Frank Pesce

Acting

Frank Pesce

Born — Died

1946-12-08 — 2022-02-06

Place of birth

New York City, New York, USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

75 titles

Frank Pesce (December 8, 1946 – February 6, 2022) was an American film and television actor. Born in New York City, Pesce was the son of two working-class Italian parents. Pesce started his film career as an extra in The Godfather Part II, and got his first credited role in 1976, in an episode of the television series Police Story. He guest-starred a large number of well-known TV-series, including Knight Rider, Kojak and Matlock, and was a busy character actor in films, notably appearing in Rocky, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop and Flashdance. He wrote the script of the film 29th Street, based on his own autobiographical experiences. He made his last appearance in 2015, in Creed.

Known for

Miami Vice poster
7.4

The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking and prostitution, centered on the unlikely partnership of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs - who first meet when Tubbs is undercover in a drug cartel.

Miami Vice

1984

Knight Rider poster
7.5

Michael Long, an undercover police officer, is shot while investigating a case and left for dead by his assailants. He is rescued by Wilton Knight, a wealthy, dying millionaire and inventor who arranges life-saving surgery, including a new face and a new identity--that of Michael Knight. Michael is then given a special computerized and indestructible car called the Knight Industries Two Thousand (nicknamed KITT), and a mission: apprehend criminals who are beyond the reach of the law. The series depicts Michael's exploits as he and KITT battle the forces of evil on behalf of the Foundation for Law and Government.

Knight Rider

1982

Matlock poster
7.0

Thrifty, folksy and cantankerous, Matlock charges a premium for his services but is worth every penny: This renowned attorney, always clothed in his trademark light-gray suit and driving his signature Ford Crown Victoria, has an uncanny knack for finding overlooked clues and exposing murderers in dramatic courtroom scenes.

Matlock

1986

Airwolf poster
7.6

As part of a deal with an intelligence agency to look for his missing brother, a renegade pilot goes on missions with an advanced battle helicopter.

Airwolf

1984

Who's the Boss? poster
7.4

A former professional baseball player, along with his preteen daughter, moves into New York advertising executive Angela Bower's house to be both a housekeeper and a father figure to her young son. Tony 's laid-back personality contrasts with Angela's type-A behavior.

Who's the Boss?

1984

Cagney & Lacey poster
7.0

Mary Beth Lacey and Chris Cagney are teamed up as NYPD police detectives. Their opposing personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) mesh to make this one of the great crime-fighting duos of all time.

Cagney & Lacey

1982

Film credits

2010s · 7 titles

The Expendables 3 poster
6.2

Barney, Christmas and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks, who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.

The Expendables 3

2014

Creed poster
7.4

The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.

Creed

2015

Tower Heist poster
6.1

A luxury condo manager leads a staff of workers to seek payback on the Wall Street swindler who defrauded them. With only days until the billionaire gets away with the perfect crime, the unlikely crew of amateur thieves enlists the help of petty crook Slide to steal the $20 million they’re sure is hidden in the penthouse.

Tower Heist

2011

Grudge Match poster
6.1

A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout -- 30 years after their last match.

Grudge Match

2013

Reach Me poster
5.2

Each member of a group of people has a connection to a self-help book authored by a reclusive former football coach.

Reach Me

2014

King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen poster
6.4

A feature-length documentary focusing on the acclaimed work and eclectic career of maverick filmmaker Larry Cohen, writer-director of "Black Caesar," "It's Alive," "God Told Me To," "Q," "The Stuff," and many more.

King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen

2018

The Outsider: The Cinema of Antonio Margheriti poster
6.0

Documentary on the life and films of Antonio Margheriti.

The Outsider: The Cinema of Antonio Margheriti

2013

2000s · 8 titles

The Whole Ten Yards poster
5.7

Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski now spends his days compulsively cleaning his house and perfecting his culinary skills with his wife, Jill, a purported assassin who has yet to pull off a clean hit. Suddenly, an uninvited and unwelcome connection to their past unexpectedly shows up on Jimmy and Jill's doorstep; it's Oz, and he's begging them to help him rescue his wife, Cynthia.

The Whole Ten Yards

2004

Double Take poster
5.7

A man on the run takes another man's passport, only to find himself stuck with the identity of a street hustler.

Double Take

2001

Middle Men poster
6.5

Chronicles Jack Harris, one of the pioneers of internet commerce, as he wrestles with his morals and struggles not to drown in a sea of conmen, mobsters, drug addicts, and pornstars.

