Philip L. Casnoff was born on August 3, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His first appearance was in the ABC mystery/soap opera television The Edge of Night as Brian Murdock in (1984). He guest starred on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live as Rob Riviera in (1990). He broke out in film co-starring in the Japanese space opera film Message from Space as Aaron opposite actor Vic Morrow and actor Sonny Chiba in (1978). He exercised his comedic acting chops as Bergman in the comedy Gorp opposite Actress Fran Drescher, actor Dennis Quaid and Actress Rosanna Arquette in (1980). His next film role was minor as Ricardo Bauma in the psychological slasher film Christmas Evil in (1980).He returned to television in the PBS anthology series American Playhouse a televised theatrical production of various plays featured in King of America in (1982).He guest starred on the NBC television series Remington Steele as Ben Pearson in (1982).He appeared on the short-lived ABC soap opera The Hamptons as David Landau in (1983).He appeared in the CBS miniseries George Washington as Lafayette opposite actor Barry Bostwick in (1984).He did an ABC Afterschool Special as Harvey Schmidt in (1984). The special focused on an aspiring teenager Lisa (played by Actress Terry Donahoe), a Dancer, who gets the chance to try out for a dance troupe, but her fear of failure almost keeps her from auditioning.He guest starred on syndicated anthology/horror series Tales from the DarkSide as Chris Wood narrated by George A. Romero episode "Slippage" in (1984).He appeared on the short-lived CBS crime/drama-comedy series Crazy Like a Fox as Gino opposite actors Jack Warden and John Rubinstein in (1985).He gained recognition for his role as Major Elkanah Bent on the ABC television miniseries North and South based on the John Jakes novel opposite actor Patrick Swayze from (1985-1994).
He got the supporting role of Lieutenant Guilford, a southern Navy officer and spy hunter in the TNT made-for-television film Ironclads opposite Actress Virginia Madsen and actor Alex Hyde-White in (1991).Having become an established supporting actor, he earned his first ever starring role, in the CBS biographical television miniseries Sinatra as the title character singer Frank Sinatra opposite Oscar-winning Actress Olympia Dukakis in (1992). The series earned him further recognition for his acting talents even gaining attention from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association snagging a Golden Globe award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his performance - a first throughout Casanoff's acting career.He returned to the big screen in the romantic comedy/drama film Jersey Girl as Mitchell opposite Actress Jami Gertz and actor Dylan McDermott in (1992).He had a minor role as Detective Battaglia in the crime/drama film Saints and Sinners in (1994).He returned to television in the short-lived CBS police drama series Under Suspicion in the recurring role as Internal Affairs Sergeant Jimmy Vitelli opposite Actress Karen Sillas in (1994-1995).He guest starred on the CBS medical/drama television series Chicago Hope as Paul Accosta episode "Chrismas Truce" (1995).He guest starred on the CBS sitcom The Nanny as Cantor Gary Isaacs re-teaming with Actress Fran Drescher episode "The Cantor Show" in (1996).He guest starred on the NBC sitcom Wings as Eric episode "Too Beautiful for You" in (1996).He guest starred on the CBS drama series Promise Land as Bill Carter opposite actor Gerald McRaney episode "Little Girl Lost" in (1996).He co-starred in the Lifetime made-for-television movie Little Girls in Pretty Boxes as Greg Radkin based on the novel by Joan Ryan. It portrayed a fictionalized account of a teenage girl whose family relocates to Los Angeles, California to pursue Olympic Gold with a difficult coach and rigorous schedule, drawing on many of the stories Ryan recounts in the book.He guest starred on the British/Canadian Sci-Fi Channel horror/anthology series The Hunger as william Cobb episode "Necros" in (1997) presented by actor Terence Stamp in (1997).He appeared in the ABC made-for-television film Tempting Fate as Dr. Bardwell starring actor Tate Donovan in (1998).He returned to the big screen in a minor role as Kennedy in the romantic comedy film How Stella Got Her Groove Back starring Actress Angela Bassett in (1998).He had another minor role as Cortez, IBI Chef in the CBS sci-fi/action made-for-television film Chameleon starring actor Bobbie Phillips in (1998).He made a guest appearance on the NBC medical drama series ER as Dr. Dan Litvak episode "Masquerade" opposite actor George Clooney in (1998).He guest starred on the short-lived ABC revival drama series Fantasy Island episode "Innocent" starring actor Malcolm McDowell in (1999).He made a guest appearance on the ABC legal drama series The Practice as Danny Rogers episode "Of Human Bondage" re-teaming with actor Dylan McDermott in (1999).He guest starred on the CBS crime/action series Walker, Texas Ranger as Harris episode "Livegirls.now" starring actor Chuck Norris in (1999).He made a guest appearance on the CBS comedy/mystery/medical/crime-drama series Diagnosis Murder as Grant Conner episode "The Seven Deadly Sins" starring actor Dick Van Dyke in (1999).He made his third return to television on the HBO drama series Oz in the recurring role of Nikolai Stanislofsky from (1999-2000).
