Robert Davi

Guest appearances

As he prepares to play a dedicated FBI agent on "Profiler," Robert Davi is reminded of a favorite quote from President John F. Kennedy -- "When power corrupts, poetry cleanses" -- which is the cornerstone of his approach to portraying a sensitive, humane hero after a career of depicting black hats.

Known for his macho roles (especially as a drug czar in the feature "License to Kill"), Davi's latest turn as an FBI agent assigned to the Investigative Support Unit allows him to show a more sensitive side. "Bailey is compassionate, dedicated and committed to truth and honesty, which I strongly relate to," says Davi. "He's a man of action, though; he likes and needs that. Crisis is a drug for him." "As far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as 'bad guys' or 'good guys'; it's all a matter of perception. They are all just human beings and I try to play them that way. As we've learned from the past, bad guys make the best good guys. Humphrey Bogart made the same transition in his 40s, and other actors such as Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Richard Boone and Robert Mitchum -- we're talking strong leading men, not boys -- started out as bad guys and made the switch to playing good guys."

Born in Astoria, N.Y., and raised in a blue-collar family on Long Island, Davi grew up with an appreciation for music and voice. While singing in a school locker room in eighth grade, Davi was overheard by a nun passing outside, who urged his mother to enter her son in competitions. He won statewide opera-singing contests, went to Italy to study with opera great Tito Gobbi in Florence, and, at 19, made his debut with the Long Island Lyric Opera.

Davi attended Hofstra University on a drama scholarship, leaving shortly before obtaining his degree to work as a waiter (in a series of temporary posts, since he was fired several times) in New York City. He aggressively sought acting work while studying with Stella Adler and at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg. In 1978, his career got a boost when he was cast in a leading role opposite Frank Sinatra in the NBC movie "Contract on Cherry Street." After the movie was completed, Davi remained in Los Angeles and appeared in the miniseries "From Here to Eternity," while racking up credits in such feature films as "Goonies," "Raw Deal," "Wild Thing" and "Die Hard" (a rare white-hat role as an FBI agent). In the 1990s, Davi's feature films included "Predator II," "Cops and Robbersons," "Wild Orchid II," "Son of the Pink Panther," "Christopher Columbus: The Discovery" and "Showgirls." He has four upcoming films: "Dogfighters," "For Which He Stands," "An Occasional Hell" and "Bad Pack." He appeared in the TV series "L.A. Law," "Hill Street Blues," "Wiseguy" (in an arc of episodes), and "The Gangster Chronicles," as well as the miniseries "Terrorist on Trial: United States vs. Salim Ajami."

In his leisure time, Davi enjoys a good cigar, riding his two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, watching old movies, collecting modern and classical art, sketching, writing, and working out. Davi and his family live in Southern California. His birthday is June 26.

Got info from NBC