Middle Men

2009

Final Approach poster
5.1

FBI hostage rescue team leader Jack Bender has been sacked for not being a team player, and months later he finds himself in the ultimate hostage nightmare: stuck aboard a plane that's been taken over by a group of well-armed terrorists who threaten to detonate a nuclear weapon unless they receive a billion dollars

Final Approach

2008

Citizen Jane poster
5.1

Jane Alexander's idyllic life in San Francisco is shattered when her beloved, elderly aunt is brutally murdered. But when her fiancé, Tom O'Donnell, becomes the main suspect, Jane must put aside her grief to aid the police before the chance at justice is lost forever.

Citizen Jane

2009

On the Edge poster
3.3

Dakota Smith is an ex-cop and former private eye with a proclivity for community service. When a young basketball player entangles himself with drug dealers, he turns to Dak for help. Eventually goons are sent to kill the hoopster, but they hit the family of Rex Stevens by mistake. Frustrated by the incompetent and crooked police, the trio of Smith, Stevens, and their friend Frank Harris then battle the drug dealers for control of the streets. Also the heroes must tangle with Felix, a stealthy and ruthless hitman.

On the Edge

2002

The Joe Spinell Story poster
5.3

The Joe Spinell Story is a An outstanding and eye-opening documentary, made in 2001 for the Anchor Bay DVD release of Maniac (1980). His most notable roles were as mafioso Willi Cicci in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, and as loan shark Tony Gazzo in Rocky and Rocky II. Although primarily known as a character actor, Spinell co-wrote and starred as a serial killer in the 1980 film, Maniac.

The Joe Spinell Story

2001

Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part poster
6.0

When a ruthless arms Kingpin stages an ingenious escape from prison, Jane Doe and Frank Darnell, NSA head, realize he's bent on a vengeance killin. Who the prospective victim is remains to be seen.

Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part

2005

1990s · 20 titles

Donnie Brasco poster
7.5

An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one.

Donnie Brasco

1997

Trapped in Paradise poster
5.7

Residents of a friendly Pennsylvania town foil three brothers' plan to rob a bank on Christmas Eve.

Trapped in Paradise

1994

Maniac Cop 2 poster
6.0

Undead cop Matt Cordell rises from the grave, and is after the criminals who murdered him in prison.

Maniac Cop 2

1990

Black and White poster
4.6

Rich Bower is an up-and-coming star in the hip-hop world. Everyone wants to be around him, including Raven and her fellow upper-class white high school friends. The growing appeal of black culture among white teens fascinates documentary filmmaker Sam Donager, who sets out to chronicle it with her husband, Terry. But before Bower was a rapper, he was a gangster, and his criminal past comes back to haunt him and all those around him.

Black and White

1999

Uncle Sam poster
4.9

It's Fourth of July Weekend, and the recently discovered corpse of Sgt. Sam Harper rises from the dead to punish the unpatriotic.

Uncle Sam

1996

29th Street poster
6.9

After winning $6.2 million in the 1976 New York State Lottery, he is arrested for throwing rocks at a church. He then tells his story at the police station.

29th Street

1991

Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence poster
5.4

A priest practicing the Voodoo arts resurrects Matt Cordell, who takes his badge and returns from the dead...again...to do his bidding.

Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence

1992

Mirror Images II poster
4.5

Shannon Whirry stars as Carrie and Terrie, a pair of twins who were separated in youth when their father murdered their mother and was in turn killed by his own bad twin daughter. Now the sweet-natured "good" sister has grown up to marry an abusive louse. Trapped in a sexless relationship, she seeks solace with a therapist (Kristine Kelly), but her problems are about to be compounded when her wicked sister arrives in town, intent on avenging herself on her double for past wrongs. Even the help of a private detective on her side may not be enough when her sister becomes allied with her own husband.

Mirror Images II

1993

South Beach poster
3.6

Former NFL star Mack Derringer now works as a private detective. Someone is out to get Derringer and his ex-wife. Can Derringer put the pieces of this deadly puzzle together before its too late?

South Beach

1993

Original Gangstas poster
5.6

The Rebels rule the streets of Gary, Indiana. They shoot storekeeper Marvin Bookman for giving the police information about a drive-by shooting they committed. Marvin’s son, former NFL star and Rebel founder John returns to be with his father and, with a little help from some friends, to destroy the gang his way.

