Why did George Dzundza leave Law & Order? Wiki, Net Worth

Publish date: 2024-05-20

• George Dzundza was born on 19 July 1945 in Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany.
• He is an actor, best known for his role of NYPD Sergeant Max Greevey in the NBC police procedural and legal drama series “Law & Order”.
• His net worth is estimated to be over $2 million.
• He retired from acting in 2010 and has since worked as a director.
• He has been married to Mary Jo Vermeulen since 1982 and has 3 children.



Known for movies

Short Info

SpouseMary Jo Vermeulen
FactPortrays Daskal, a Russian tank commander, in the film, The Beast; and Lieutenant Platko, in the TV series, The Beast.


Who is George Dzundza?

George F. Dzundza was born on 19 July 1945 under the birth sign of Cancer, in Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany and is currently aged 74. He is an actor, probably best recognized for starring in the role of NYPD Sergeant Max Greevey in the NBC police procedural and legal drama series “Law & Order”.

Would you like to know more about George Dzundza’s professional career and personal life? How rich is he, as of now? If you are interested, stay tuned and find out all the details about him.

How rich is he, as of now? George Dzundza Net Worth

His professional career started in 1973, and he has been an active member in the entertainment industry ever since. So, if anyone of you ever wondered how rich George Dzundza is, it has been estimated by authoritative sources that the total size of his net worth is over $2 million, accumulated through his successful career.

Early Life, Education, Nationality, Ethnicity

George Dzundza spent the first several years of his life in camps for displaced persons, where he was raised alongside a brother by his father, who was a Ukrainian Unterlander, and his mother, who was a Polish Galitzianer – they had been subjected to forced labor by the Nazis.

Following the end of WWII, the family lived in Amsterdam, Netherlands and eventually immigrated to the US in 1956, settling down in New York City. Upon matriculation from Xavier High School, George enrolled in St. John’s University to study Theatre Arts and Speech.

The 1970s: Career Beginnings

Speaking about his professional acting career, George Dzundza made his debut appearance on the stage in 1973, when he performed in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of “King Lear”. During the same year, he had an opportunity to make his debut film appearance, with the role of Mr. Creepy in the exploitation crime-horror “Massage Parlor Murders!”, which was followed by his portrayal of Dean in the Italian comedy “Fischia il sesso” (1974).

His next major role came in 1978, when he portrayed John Welsh in the the Academy Award-winning war drama film “The Deer Hunter”, starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep, really marking the establishment of his net worth. During the same decade, he guest-starred in such television series as “Great Performances”, “Starsky And Hutch”, and “Young Maverick”, among many others.

The early and mid-1980s: Rise to Prominence

At the beginning of the 1980s, George’s career was moved to the next level as he started getting more serious roles, since he was chosen to portray the lead role of Gordon Feester in the ABC sitcom “Open All Night” (1981-82).

Side by side, he also starred as Frank Collin in the 1981 made-for-television film “Skokie”, and then featured as Eugene in one of the most expensive box office flops, the British comedy film “Honky Tonk Freeway” in the same year. Over the next few years, George came to prominence through such significant roles as Steve Loparino in the 1984 comedy film “Best Defense”, next to Dudley Moore and Eddie Murphy; Captain Stemkowski in the neo-noir crime thriller “No Mercy” (1986), alongside Richard Gere and Kim Basinger; and Sam Hesselman in Roger Donaldson’s neo-noir political thriller “No Way Out” in 1987.

The late 1980s: “Law & Order”

By the end of the decade, George also landed the role of Commander Daskal in Kevin Reynolds’ 1988 war film “The Beast”, starred as Paul Landers in the drama “White Hunter Black Heart”, directed by Clint Eastwood, and played Lt. Joe Morgan in the thriller “Impulse”, both in 1990. During the same year, he got a chance to join the cast of the NBC police procedural and legal drama series “Law & Order”, starring as NYPD Sergeant Max Greevey. Although he left the series in 1991, the role added a considerable amount to his net worth, and increased enormously his popularity all over the world.

Why did George Dzundza leave “Law & Order”?

George was in the original cast of the NBC long-running series “Law & Order”, but he starred only for one season, since he decided to leave it after discussion he had regarding scheduling and script quality. During that time, his wife was pregnant and he was forced to divide his time between his home in Los Angeles and New York City, where the filming was set. It came to a head when the producers threatened to fire him if he continued to hold up the filming to be with his pregnant wife, so he left the show.

