Manetti, aged 36, married Nancy Decarl on February 19, 1980, as per California Marriage Index, 1960-1985, "California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985." Citing Center of Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento; accessed June 18, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Larry Manetti at IMDb
  3. ^ "BIZBUZZ for the week of Friday, June 10, 2011". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on 2013-02-15. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  4. ^ "Keck's Exclusives: Magnum, P.I. Vet Guest Stars on Hawaii Five-0". TV Guide. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  5. ^ Manetti on Blue Bloods, tvinsider.com. Accessed March 23, 2024.