Original Gangstas

1996

Night Vision poster
5.4

A psycho serial killer who videotapes each of his bloody conquests is on the loose, and it's up to alcoholic motorcycle cop Dak and his new tough-as-nails partner, Kristen, to bring him to justice. But as the body count increases, so does the danger.

Night Vision

1997

Steel and Lace poster
4.9

After her attackers go free, Gaily Morton, the victim of a vicious assault, commits suicide. Her vengeful brother, brilliant robotics engineer and scientist, Dr. Albert Morton, decides to use his skills to enact vengeance, transplanting his sister's brain into a humanoid cyborg with bone-crushing strength and an array of built-in torture devices...

Steel and Lace

1991

Seduce Me: Pamela Principle 2 poster
4.1

Charles is bored with being a wealthy, successful architect. He takes a temporary job photographing undressed women and falls for Pamela. His wife, Elaine, has little sympathy for this mid-life crisis.

Seduce Me: Pamela Principle 2

1994

The Pamela Principle poster
4.5

Pamela is a young actress who has moved into New York City from the midwest. She meets up with Carl who is middle-aged tailor of women's clothings and is going through a "mid-life crisis". He sees his son's amourous escapades and longs for better relationship with his wife Anne who is distant at times. He has an affair with Pamela. But Pamela's lifestyle does not go well with him.

The Pamela Principle

1992

Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story poster
5.8

A young girl falls in love with a married auto body shop worker, leading to dramatic consequences.

Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story

1993

Another Midnight Run poster
6.9

Jack Walsh tries to track down two of the top con-artists around. But they know every trick in the book and Jack has trouble bringing them back to LA and getting a $45,000 pay day reward.

Another Midnight Run

1994

In the Shadow of a Killer poster
4.5

Courtroom drama involving the mafia inspired by true events.

In the Shadow of a Killer

1992

Blindsided poster
4.2

An ex-cop is temporarily blinded when he steals cash from a money laundering operations. While recuperating in Mexico, the thief falls in love with a beautiful woman who has underworld connections. When the girl disappears, he returns to the United States to find her, risking death from the gangster

Blindsided

1993

The Cottonwood poster
10.0

Four friends get three million dollars and decide to construct a screenplay of 52 stolen scenes from the greatest movies ever made.

The Cottonwood

1996

Ice poster
4.6

A married couple of cat burglars scheme to rob a set of stolen diamonds from the local mafia only to be hampered by persistent police detectives, another scam artist, and a rival mob group.

Ice

1994

1980s · 19 titles

Beverly Hills Cop poster
7.2

Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.

Beverly Hills Cop

1984

Top Gun poster
7.1

For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an ace pilot.

Top Gun

1986

Beverly Hills Cop II poster
6.5

Axel Foley returns to the land of sunshine and palm trees to investigate the near-fatal shooting of police Captain Andrew Bogomil. With the help of Sgt. Taggart and Det. Rosewood, they soon uncover that the shooting is associated with a series of "alphabet" robberies masterminded by a heartless weapons kingpin—and the chase is on.

Beverly Hills Cop II

1987

Midnight Run poster
7.2

A bounty hunter pursues a former Mafia accountant who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter, the F.B.I., and his old mob boss after jumping bail.

Midnight Run

1988

American Gigolo poster
6.2

Julian makes a lucrative living as an escort to older women in the Los Angeles area. He begins a relationship with Michelle, a local politician's wife, without expecting any pay. One of his clients is murdered and Detective Sunday begins pumping him for details on his different clients, something he is reluctant to do considering the nature of his work. Julian begins to suspect he's being framed. Meanwhile Michelle begins to fall in love with him.

American Gigolo

1980

Lock Up poster
6.8

Frank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is paroled, however, Warden Drumgoole takes charge. Drumgoole was assigned to a hell-hole prison after his administration was publicly humiliated by Leone, and has now arrived on the scene to ensure that Leone never sees the light of day.

Lock Up

1989

Flashdance poster
6.5

Alex Owens, a young woman juggling between two odd jobs, aspires to become a successful ballet dancer. Nick, who is her boss and lover, supports and encourages her to fulfil her dream.

Flashdance

1983

Maniac Cop poster
6.1

A killer dressed in a police uniform begins murdering innocent people on the streets of New York City.