The 1990s: Continued Success and Voice Overs

With the beginning of the next decade, George continued to line up success after success by landing other major roles, including as Leo Lemke in the 1991 romantic comedy “The Butcher’s Wife”, alongside Demi Moore, after which he was cast as Detective Gus Moran in the neo-noir erotic thriller “Basic Instinct” (1992). Between 1993 and 1995, he did various voice overs in “Batman: The Animated Series”, which was followed by his portrayal of Hal Griffith in the 1995 drama “Dangerous Mind”, starring along with Michelle Pfeiffer and Wade Dominguez. Thereafter, George provided his voice to Perry White, a DC Comics character in “Superman: The Animated Series” (1996-99), increasing further his net worth. Moreover, he was also cast as John Warner, Sr. in the NBC sitcom “Jesse” from 1998 to 1999.

The 2000s and 2010s: Retirement and Career as a Director

George’s first significant role in the new millennium came in 2002, when he featured as Reg Duffy in the crime drama “City By The Sea”, alongside Robert De Niro and James Franco, after which he was chosen to play Tom Grzelak in the CBS action-drama series “Hack” (2002-03). Two years later, he joined the cast of the ABC medical drama series “Grey’s Anatomy”, portraying Harold O’Malley until 2007. Thereafter, George became quite passive in searching for new projects as an actor, since he starred as Norman in the 2010 comedy-drama “The Chosen One”, and then made his last appearance in the made-for-television film “Danni Lowinski”, playing Augustus ‘Gus’ Lowinski. Following his retirement, George started his career as a director, and has worked on such plays as “I Am My Own Wife” and “Doubt”.

The War story also talks about my obsession with veteran character actor George #Dzundza. pic.twitter.com/R6Mw1w7mV6

— Mike Glenn (@mrglenn) July 10, 2019

What is George Dzundza doing now?

There is almost no information known to the media regarding his professional career at the present time, and one of the main reasons why we cannot find any information is his absence from the social media scene, since he has no Instagram, Twitter or Facebook account. Accordingly, we can only assume that he’s retired, and spends his time with family and friends.

Personal Life: His Wife Mary Jo Dzundza, Children

When it comes to talk about his personal life, George Dzundza is apparently a happily married man. After spending some time in a relationship with Mary Jo Vermeulen, the couple eventually exchanged their wedding vows at a private ceremony attended by their closest family and friends in 1982; the couple is blessed with three children. Regarding their residence, the family currently lives in Beverly Hills, California.

General Info

Full NameGeorge Dzundza
Height1.78 m
ProfessionVoice Actor
EducationSt. John's University

Family

SpouseMary Jo Vermeulen

Accomplishments

AwardsVolpi Cup for Best Actor
NominationsDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
MoviesBasic Instinct, The Deer Hunter, Dangerous Minds, Crimson Tide, Species II, The Butcher's Wife, No Way Out, White Hunter Black Heart, The Beast, City by the Sea, Instinct, That Darn Cat, No Mercy, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Superman: Brainiac Attacks, Honky Tonk Freeway, The Ryan White Story, Bes...
TV ShowsLaw & Order, Hack, Jesse, Superman: The Animated Series, Something Is Out There, Open All Night, Salem's Lot

Social profile links

Facts

#Fact
1Portrays Daskal, a Russian tank commander, in the film, The Beast; and Lieutenant Platko, in the TV series, The Beast.
2His father was Polish and his mother was Ukrainian. They had been forced into factory labor by the Nazis.
3Attended private Catholic Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, New York City, whose fellow alumni included Martin Scorsese, George Carlin', Regis Philbin, Jamal Mashburn and Don DeLillo.
4Has appeared in three network series where he was written out after the first season: Law & Order (1990) Jesse (1998) and Hack (2002).
5Last name is pronounced "ZUHN-zuh".

