Philip Casnoff
Philip Casnoff (born August 3, 1949) is an American actor and director, known for his roles in TV series and on Broadway. He is probably best known for his portrayal of the sadistic, egomaniacal antagonist Elkanah Bent in the miniseries North and South.
Philip Casnoff
- Name
- Philip Casnoff
- Born
- 3 August 1949
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Education
- Central High School (1967)
- Occupation
- Actordirector
- Known for
- Televisionfilmtheater
- Spouse
- Roxanne Hart (m. 1984)
- Nationality
- United States.
- Honours
- Theatre World Award.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
Philip Casnoff (born August 3, 1949) is an American actor and director, known for his roles in TV series and on Broadway. He is probably best known for his portrayal of the sadistic, egomaniacal antagonist Elkanah Bent in the miniseries North and South.
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Note VALÉORINE
Philip Casnoff (born 1949) is an American actor, film actor and film director, among other activities. The actor was born in Philadelphia. Philip Casnoff studied at Wesleyan University.
Languages used include English. The actor received Theatre World Award.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Philip Casnoff • Born — 3 August 1949 • Birthplace — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. • Education — Central High School (1967) • Alma Mater — Wesleyan University • Occupation — Actordirector • Years Active — 1978-present • Known for — Televisionfilmtheater • Spouse — Roxanne Hart (m. 1984) • Children — 2
Early life and education
Early life and education
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 3, 1949, Philip Casnoff graduated in the 226th Class from Central High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1967, and later from Wesleyan University, where he first caught the acting bug.
Personal life
Personal life
Casnoff married actress Roxanne Hart. They have two sons.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1982 — American Playhouse — unknown — Episode: "King of America" • The Renegades — Dancer — Television Movie • Remington Steele — Ben Pearson — Episode: "License to Steele" Credited as Philip Sanoff • 1983 — The Hamptons — David Landau — Episode: "#1.1" • 1984 — George Washington — Lafayette — Television Miniseries Episode: "#1.1" • ABC Afterschool Special — Harvey Schmidt — Episode: "Out of Step" • The Edge of Night — Brian Murdock — 33 Episodes • Tales from the Darkside — Chris Wood — Episode: "Slippage" • 1985 — Crazy Like a Fox — Gino — Episode: "Bum Tip" • 1985 — North and South: Book I — Major Elkanah Bent — Television Miniseries (8 Episodes) • 1986 — North and South: Book II • 1987 — Hands of a Stranger — Marty Loftus — Television Movie • 1988 — The Red Spider — Detective Patrick Shaunessy — Television Movie • 1990 — One Life to Live — Rob Riviera — 5 Episodes • 1991 — Ironclads — Lieutenant Guilford — Television Movie • Red Wind — Charlie Lapidus — Television Movie • 1992 — Sinatra — Frank Sinatra — Television Miniseries (4 Episodes) Nominated – American Television Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television • 1994 — North and South: Book III — Elkanah Bent — Television Miniseries (3 Episodes) • 1994–1995 — Under Suspicion — Internal Affairs Detective James Vitelli — Series Regular (18 Episodes) • 1995 — Sisters — Jack Chambers — 3 Episodes • Zoya — Simon Hirsch — Television Movie • Chicago Hope — Paul Accosta — Episode: "Christmas Truce" • 1996 — Special Report: Journey to Mars — Nick Van Pelt — Television Movie • The Nanny — Cantor Gary Isaacs — Episode: "The Cantor Show" Performer: "Bayom Hahu" and "Change My Mind" • Wings — Eric — Episode: "Too Beautiful for You" • Promise Land — Bill Carter — Episode: "Little Girl Lost" • 1997 — Little Girls in Pretty Boxes — Greg Radkin — Television Movie • The Hunger — William Cobb — Episode: "Necros" • 1998 — Blood in Her Hands — Richard Davis — Television Movie • Players — John Fellowes — Episode: "Con-spiracy" • Tempting Fate — Richard Davis — Television Movie • Chameleon — Cortez, IBI Chief — Television Movie • The Defenders: Taking the First — John Walker — Television Movie • ER — Dr. Dan Litvak — Episode: "Masquerade" • 1999 — Fantasy Island — unknown — Episode: "Innocent" • The Practice — Danny Rogers — Episode: "Of Human Bondage" • Walker, Texas Ranger — Harris — Episode: "Livegirls.now" • Diagnosis Murder — Grant Connor — Episode: The Seven Deadly Sins" • 1999–2000 — Oz — Nikolai Stanislofsky — Recurring Role (13 Episodes) • 2000 — Chicken Soup for the Soul — unknown — Episode: "14 Steps/Damaged Goods/Ballerina Dreams" • Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye — Mackey, Dusin's Boss — Television Movie • For All Time — Al Glasser — Television Movie • 2000–2005 — Strong Medicine — Chief of Staff Dr. Robert Jackson — Recurring Role (108 Episodes) Director (8 Episodes) • 2001 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Ilya Korska — Episode: "Pixies" • 2002 — The President's Man: A Line in the Sand — Jack Santon — Television Movie • Frasier — Dr. Bernard Gadston — Episode: "War of the Words" • Law & Order — Bill Talbot — Episode: "Slaughter" • 2005 — Law & Order: Trial by Jury — Assistant District Attorney Nick Forster — Episode: "The Line" • 2005–2006 — Monk — Director (2 Episodes) • 2006 — Without a Trace — Donald Clarence — Episode: "Candy" • Numb3rs — Maurice Connors — Episode: "Longshot" • 2007 — Crossing Jordan — Dr. Sanchez — Episode: "Sleeping Beauty" • 2008 — Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder — Lance Saxon — Television Movie • 2009–2010 — Dollhouse — Clive Ambrose — 3 Episodes • 2010 — Criminal Minds — James Stanworth — Episode: "25 to Life" • 2011 — Law & Order: LA — Bo — Episode: "Zuma Canyon" • Field of Vision — Kenny McFarland — Television Movie • The Whole Truth — unknown — Episode: "The End" • 2011–2012 — NCIS — Sean Latham — 2 Episodes • 2012 — CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Jonah Clyborn — Episode: "Seeing Red" • Franklin & Bash — Gleen Friedman — Episode: "Viper" • Grey's Anatomy — Dr. Mel Barnett — Episode: "Going, Going, Gone" • 2013 — Lucky 7 — Charlie — 2 Episodes • 2014 — Perception — Gordon Williams — Episode: "Obsession" • 2015 — Scream Queens — Steven Munsch — Episode: "Beware of Young Girls" • 2016 — Elementary — Jack McGill — Episode: "To Catch a Predator Predator" • 2017 — Homeland — Christopher — Episode: "America First" • Chicago P.D. — Mr. Dowd — Episode: "Grassing for Salvation" • One Mississippi — Ezra Weiss — Web Series (2 Episodes) • 2018 — Madam Secretary — Judge Nathan Mayfield — Episode: "Family Separation: Part 1"
Stage
Stage
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1972–1980 — Grease — Teen Angel / Johnny Casino u/s Danny Zuko (replacement) — Royal Theatre 20 Performances • 1976 — Rockabye Hamlet — Hamlet / Laertes (standby) — Minskoff Theatre 7 Performances • 1988 — Chess — Frederick "Freddie" Trumper, The American — Broadway – Imperial Theatre 68 Performances Theatre World Award • 1988–1989 — The Devil's Disciple — unknown role (replaced Richard Dudgeon) — Circle in the Square Theatre • 1989 — Up Against It — Ian McTurk — Off-Broadway – Joseph Papp Public Theater/ LuEsther Hall 16 Performances • 1990 — Shogun: The Musical — John Blackthorne — Broadway – Marquis Theatre 72 Performances • 2007 — Chicago — Billy Flynn (replacement) — Richard Rodgers Theatre
Singles
Singles
• Year — Title — Album • 1988 — "Freddie's Entrance" — Chess • "Argument" (with Judy Kuhn) • "The American and Florence" (with Judy Kuhn) • "One Night in Bangkok" (and Ensemble) • "Who'd Ever Think It?" • "Winning" (with Dennis Parlato) • "Freddie Goes Metal" • "Pity the Child" • "Endgame" (with Paul Harman, Kurt Johns, Kip Niven, David Carroll and Ensemble)
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1978 — Message from Space — Aaron — film debut • 1980 — Gorp — Bergman • 1980 — Christmas Evil — Ricardo Bauma • 1992 — Jersey Girl — Mitchell • 1994 — Saints and Sinners — Detective Battaglia • 1994 — Temptation — Michael Reddick • 1998 — How Stella Got Her Groove Back — Kennedy • 2006 — Material Girls — Victor Marchetta • 2010 — Mineville — Mr. Johnson — also Associate Producer • 2011 — Grace Face — Steve — Short Film • 2013 — Sex & Marriage — Rosen — Direct-to-Video • 2015 — Ted 2 — Playstation Owner — uncredited • Sight Unseen — Rusty Sampson • 2016 — Harvey's Dream — Short Film Nominated – Sanford International Film Festival Award for Best Acting Duo (shared with Roxanna Hart) • 2017 — The Post — Chalmers Roberts • 2023 — Rachel Hendrix — Jerry Rorty
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Lipton, Michael A. Ring-a-Ding Ringer. People.com. 1992-11-09.
- 2.Nbrmp.org. Summer 2008: Fox/MGM.
- 3.Willis, John (1994). Theatre World 1991-1992. New York: Applause Theatre Books. p. 207. . "Born August 3, 1949, in Philadelphia, PA. Graduate Wesleyan U. Debut 1978 OB in Gimme Shelter, followed by Chincilla, King of Schnorrers, Mary Stuart, Henry IV, Marathon '89, Up Against It. Bdwy in Grease (1973), Chess for which he received a Theatre World Award, Devil's Disciple, Shogun."
- 4.Notable Alumni – Central High School. centralhs.philasd.org.
- 5.Norborn, Mary Ann (May 5, 1986). "The dastardly duo: Philip Casnoff, a 'North and South' sinner". USA Today. p. 3D. Retrieved April 23, 2025. "A native of Philadelphia, Casnoff began acting while a student at Connecticut's Wesleyan University. "It was my dad's plan that I become a doctor. That's what he wanted for himself before World War II interfered," says Casnoff. [...] CASNOFF: For the role of North and South heavy Elkanah Bent, he remembered a professor he didn't like. As for Elkanah's affair with Ashton (Terri Garber), 'There is a sickness to their passion.'"
- 6.Miller, Bruce R. Now producers cry, 'We gotta have Hart'. The Sioux City Journal. A 8. May 16, 1986.
- 7.Lavin, Cheryl. Hart Fond Of Hot Fudge Marshmallow Sundaes. Daily Gleaner. Leisure 2. August 18, 1995.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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- Philip Daniel BoldenPerson
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