Maniac Cop

1988

Young Doctors in Love poster
5.3

An 'Airplane!'-style spoof of hospital soap operas—a brilliant young trainee can't stand the sight of blood; a doctor romances the head nurse in order to get the key to the drugs cabinet; and there's a mafioso on the loose disguised as a woman.

Young Doctors in Love

1982

Vigilante poster
6.1

New York City factory worker Eddie Marino is a solid citizen and regular guy, until the day a sadistic street gang brutally assaults his wife and murders his child. When a corrupt judge sets the thugs free, he goes berserk and vows revenge.

Vigilante

1983

Relentless poster
5.3

Two Los Angeles police detectives hunt for a serial killer who randomly chooses his victims from a phone directory.

Relentless

1989

Eureka poster
5.3

After striking it rich on a large gold strike, a prospector retires to the quiet life on a Caribbean island but ends up coping with an alcoholic wife, a headstrong daughter, and Miami mobsters who want to build a casino.

Eureka

1983

Defiance poster
6.4

Tommy takes up temporary housing in a New York neighborhood plagued by a violent gang called the Souls. Tommy is waiting for his next assignment as a seaman and though he tries to avoid the gang and his neighbors, it does not work. Soon he is battling the Souls and not only changing their attitudes, but the attitudes of his previously intimidated neighbors as well.

Defiance

1980

Maniac poster
6.4

A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, kills and mutilates young women and local models on the streets of New York City.

Maniac

1980

Marilyn: The Untold Story poster
6.9

The story of the life and times of the legendary Hollywood blonde bombshell, Marilyn Monroe, from her meteoric rise to stardom to her marriages and untimely death.

Marilyn: The Untold Story

1980

Cameron's Closet poster
4.7

A father who experiments with his son's psychokinetic powers is unaware that these experiments have released a demon from hell which lives in his son's closet, preparing to take over the young boy's soul.

Cameron's Closet

1988

The Big Score poster
6.0

A narcotics detective, played by Fred Williamson, lets nothing stand in the way of his bringing down a major drug dealer. After a bust gone awry, he's accused of stealing a lost briefcase filled with money and both the mob and the police are looking for him. A ruthless hit man, played by Bruce Glover, will stop at nothing to get what his boss wants; the money!

The Big Score

1983

The Messenger poster
5.0

When his wife is killed by hitmen, a former Green Beret takes vengeance on the drug gangs responsible for her death.

The Messenger

1986

The Cover Girl and the Cop poster
6.0

Julia Duffy is the cover girl and Dinah Manoff the cop in this made-for-TV contrivance.

The Cover Girl and the Cop

1989

1970s · 6 titles

Rocky poster
7.8

Rocky Balboa is a Philadelphia club fighter who seems to be going nowhere. But when a stroke of fate puts him in the ring with a world heavyweight champion, Rocky knows that it's his one shot at the big time — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go the distance and come out a winner!

Rocky

1976

Sorcerer poster
7.5

Four men from different parts of the globe, all hiding from their pasts in the same remote South American town, agree to risk their lives transporting several cases of dynamite (which is so old that it is dripping unstable nitroglycerin) across dangerous jungle terrain.

Sorcerer

1977

Paradise Alley poster
5.9

Three Italian-American brothers, living in the slums of 1940's New York City, try to help each other with one's wrestling career using one brother's promotional skills and another brother's con-artist tactics to thwart a sleazy manager.

Paradise Alley

1978

Killer Fish poster
4.7

Jewel thieves attempt to recover treasure from piranha infested waters. Mistrust and betrayals happen amongst the gang in the quest for gold.

Killer Fish

1979

Tilt poster
5.0

Tilt is the story of a precocious young girl who is a pinball wizard. Because she does not get on with her parents, Tilt is contemplating running away from home. Skipping school one day, she decides to go to to Mickey's Bar. Mickey, who is Tilt's good friend, helps her set up a gambler for a pinball game. Because the gambler is unaware of Tilt's pinball wizardry, he is easily hustled out of his money. While watching the confrontation, a young man named Neil Gallagher, who is an aspiring musician, is impressed with Tilt's ability, congratulating her after the win. Neil invites Tilt to watch him sing at a rock concert, and after his performance she believes he can become a great singer. Because Neil needs money for a demo tape of his songs, he has an idea of taking Tilt with him and having her hustle would-be gamblers.

