---
name: "Barry Primus"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/barry-primus"
fi1m_id: "barry-primus"
imdb_id: "nm0697587"
tmdb_id: 73194
wikidata_id: "Q746520"
roles: ["Producer"]
born: "16 February 1938"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_as: "producer"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-04T19:44:57.865267+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Barry Primus

## Identity

Barry Primus

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/barry-primus
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** barry-primus
- **IMDb ID:** nm0697587
- **TMDB ID:** 73194
- **Wikidata ID:** Q746520
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Primus, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q746520, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697587/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/73194

Producer. Born 16 February 1938 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Producer
- **Born:** 16 February 1938, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 1981–2019
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 7: 5 acting, 1 producing, 1 other
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 73 (4), 2000s 92 (1), 2010s 79 (2)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Primus, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q746520, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697587/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/73194

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Absence of Malice*](https://film.one/film/absence-of-malice.md) (73)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Barry Primus is an American actor, director and writer. Born in New York City on 16 February 1938, he began his career on the stage and appeared in early television series including *The Defenders*, *East Side/West Side* and *The Virginian*. His first film role came in *The Brotherhood* (1968).

Primus has appeared in numerous films, among them *Boxcar Bertha* (1972), *New York, New York* (1977), *Absence of Malice* (1981), *The Rose* (1979), *Righteous Kill* (2008), *American Hustle* (2013) and *The Irishman* (2019). He had a recurring role on the television series *Cagney & Lacey* as Sergeant Dory McKenna. Primus made his feature directorial debut with *Mistress* (1992), which he also wrote.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

### Performed in (5)

- *The Irishman* (2019), Fi1m 86, as Ewing King — [page](https://film.one/film/the-irishman.md)
- *American Hustle* (2013), Fi1m 72, as Tellegio's Consigliere — [page](https://film.one/film/american-hustle.md)
- *Down and Out in Beverly Hills* (1986), Fi1m 65, as Lou Waltzberg — [page](https://film.one/film/down-and-out-in-beverly-hills.md)
- *Miami Vice* (1984), Fi1m 81, as FBI Agt. Daley — [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md)
- *Absence of Malice* (1981), Fi1m 73, as Robert Waddell — [page](https://film.one/film/absence-of-malice.md)

### Produced (1) — the average rests on these

- *On Golden Pond* (1981), Fi1m 72, Casting — [page](https://film.one/film/on-golden-pond.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Inglourious Basterds* (2009), Fi1m 92, Thanks — [page](https://film.one/film/inglourious-basterds.md)

## Complete filmography (88)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Eternity* (2025), as Older Larry
- *The Prank* (2024), as George Wheeler
- *Arkansas* (2020), as Old Greek
- *The Irishman* (2019), as Ewing King — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-irishman.md)
- *Rock Bottom* (2019), Actor
- *Breakable You* (2017), as Dr. Chazen
- *Joy* (2015), as Rudy's Attorney
- *The Longest Week* (2014), as Bernard the Chauffer
- *American Hustle* (2013), as Tellegio's Consigliere — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/american-hustle.md)
- *Inglourious Basterds* (2009), Thanks — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/inglourious-basterds.md)
- *Jackson* (2008), as Donald
- *Righteous Kill* (2008), as Prosky
- *After Midnight* (2007), as Marty Cole
- *Big Guns* (2006), as Will Fox
- *Break a Leg* (2005), as Ira Goldstein
- *Boston Legal* (2004), series, as Professor Jeffrey Benoit — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/boston-legal.md)
- *Life as a House* (2001), as Tom
- *James Dean* (2001), as Nicholas Ray
- *15 Minutes* (2001), as Cab Driver
- *Black & White* (1999), as Priest
- *Providence* (1999), series, as Gordon
- *V.I.P.* (1998), series, Director
- *Gold Coast* (1997), as Ed Grossi
- *Flipping* (1997), as Joey · Leo's Crew
- *The Practice* (1997), series, as Porn Film Director Goodwin
- *Crime of the Century* (1996), as Ellis Parker
- *Arli$$* (1996), series, as Benny
- *Trade Off* (1995), as Detective Gold
- *Welcome to Paradise* (1995), as Frank Blair
- *T-Force* (1994), Producer
- *seaQuest DSV* (1993), series, as Frobe Ernst
- *The X-Files* (1993), series, as Robert Dorlund — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *Night and the City* (1992), as Tommy Tessler
- *Mistress* (1992), Director, Story, Screenplay
- *Guilty by Suspicion* (1991), as Bert Alan
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Gary Silver — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Torn Apart* (1990), as Arie Arnon
- *Denial* (1990), as Jay
- *Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death* (1989), as Ford Maddox
- *Big Business* (1988), as Michael
- *The Stranger* (1987), as Sergeant Drake
- *Talking Walls* (1987), as Professor Hirsch
- *21 Jump Street* (1987), series, as Judge Warren Briggs
- *Stillwatch* (1987), as Toby Wilson
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Jack Lambert
- *SpaceCamp* (1986), as Brennan
- *Jake Speed* (1986), as Lawrence
- *Down and Out in Beverly Hills* (1986), as Lou Waltzberg — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/down-and-out-in-beverly-hills.md)
- *The Equalizer* (1985), series, as Walter Wesley
- *Brotherly Love* (1985), as Det. Trelska
- *MacGruder and Loud* (1985), series, as Sam
- *The River* (1984), as Roy · Casting Consultant
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Det. Sgt. Len Berger
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Andy McBride
- *Miami Vice* (1984), series, as FBI Agt. Daley — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md)
- *Heart of Steel* (1983), as Amendola
- *Hotel* (1982), series, Actor
- *Paper Dolls* (1982), as Alan
- *Portrait of a Showgirl* (1982), as Dennis Philips
- *Cagney & Lacey* (1982), series, as Dory McKenna — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/cagney-and-lacey.md)
- *T. J. Hooker* (1982), series, as Martin Colson
- *On Golden Pond* (1981), Casting — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/on-golden-pond.md)
- *Absence of Malice* (1981), as Robert Waddell — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/absence-of-malice.md)
- *Heartland* (1981), as Jack
- *Macbeth* (1981), as Banquo
- *Night Games* (1980), as Jason St. John
- *Knots Landing* (1979), series, as Mitch Casey
- *The Rose* (1979), as Dennis
- *Avalanche* (1978), as Mark Elliott
- *Lou Grant* (1977), series, Actor
- *Washington: Behind Closed Doors* (1977), series, as Joe Wisnovsky
- *New York, New York* (1977), as Paul Wilson
- *Roger & Harry: The Mitera Target* (1977), as Harry Jaworsky
- *The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries* (1977), series, Actor
- *Autopsy* (1975), as Father Paul Lenox
- *The Dion Brothers* (1974), as Tony
- *Big Rose* (1974), as Ed Mills
- *The Book of Murder* (1974), as Charlie Mariette
- *Incident at Vichy* (1973), as Bayard, A Railroad Worker
- *The Streets of San Francisco* (1972), series, as Insp. Dave Lambert
- *Boxcar Bertha* (1972), as Rake Brown
- *Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me* (1971), as Gnossos "Paps" Pappadopoulis
- *Von Richthofen and Brown* (1971), as Hermann Goering
- *Puzzle of a Downfall Child* (1970), as Aaron Reinhardt
- *Medical Center* (1969), series, Actor
- *The Brotherhood* (1968), as Vido
- *The Desperate Hours* (1967), as Hank Griffin
- *The Virginian* (1962), series, as Johnny Younce

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/barry-primus