Anthony Denison
A character actor with a weathered presence who found his defining role as a ruthless mobster on a groundbreaking cable drama.
Born 1949 (age 77)·American actor·Birthday: September 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Anthony Denison built a career on a specific kind of American grit. With a face that suggested hard-won experience, he moved from stage work in New York to a steady stream of television and film roles, often playing cops, soldiers, and figures operating on the edge of the law. His breakthrough came not as a hero, but as a villain: the volatile and ambitious mobster Ray Luca on the pioneering crime series 'Crime Story'. This role cemented his ability to project both menace and a twisted charisma. He later became a familiar face to a new generation as Lieutenant Andy Flynn on TNT's long-running procedural 'The Closer' and its spin-off 'Major Crimes', playing a seasoned, sometimes cynical detective with a loyal heart beneath a rough exterior. Denison's path is that of a durable character actor who earned his stripes and audience recognition one compelling, often morally complex, role at a time.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Anthony was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the memorably brutal mobster Ray Luca on the influential 1980s television series 'Crime Story'.
- Played Lieutenant Andy Flynn across 13 seasons of the hit TNT dramas 'The Closer' and 'Major Crimes'.
- Appeared in a wide range of film roles, including in the cult comedy 'The Last Don' and the thriller 'Extreme Justice'.
Did You Know?
He was born Anthony John Sarrero but adopted the stage name 'Denison' early in his career.
Denison served in the United States Marine Corps before pursuing acting.
He is a dedicated advocate for animal welfare and has worked with several rescue organizations.
“You can't play a gangster unless you understand the loneliness.”