Pictures

All pictures

Movies

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
ShellShock: Nam '672004Video GamePlatt (voice)
Hack2002-2003TV SeriesTom Grzelak Tom "Grizz" Grzelak
Superman: Shadow of Apokolips2002Video GamePerry White (voice)
City by the Sea2002Reg Duffy
Determination of Death2002Mac
The Agency2002TV SeriesHelmut
Third Watch2000TV SeriesFaith's Dad
Touched by an Angel2000TV SeriesBud Baxter
Above Suspicion2000Stamos
Instinct1999Dr. John Murray
Jesse1998-1999TV SeriesJohn Warner, Sr.
Superman1996-1999TV SeriesPerry White
Species II1998Colonel Carter Burgess Jr
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero1998VideoDr. Gregory Belson (voice)
The New Batman Adventures1997TV SeriesArnold Wesker - The Ventriloquist Scarface
The Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest1997TV MoviePerry White (voice)
Trading Favors1997Wallace Muller
That Darn Cat1997Boetticher
Road Rovers1996TV SeriesGustav Hovac
Superman: The Last Son of Krypton1996TV MoviePerry White (voice)
The Limbic Region1996TV MovieLloyd
Batman: The Animated Series1992-1995TV SeriesScarface Arnold Wesker The Ventriloquist ...
Dangerous Minds1995Hal Griffith
Crimson Tide1995Chief of the Boat
The Enemy Within1994TV MovieJake
Matlock1994TV SeriesA.D.A. Michael Brennen
The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story1994TV MovieDr. Cecil Jacobson
Animaniacs1993TV SeriesIvan Bloski
The Untouchables1993TV SeriesWarden Wyandotte
Basic Instinct1992Gus
What She Doesn't Know1992TV MovieJack Kilcoin
The Butcher's Wife1991Leo Lemke
Law & Order1990-1991TV SeriesMax Greevey
White Hunter Black Heart1990Paul Landers
Impulse1990Lt. Joe Morgan
Terror on Highway 911990TV MovieSheriff Jessie Barton
Cross of Fire1989TV MovieBoyd Gurley
The Ryan White Story1989TV MovieDr. Kleiman
Honor Bound1988Wocjinski
Something Is Out There1988TV Mini-SeriesFrank Dileo
CBS Schoolbreak Special1984-1988TV SeriesArthur Jennings / Mr. Elder
The Beast of War1988Daskal
Glory Years1987TV MovieJohn Moss
Crime Story1987TV SeriesIvan Ivanovitch Patchenko
No Man's Land1987Uncle Mike (uncredited)
No Way Out1987Sam Hesselman
No Mercy1986Captain Stemkowski
One Police Plaza1986TV MovieDetective Gustav Stamm
The Twilight Zone1986TV SeriesCol. Ulyanov (segment "Red Snow")
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color1986TV Series
The Execution of Raymond Graham1985TV MoviePrison Chaplain
Brotherly Love1985TV MovieLieutenant Conde
The Rape of Richard Beck1985TV MovieBlastig
Best Defense1984Steve Loparino
When She Says No1984TV MoviePaul Fellows
The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck1984TV MovieLt. DeCarlo
Streamers1983Cokes
Faerie Tale Theatre1983TV SeriesThe Woodsman
The Face of Rage1983TV MovieNick
Open All Night1981-1982TV SeriesGordon Feester
A Long Way Home1981TV MovieFloyd Booth
Skokie1981TV MovieFrank Collin
Honky Tonk Freeway1981Eugene
Young Maverick1979-1980TV Series
Salem's Lot1979TV MovieCully Sawyer
The Deer Hunter1978John
The Defection of Simas Kudirka1978TV MovieGruzauskas
The Streets of San Francisco1977TV SeriesPaul Weber
Bert D'Angelo/Superstar1976TV SeriesMike Zuber
Grady1975TV SeriesGeorge Kosinski
Joe Forrester1975TV Series
The Waltons1975TV SeriesA.J.Covington
Starsky and Hutch1975TV SeriesCrandell
Movin' On1975TV SeriesCharlie Banner
The Happy Hooker1975Chet
Fischia il sesso1974Dean
Great Performances1974TV SeriesGentleman
Kung Fu1974TV SeriesMr. Evans / 1st John
Massage Parlor Murders!1973Mr. Creepy
Danni Lowinski2011TV MovieAugustus 'Gus' Lowinski
The Chosen One2010Norman
Batman: Arkham Asylum2009Video GameBlackgate Thug #1 (voice, uncredited)
The Beast2009TV SeriesLieutenant Platko
October Road2008TV SeriesGloy Daniels
Grey's Anatomy2005-2007TV SeriesHarold O'Malley
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy2006TV SeriesCoach
Superman: Brainiac Attacks2006VideoPerry White (voice)
Adam and Eve2005Eve's Dad
Stargate SG-12005TV SeriesJim / Anubis

Assistant Director

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Massage Parlor Murders!1973assistant director

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Deer Hunter1978performer: "Nocturne No. 6 in G Minor, Opus 15-3" 1833, "Down From Heaven" - uncredited

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Law & Order: The First 3 Years2004Video documentary short special thanks

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Law & Order: The First 3 Years2004Video documentary shortHimself
'Law & Order': The Beginning2002Video documentary shortHimself
The 25th Annual People's Choice Awards1999TV SpecialHimself
The Making of 'Crimson Tide'1995Video documentary shortHimself
All Access: On the Set of 'Crimson Tide'1995Video shortHimself

Awards

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
2007Gold Derby TV AwardGold Derby AwardsDrama Guest ActorGrey's Anatomy (2005)
1983Best ActorVenice Film FestivalStreamers (1983)

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

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