Conrad Dunn is an American actor. He began his screen career with the
role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes (1981). Working for some ten
years under the name George Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom in
Days of Our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved
from bad guy to romantic lead. He returned to the name Conrad Dunn and
began working extensively in Canadian as well as U.S. film and
television. He excels as a villain, and has found depth in such TV
films as We the Jury (1996) and the miniseries The Last Don
(1997â€"1998). For two seasons he portrayed the freelance detective
Saul Panzer in the A&E TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery
(2001â€"2002).Born and raised in Los Angeles,:31 Conrad Dunn studied
at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts-Los Angeles and with Stella
Adler in New York. After seeing him on the stage, a casting director
asked him to read for the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes
(1981), his first feature film.[a] His introductory speech, described
by one reviewer as "Conrad Dunn's adroit tribute to Travis Bickle",
was singled out by film critic Roger Ebert: "The movie has especially
good writing in several scenes. My favorite comes near the beginning,
during a session when recruits in the new platoon get to know one
another. One obviously psycho draftee, who looks like Robert De Niro,
quietly announces that if his fellow soldiers touch him, touch his
stuff, or interfere in any way with his person or his privacy, he will
quite simply be forced to kill them." The response from drill sergeant
Warren Oatesâ€""Lighten up, Francis"â€"became a popular movie
quote.Taking the name George Jenesky, Dunn performed over seven
seasons (1981â€"1990) in the NBC daytime soap opera, Days of Our
Lives. His character, Nick Corelli, became a fan favorite, a
despicable pimp who evolved into a romantic lead and one of the show's
main characters.:34, 36:71, 191 Nick's murder was one of the series'
notable whodunits.:146â€"149Dunn had his own theatre company, and his
stage credits include a 1994 production of Edward Albee's The Zoo
Story simultaneously performed in American Sign Language.
"Notwithstanding the value of bringing this important work to a
non-hearing audience, the energy of the gestures generated by the
actors actually underscores the emotional impact of their fateful
encounter," wrote Variety.
role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes (1981). Working for some ten
years under the name George Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom in
Days of Our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved
from bad guy to romantic lead. He returned to the name Conrad Dunn and
began working extensively in Canadian as well as U.S. film and
television. He excels as a villain, and has found depth in such TV
films as We the Jury (1996) and the miniseries The Last Don
(1997â€"1998). For two seasons he portrayed the freelance detective
Saul Panzer in the A&E TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery
(2001â€"2002).Born and raised in Los Angeles,:31 Conrad Dunn studied
at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts-Los Angeles and with Stella
Adler in New York. After seeing him on the stage, a casting director
asked him to read for the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes
(1981), his first feature film.[a] His introductory speech, described
by one reviewer as "Conrad Dunn's adroit tribute to Travis Bickle",
was singled out by film critic Roger Ebert: "The movie has especially
good writing in several scenes. My favorite comes near the beginning,
during a session when recruits in the new platoon get to know one
another. One obviously psycho draftee, who looks like Robert De Niro,
quietly announces that if his fellow soldiers touch him, touch his
stuff, or interfere in any way with his person or his privacy, he will
quite simply be forced to kill them." The response from drill sergeant
Warren Oatesâ€""Lighten up, Francis"â€"became a popular movie
quote.Taking the name George Jenesky, Dunn performed over seven
seasons (1981â€"1990) in the NBC daytime soap opera, Days of Our
Lives. His character, Nick Corelli, became a fan favorite, a
despicable pimp who evolved into a romantic lead and one of the show's
main characters.:34, 36:71, 191 Nick's murder was one of the series'
notable whodunits.:146â€"149Dunn had his own theatre company, and his
stage credits include a 1994 production of Edward Albee's The Zoo
Story simultaneously performed in American Sign Language.
"Notwithstanding the value of bringing this important work to a
non-hearing audience, the energy of the gestures generated by the
actors actually underscores the emotional impact of their fateful
encounter," wrote Variety.
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