Larry Manetti

Larry Manetti
PerformerTOS
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Portrays:	Giles
Date of Birth:	July 23, 1947
Date of Death:	Missing required parameter 1=month!
Age:	78
Nationality:	USA
Related Media
		@ BW Media
Official Site
IMDb profile

Larry Manetti (born July 23, 1947) is an American television actor who portrayed Lt. Giles in the earliest episodes of the Original Series. He would later be best known for his role as Orville "Rick" Wright on the Glen A. Larson and Don Bellisario's CBS series Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988).

Career

Born Lawrence Francis Manetti in Chicago, Illinois, Manetti began his acting career with the Ted Liss Players in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles in 1972 to pursue work in Hollywood. He studied at Sal Dano's acting school while securing bit parts and auditions at Universal Studios.

Manetti's television break came with a role as a young detective in the NBC series Chase (1973-1974), cast by Jack Webb. This led to his casting as Lt. Robert "Bobby" Boyle in Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-1978), working alongside mentor Robert Conrad.

Battlestar Galactica

Manetti portrayed the recurring character Lieutenant Giles, a Colonial Warrior, in five episodes of the Original Series:

• "Lost Planet of the Gods: Part 1"
• "Lost Planet of the Gods: Part 2"
• "The Lost Warrior"
• "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero: Part 1"
• "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero: Part 2"

His appearances in the series coincided with his work on Baa Baa Black Sheep during the 1978 television season.

Later Work

In 1979, Manetti starred in the short-lived series The Duke, playing bookie Joe Cadillac opposite Robert Conrad. After the show's cancellation, he was offered the choice between Simon & Simon and Magnum, P.I. In a published interview, Manetti recalled his decision: "I read the script, and said, who do you got in mind to play Magnum? They told me a guy named Tom Selleck, and I said, 'Oh Christ I'm getting on this because he's prettier than Elizabeth Taylor.'" He landed the supporting role as Rick Wright in the long-running CBS series Magnum, P.I., appearing in all but one of the show's 156 episodes over eight seasons.

Following Magnum, P.I., Manetti maintained steady television work with guest appearances on series including Quantum Leap, Walker, Texas Ranger, and JAG. He reprised similar character types in the reboots of Hawaii Five-0 (2013-2019) and Magnum P.I. (2019-2021), playing lounge singer Nicky "The Kid" Demarco in both series. His most recent television appearance was in the CBS series Blue Bloods in April 2023, where he was reunited with his longtime friend Tom Selleck.

In the TV Insider interview, Manetti publicly disclosed for the first time that he had suffered a stroke approximately seven years prior to his Blue Bloods appearance, stating: "I've never said this before in an interview, but I had a stroke seven years ago. I'm pretty capable, except that I have a very, very difficult time walking." He now uses a wheelchair, which was incorporated into his Blue Bloods character, retired police sergeant Sam Velucci.

Manetti authored Aloha Magnum: Larry Manetti's Magnum, P.I. Memories (1999), co-written with Chip Silverman, covering his career and behind-the-scenes stories from the series.

Personal Life

Manetti is married to actress Nancy DeCarl, who portrayed Slayer in the Original Series episode "The Long Patrol". The couple married on February 19, 1980, and have one son, Lorenzo Manetti, who works as a screenwriter.

Manetti maintained a close friendship with singer and actor Frank Sinatra, whom he described as being "like a father" to him. He facilitated Sinatra's 1987 guest appearance on Magnum, P.I. in the episode "Laura."

References

External Links

• Larry Manetti article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.