# George Dzundza
**George Dzundza** (surname pronounced "Zuhn-za") is a German-born American actor, born in 1945 in Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany, who is best known as Sergeant Max Greevey on the first season of *Law & Order* and for film roles in *The Deer Hunter* (1978), *Basic Instinct* (1992), and *Crimson Tide* (1995).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001169/) • [2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945) He immigrated to the United States in 1956 and became a naturalized citizen, and a Ukrainian-American publication has described him as a Ukrainian-American film star with Broadway experience.[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945) • [3](https://diasporiana.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/books/26965/file.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945, Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001169/) |
| Signature TV role | Detective Sergeant Max Greevey, *Law & Order* (NBC, 1990–1991); left after the first season[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945) |
| Major award | Shared best-actor honors at the 1983 Venice Film Festival for *Streamers* (six principal cast members)[4](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58138-STREAMERS) • [2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945) |
| Notable films | *The Deer Hunter* (John, 1978), *The Beast* (Daskal, 1988), *Basic Instinct* (Det. Gus Moran, 1992), *Crimson Tide* (Cob, 1995), *Dangerous Minds* (Hal Griffith, 1995)[5](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/251507-George-Dzundza) |
| Voice work | Perry White in *Superman: The Animated Series* (1996–1997); the Ventriloquist/Scarface in *Batman: The Animated Series*[6](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10477-george-dzundza?language=en-US) |
| Broadway | *Mert & Phil* (1974), *The Ritz* (1975), *Legend* (1976)[7](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/George-Dzundza/) |
| Personal | Married Mary Jo Vermeulen in 1982; three children[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001169/) |
## Early life and training
Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany, and moved to the United States with his family in 1956, later becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001169/) • [2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945) He studied speech and theater at St. John's University in Jamaica, New York, and trained as an actor with [Stella Adler](https://www.edgepedia.org/stella-adler) and Harold Clurman.[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945)
**Stage work.** His Broadway credits include *Mert & Phil* (1974), in which he played Dream Man and stood by for George and Phil, *The Ritz* (1975), where he played Abe and stood by for Gaetano Proclo and Carmine Vespucci, and *Legend* (1976), in which he played William F. P. Morgan.[7](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/George-Dzundza/)
## Film career
Dzundza's film work began in the 1970s and ran steadily for three decades. He played John in [Michael Cimino](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-cimino)'s *The Deer Hunter* (1978), a film the [American Film Institute](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-film-institute) ranks among the greatest in American cinema and which won five Academy Awards including Best Picture.[5](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/251507-George-Dzundza) • [8](https://www.afi.com/news/afi-movie-club-the-deer-hunter/) Later credits in the AFI catalog include Eugene in *Honky Tonk Freeway* (1981), Cokes in *Streamers* (1983), Captain Stemkowski in *No Mercy* (1986), Sam Hesselman in *No Way Out* (1987), Daskal in *The Beast* (1988), Lt. [Joe Morgan](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-morgan) in *Impulse* (1990), Paul Landers in *White Hunter, Black Heart* (1990), and Leo Lemke in *The Butcher's Wife* (1991).[5](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/251507-George-Dzundza)
**Streamers and Venice.** For Robert Altman's *Streamers*, which premiered at the [Venice Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/venice-film-festival) on 31 August 1983, the six principal cast members, Guy Boyd, George Dzundza, David Alan Grier, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Matthew Modine, and [Michael Wright](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-wright-actor), shared the festival's best-actor award, an honor the American Film Institute describes as unprecedented in the festival's forty-year history; the AFI account calls the award a [Golden Lion](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-lion), while Encyclopedia.com lists it as a Volpi Cup for best actor shared with others.[4](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58138-STREAMERS) • [2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945)
**1990s prominence.** In the decade after leaving *Law & Order*, Dzundza appeared in *Basic Instinct* (1992) as Detective Gus Moran opposite [Michael Douglas](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-douglas) and [Sharon Stone](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharon-stone), *Crimson Tide* (1995) as Cob, the Chief of the Boat, alongside [Denzel Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/denzel-washington) and Gene Hackman, and *Dangerous Minds* (1995) as teacher Hal Griffith opposite Michelle Pfeiffer.