He married Actress Roxanne Hart in 1983, and the couple have two sons Alexander Casnoff (b. 1988), and Macklin McKee Casnoff (b. November 29, 1992).
He co-starred as Al Glasser in the CBS made-for-television film For All Time opposite actor Mark Harmon and Actress Mary McDonnell in (2000).He made his fourth successful return to television landing the recurring role of Chief of Staff Dr. Robert Jackson on the Lifetime medical drama series Strong Medicine starring Actress Rosa Blasi from (2000-2006). He made a guest appearance on the NBC police procedural/legal drama spin-off series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Ilya Korska episode "Pixies" starring actor Christopher Meloni and Actress Mariska Hargitay in (2001).He co-starred as Jack Stanton in the sequel CBS made-for-television action film The President's Man: A Line in the Sand re-teaming with Chuck Norris in (2002).He guest starred on NBC's sitcom Frasier as Dr. Bernard Gadston episode "War of the Words" starring actor Kelsey Grammer in (2002).He guest starred on the NBC police procedural/legal drama series Law & Order as Bill Talbot episode "Slaughter" starring actors Jerry Orbach and Sam Waterston in (2002).He made a guest appearance on the NBC spin-off legal drama Law & Order: Trial by Jury as A.D.A. (Assistant District Attorney) Nick Forster episode "The Line" starring Actress Bebe Neuwirth in (2005).He returned to film with a supporting role as Victor Marchetta in the teen comedy film Material Girls starring actresses Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff in (2006).He made a guest appearance on the CBS police procedural/drama series Without a Trace as Donald Clarence episode "Candy" starring actor Anthony LaPaglia in (2006).He guest starred on the CBS police procedural/drama series Numb3rs as Maurice Conners episode "Longshot" starring actor Rob Morrow in (2006). He made a guest appearance on the NBC crime/drama series Crossing Jordan as Dr. Sanchez episode "Sleeping Beauty" starring Actress Jill Hennessy in (2006).He got a supporting role in the final installment of the Hallmark made-for-television movie series Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder starring Actress Lea Thompson in (2008).He landed a recurring role in the Fox sci-fi television series Dollhouse as Clive Ambrose for three episodes starring Actress Eliza Dushku from (2009-2010).
He guest starred on the CBS police procedural/crime-drama series Criminal Minds as James Stanworth episode "25 to Life" starring actor Joe Mantegna in (2010).He guest starring on the spin-off police procedural/legal drama series Law & Order: LA as 'Bo' the (ICE) U.S. Immigration & Custom's Enforcement Attorney episode "Zuma Canyon" starring actor Skeet Ulrich (2011).He guest starred on the ABC legal drama The Whole Truth re-teaming with Rob Marrow in (2011).He got the recurring role of Sean Latham on CBS spin-off action/police procedural series NCIS (Naval Crime Investigation Service) for two episodes starring actor Mark Harmon from (2011-2012).He guest starred on the CBS procedural forensic crime/drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Jonah Clyborn episode "Seeing Red" starring actor Ted Danson (2012).He made a guest appearance on the TNT comedy/drama series Franklin & Bash as Glenn Friedman episode "Viper" starring actors Brekin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar in (2012).He guest starred on ABC's medical drama series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Mel Barnett episode "Going, Going, Gone" starring Actress Ellen Pompeo in (2012).He got a recurring role in the ABC drama series Lucky 7 as Charlie for two episodes starring Actress Summer Bishil in (2013).He guest starred on the TNT crime/drama series Perception as Gordon Williams episode "Obsession" starring actor Eric McCormack in (2014).He made a guest appearance on the Fox comedy/horror series Scream Queens as Steven Munsch episode "Beware of Young Girls" starring Actress Emma Roberts in (2015).He returned to the big screen in the drama/mystery short film Harvey's Dream based on the short story by author Stephen King starring opposite Casnoff's wife Roxanne Hart in (2016).He guest stars on the CBS procedural drama Elementary as Jack McGill episode "To Catch a Predator Predator" starring actor Jonny Lee Miller in (2016).He makes a guest appearance on the Showtime spy thriller series Homeland as Christopher episode "America First" starring Actress Claire Danes in (2017).He guest stars on the NBC police procedural series Chicago P.D. as Mr. Dowd episode "Grasping for Salvation" starring actor Jason Beghe in (2017).He is cast in the recurring role of Ezra Weiss on the comedy/streaming Amazon Video series One Mississippi for two episodes starring actor Tig Notaro in (2017).He returns to the big screen in the supporting role of Chalmers Roberts in the historical drama film The Post directed by Steven Spielberg opposite Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and Actress Meryl Streep in (2017).
