Biography
An actor who consistently showcases his talent in the world of film and television. Last year he starred in some high-profile projects. He reprised his original role as Keith Mars, father of the title character Veronica Mars, in Hulu’s mega popular revival series. Then, he appeared as Bill Isler, former President & CEO of The Mr. (Fred) Rogers Company opposite Tom Hanks in the critically acclaimed Sony feature, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. He recently wrapped the family dance drama Feel The Beat for Netflix. Also upcoming is Kill Chain, opposite Nicolas Cage. He has also created some iconic roles including Mathesar, leader of the Thermians in the sci-fi comedy hit Galaxy Quest, and womanizing photographer Elliot DiMauro in the long-running NBC sitcom “Just Shoot Me.” Colantoni received a 2019 Canadian Screen Award nomination for Guest Actor/Drama in “Travelers,” and has recently appeared in series like “The Good Fight,” “Madam Secretary,” “iZombie,” “Hot in Cleveland,” “Warehouse 13” and “American Gothic.” He also starred on the CBS series “Flashpoint,” the telefilm “House of Versace,” Tom Hanks’ produced miniseries “The Kennedy’s,” (where he portrayed J. Edgar Hoover) and “Bad Blood,” the six-part Netflix series based on the best-selling book Business of Blood: Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto’s Last War. On the big screen, he has appeared in films such as Stigmata, opposite Patricia Arquette, Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence and the Stephen Soderbergh thriller Contagion – which reunited him with his Full Frontal director. Colantoni has also enjoyed success as a writer/director with two short films – The Bike and Issues – the latter of which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. He also directed two episodes of “iZombie” after appearing on the show. Colantoni has an illustrious theatre background as well, after graduating from the Yale School of Drama, where he received their prestigious Carol Dye Award. His theatre credits include the premiere Neil LaBute’s The Distance from Here at the Almeida in London, The Merry Wives of Windsor at the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Delacorte Theater in Central Park, Arabian Nights at the Manhattan Theatre Club, The Triumph of Love at the Guthrie Theatre and Dracula at San Diego’s famed Old Globe Theatre. He also played the title role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth at the Matrix Theater and Uncle Vanya at the Lillian Theatre in Los Angeles. Born in Toronto to Italian immigrant workers, Colantoni remains loyal to his roots as an avid fan of both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Italian food. During his time on “Flashpoint,” he became very involved with the stories of first responders and has given his time to the cause, including working with the charity Heroes Are Human, which helped and educated those everyday heroes in dealing with PTSD. He also produced a documentary called The Other Side of the Hero about the same topic.