[5](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/251507-George-Dzundza) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001169/) He continued with *That Darn Cat* (1997), *Species II* (1998) as Colonel Burgess, *Instinct* (1999) as Dr. John Murray, *City by the Sea* (2002), and *National Lampoon's Adam & Eve* (2005), with his final listed film role as Norman in *The Chosen One* (2010).[5](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/251507-George-Dzundza) • [9](https://www.nndb.com/people/451/000064259/)
## Television
Dzundza's series roles began with Gordon Feester on *Open All Night* (ABC, 1981–1982).[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945) His most prominent part was Detective Sergeant Max Greevey, the seasoned partner of [Chris Noth](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-noth)'s Detective Mike Logan, in the first season of NBC's *Law & Order* (1990–1991); his character was the first lead detective of the series.[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945) • [10](https://lawandorder.fandom.com/wiki/George_Dzundza) His character was written out in the season two premiere, killed off screen.[11](https://www.looper.com/616631/the-real-reason-george-dzundza-left-law-and-order/)
**Why he left *Law & Order*.** Accounts of his departure differ. The Internet Movie Database's trivia entry says he left over a dispute about scheduling and script quality, noting that during the first season his wife was pregnant and he divided his time between home and New York.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001169/) The show's FAQ on the same site attributes the exit to production's move from a planned Los Angeles shoot to New York, a commute he could not commit to.[12](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098844/faq/) The Encyclopedia of Television states that he left after the first season due to conflicts over the quality of the writing.[13](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Archive-Encyclopedia-of-Television/Encyclopedia-of-Television-Vol-2.pdf) A 2003 interview, according to a later retrospective, had him say the show had moved in a direction that no longer appealed to him.[14](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/10-main-law-order-cast-170000813.html)
He went on to play [John Warner](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-warner), Sr. on *[Jesse](https://www.edgepedia.org/jesse-tv-series)* (NBC, 1998–1999), Father Tom "Grizz" Grzelak on *Hack* (CBS, 2002–2003), and Harold O'Malley on *Grey's Anatomy* (2005–2007), and appeared in *Third Watch*, *The Agency*, *October Road*, and *Stargate SG-1*.[9](https://www.nndb.com/people/451/000064259/) • [15](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-dzundza/credits/3000216641/)
**Voice acting.** Dzundza was a frequent voice performer in the DC animated universe of the 1990s: he voiced [Perry White](https://www.edgepedia.org/perry-white) in *Superman: The Animated Series* (1996–1997) and its related animated features, and in *Batman: The Animated Series* he voiced the Ventriloquist and his puppet Scarface, along with other characters.[6](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10477-george-dzundza?language=en-US) • [2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945) He also voiced Gustav Hovac in *Road Rovers* (1996) and Dr. Gregory Belson in *Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero* (1998).[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945)
## References
1. [George Dzundza, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001169/)
2. [Dzundza, George 1945–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dzundza-george-1945)
3. [Ukrainian-Americans in film (Diasporiana)](https://diasporiana.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/books/26965/file.pdf)
4. [Streamers, AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58138-STREAMERS)
5. [George Dzundza, AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/251507-George-Dzundza)
6. [George Dzundza, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10477-george-dzundza?language=en-US)
7. [George Dzundza stage credits, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/George-Dzundza/)
8. [AFI Movie Club: The Deer Hunter, American Film Institute](https://www.afi.com/news/afi-movie-club-the-deer-hunter/)
9. [George Dzundza, NNDB](https://www.nndb.com/people/451/000064259/)
10. [George Dzundza, Law & Order Fandom wiki](https://lawandorder.fandom.com/wiki/George_Dzundza)
11. [The Real Reason George Dzundza Left Law And Order, Looper](https://www.looper.com/616631/the-real-reason-george-dzundza-left-law-and-order/)
12. [Law & Order FAQ, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098844/faq/)
13. [Law & Order entry, The Encyclopedia of Television](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Archive-Encyclopedia-of-Television/Encyclopedia-of-Television-Vol-2.pdf)
14. [10 main Law & Order cast members who left the show, Yahoo](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/10-main-law-order-cast-170000813.html)
15. [George Dzundza credits, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-dzundza/credits/3000216641/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Do to Es*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license