Tilt

1979

The One Man Jury poster
5.4

Officer Jim Wade is a loose cannon on the force with a reputation for roughing up suspects, informants, witnesses, and just about everybody else who rubs him the wrong way. When women start being killed by a mysterious serial murderer called The Slasher, Wade vows to put a stop to the killing spree, regardless of whether through legal means or not.

The One Man Jury

1978

Series credits

Miami Vice poster
7.4

The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking and prostitution, centered on the unlikely partnership of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs - who first meet when Tubbs is undercover in a drug cartel.

Miami Vice

1984

Knight Rider poster
7.5

Michael Long, an undercover police officer, is shot while investigating a case and left for dead by his assailants. He is rescued by Wilton Knight, a wealthy, dying millionaire and inventor who arranges life-saving surgery, including a new face and a new identity--that of Michael Knight. Michael is then given a special computerized and indestructible car called the Knight Industries Two Thousand (nicknamed KITT), and a mission: apprehend criminals who are beyond the reach of the law. The series depicts Michael's exploits as he and KITT battle the forces of evil on behalf of the Foundation for Law and Government.

Knight Rider

1982

Matlock poster
7.0

Thrifty, folksy and cantankerous, Matlock charges a premium for his services but is worth every penny: This renowned attorney, always clothed in his trademark light-gray suit and driving his signature Ford Crown Victoria, has an uncanny knack for finding overlooked clues and exposing murderers in dramatic courtroom scenes.

Matlock

1986

Airwolf poster
7.6

As part of a deal with an intelligence agency to look for his missing brother, a renegade pilot goes on missions with an advanced battle helicopter.

Airwolf

1984

Who's the Boss? poster
7.4

A former professional baseball player, along with his preteen daughter, moves into New York advertising executive Angela Bower's house to be both a housekeeper and a father figure to her young son. Tony 's laid-back personality contrasts with Angela's type-A behavior.

Who's the Boss?

1984

Cagney & Lacey poster
7.0

Mary Beth Lacey and Chris Cagney are teamed up as NYPD police detectives. Their opposing personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) mesh to make this one of the great crime-fighting duos of all time.

Cagney & Lacey

1982

Kojak poster
7.3

A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.

Kojak

1973

Kojak poster
7.3

A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.

Kojak

1973

Jake and the Fatman poster
6.2

Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.

Jake and the Fatman

1987

The Single Guy poster
5.8

No synopsis available yet.

The Single Guy

1995

The Greatest American Hero poster
7.2

The chronicles of  teacher Ralph Hinkley's adventures after a group of aliens gives him a red suit that gives him superhuman abilities. Unfortunately, Ralph, who hates wearing the suit, immediately loses its instruction booklet, and thus has to learn how to use its powers by trial and error, often with comical results.

The Greatest American Hero

1981

The Master poster
5.4

An aging ninja master and his young pupil travel in a custom van helping people in need along the way.

The Master

1984

Blue Thunder poster
6.9

Blue Thunder is a 1984 ABC television series based on the movie of the same title featuring the Blue Thunder helicopter. The series uses the converted Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopter and large portions of stock footage from the 1983 film. A ground unit named "Rolling Thunder" backed up the helicopter in the television series. This was a large support van with a desert camouflage off-road vehicle stored inside. The television series cast includes James Farentino, Dana Carvey, and former professional American football players Bubba Smith and Dick Butkus. The series was canceled by ABC after they felt the similar Airwolf on CBS would win the ratings battle. Also, the series aired at the same time as the CBS soap opera Dallas on Friday nights, and lost. Eleven episodes were made before the series was cancelled.

Blue Thunder

1984

The Tony Danza Show poster
5.5

The Tony Danza Show is an American sitcom starring Tony Danza, Majandra Delfino, Dean Stockwell, Ashley Malinger, María Canals, and Shaun Weiss that aired on NBC in 1997. The series aired 5 episodes before being cancelled, leaving 7 episodes unaired.

The Tony Danza Show

1997

Cassie & Co. poster
5.3

Cassie & Co. is an American drama series broadcast on NBC as a mid-season replacement. 13 episodes were produced, but it was pulled after four episodes in February 1982, with the rest airing in the summer. Angie Dickinson stars as Cassie Holland, a tough, divorced ex-cop who becomes a private detective, taking over a detective agency with her ex-con secretary Meryl (Dori Brenner) and gym instructor Benny (A. Martinez).

Cassie & Co.

1982