---
name: "Martin Ferrero"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/martin-ferrero"
fi1m_id: "martin-ferrero"
imdb_id: "nm0274684"
tmdb_id: 4790
wikidata_id: "Q718338"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "29 September 1947"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-04T20:43:34.970538+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."
---

# Martin Ferrero

## Identity

Martin Ferrero

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/martin-ferrero
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** martin-ferrero
- **IMDb ID:** nm0274684
- **TMDB ID:** 4790
- **Wikidata ID:** Q718338
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Ferrero, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q718338, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0274684/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4790

Actor. Born 29 September 1947 in Brockport, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 29 September 1947, Brockport, New York, USA
- **Active:** 1988–1998
- **Also known as:** Marty Ferrero
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 52 (1), 1990s 86 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 73 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 2, Crime 2, Drama 2, Action 1, Adventure 1, Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,376m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Ferrero, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q718338, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0274684/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4790

## Streaming the US now

- **AMC+:** [*Jurassic Park*](https://film.one/film/jurassic-park.md) (91)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Get Shorty*](https://film.one/film/get-shorty.md) (82)
- **Apple TV:** [*High Spirits*](https://film.one/film/high-spirits.md) (52)

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

## Fi1m on Martin Ferrero

> Martin Ferrero makes nervous, unreliable men funny, and we value the precision he brings to small parts. His casting can be predictable; his timing gives us a reason to keep watching.

Ferrero's men often seem to have something to hide and little confidence in their ability to hide it. He makes that unease funny without asking us to find the character charming. On *Miami Vice* (1984–1989), his recurring informant Izzy Moreno speaks with a Cuban accent and gets his words wrong. Those malapropisms give Ferrero something more particular to do than simply look unreliable, and his comic timing makes the most of them.

*Jurassic Park* (1993) gives his nervousness a useful setting, with Ferrero playing the lawyer Gennaro for Steven Spielberg. We were frightened by its creatures because Spielberg first makes us want to stand and stare at them. Ferrero's haplessness supplies a human contrast, and his comic presence gives us a little relief from the suspense. The film's simplified characters are a limitation, but a supporting actor who can establish a recognisable weakness quickly is an asset here. We do not need an elaborate account of Gennaro's inner life for Ferrero to be effective.

In *Get Shorty* (1995), he plays Tommy Carlo in Barry Sonnenfeld's crime comedy, where conversations and intimidation provide most of the pleasure. It is congenial work for an actor with his small-part comic timing. We recommend the film for its cast, while finding the Hollywood jokes sometimes easy and the suspense slight. Ferrero belongs comfortably in the ensemble, though this is not a part we would use to argue that he was escaping familiar supporting work.

The clerk roles in *Planes, Trains and Automobiles* (1987) and Michael Mann's *Heat* (1995) show how readily he fitted into a film, and how narrowly his contribution could be defined. His later supporting role as Teddy in John Boorman's *The Tailor of Panama* (2001) continued a career built largely around small appearances. We would have liked more opportunities to see him outside the nervous or shifty parts. Start with *Jurassic Park*, then try *Miami Vice* for the pleasure of his mangled vocabulary.

## Biography

Martin Ferrero is an American actor. Born on 29 September 1947 in Brockport, New York, he joined the California Actors Theater in Los Gatos, California, before moving to Los Angeles in 1979 to work in film and television.

He is known for his role as Donald Gennaro in *Jurassic Park* (1993) and as Tommy Carlo in *Get Shorty* (1995). Other credits include appearances in *Planes, Trains and Automobiles* (1987), *Heat* (1995) and *The Tailor of Panama* (2001). On television he played Izzy Moreno in *Miami Vice* (1984–1989) and guest-starred in series such as *Cheers* (1982) and *The X-Files* (1993). As of 2008 he was a member of the Antaeus Company, a Los Angeles classical theatre ensemble.

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

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Gods and Monsters* (1998), Fi1m 82, as George Cukor — [page](https://film.one/film/gods-and-monsters.md)
- *Get Shorty* (1995), Fi1m 82, as Tommy Carlo — [page](https://film.one/film/get-shorty.md)
- *Heat* (1995), Fi1m 91, as Construction Clerk — [page](https://film.one/film/heat.md)
- *Jurassic Park* (1993), Fi1m 91, as Gennaro — [page](https://film.one/film/jurassic-park.md)
- *High Spirits* (1988), Fi1m 52, as Malcolm — [page](https://film.one/film/high-spirits.md)

## Complete filmography (42)

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

- *Air Bud: World Pup* (2001), as Snerbert
- *The Tailor of Panama* (2001), as Teddy
- *Ali: An American Hero* (2000), as Angelo Dundee
- *Shadows* (2000), as Benjamin
- *Gods and Monsters* (1998), as George Cukor — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/gods-and-monsters.md)
- *The Naked Man* (1998), as Sammy
- *The Practice* (1997), series, as Sam Feldberg
- *Nash Bridges* (1996), series, as Vincenzo 'Vince' Diamond
- *Heat* (1995), as Construction Clerk — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/heat.md)
- *Get Shorty* (1995), as Tommy Carlo — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/get-shorty.md)
- *The X-Files* (1993), series, as Shooter — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *Jurassic Park* (1993), as Gennaro — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/jurassic-park.md)
- *Reckless Kelly* (1993), as Ernie the Fan
- *Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot* (1992), as Paulie
- *Oscar* (1991), as Luigi Finucci
- *Dream On* (1990), series, as Dr. Falco
- *Shannon's Deal* (1990), series, as Lou Gondolf
- *Shannon's Deal* (1989), as Lou Gandolf
- *High Spirits* (1988), as Malcolm — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/high-spirits.md)
- *Planes, Trains and Automobiles* (1987), as Motel Clerk
- *The Bronx Zoo* (1987), series, Actor
- *Modern Girls* (1986), as Music Video Director
- *Crime Story* (1986), series, as Ignacio
- *Crime Story: Pilot* (1986), as Ignacio
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Julius Goldfarb
- *Band of the Hand* (1986), as Hardware Clerk (uncredited)
- *Gung Ho* (1986), as Crandall
- *Moonlighting* (1985), series, as Peter Macy — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md)
- *Miami Vice* (1984), series, as Trini DeSoto, Izzy Moreno — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md)
- *Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper* (1984), as Trini DeSoto
- *Newhart* (1982), series, as Waiter
- *Cheers* (1982), series, as The Waiter — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)
- *I Ought to Be in Pictures* (1982), as Monte Del Rey
- *Joanie Loves Chachi* (1982), series, Actor
- *Knightriders* (1981), as Bontempi
- *The Incredible Shrinking Woman* (1981), as Guard
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, Actor — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *The Ropers* (1979), series, Actor
- *Diff'rent Strokes* (1978), series, Actor
- *Alice* (1976), series, Actor
- *Happy Days* (1974), series, Actor
- *M*A*S*H* (1972), series, Actor — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/m-a-s-h-1972.md)

---
© 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/martin-ferrero