Will Janowitz
American actor (born 1980)
title: "Will Janowitz" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-male-actors", "1980-births", "living-people", "place-of-birth-missing-(living-people)", "american-male-writers", "american-people-of-slovak-descent", "american-people-of-german-descent"] description: "American actor (born 1980)" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Janowitz" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American actor (born 1980) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | William Janowitz |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | New York City, New York |
| occupation | Actor, writer |
| years_active | 1999–present |
| education | University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA) |
| :: |
| name = William Janowitz | birth_date = | birth_place = New York City, New York | occupation = Actor, writer | years_active = 1999–present | other_names = | education = University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA)
William "Will" Janowitz (born May 25, 1980) is an American actor and writer for film and television. He is best known for playing Meadow Soprano's fiancé, Finn DeTrolio, on The Sopranos, Hymie Weiss on Boardwalk Empire (2012—2013), and Trevor in Bikini Moon (2017).
Early life and education
Janowitz was born on May 25, 1980, in New York City and is a first-generation American. He has Eastern European and Jewish ancestry. His mother, Katherine Sborovy, a writer, was from Bratislava, Slovakia. His father, James Janowitz, an attorney, is from Berlin, Germany. His father’s family fled to New York City after their family’s window display factory was seized by the Nazis on Kristallnacht. Will is named after his great uncle who perished in the Minsk Ghetto. Janowitz’s mother’s family were also survivors of the Holocaust and sought refuge in New York City.
Janowitz grew up on the Upper West Side in New York City. He graduated from high school at the Trevor Day School in Manhattan.
After training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2000, Janowitz began acting professionally.
Career
He worked briefly as Mary-Louise Parker's personal assistant on several film and television projects. One of his earliest film credits was a role in David Gordon Green's George Washington (2000).
In 2002, Janowitz booked a recurring role on The Sopranos as Meadow Soprano's (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) boyfriend, Finn DeTrolio. He would appear in the fifth and sixth seasons of the show, portraying a novice's perspective of the organized crime ring. Janowitz's character notably disclosed the homosexuality of Vito Spatafore (Joe Gannascoli), one of Tony Soprano's (James Gandolfini) best-earning captains.
Janowitz has appeared in various independent features, including Backseat (2005) and Bristol Boys (2006). In 2005, he appeared in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories as the voice of Donald Love.
In 2009, Janowitz joined the ensemble cast of Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock and wore a blonde wig and mustache to play Chip Monck, the festival's production designer. That same summer, he went to Marietta, Georgia, to play the role of Leo Frank in The People v. Leo Frank (2009). The film explores the life and trial of Leo Frank, an American-born Jew who was lynched in Marietta, Georgia, on August 17, 1915, after being accused of the murder of a 13-year-old girl who worked in his pencil factory.
He played a comedian in "The Good News" episode of Mad Men in 2010, razzing audience members Don Draper and Lane Pryce. In 2011 he appeared as a green Goblin in Louie C.K.’s television show, * Louie*, in the episode “Halloween/Ellie”.
From 2012—2013, Janowitz portrayed a historically ruthless Chicago mobster, Hymie Weiss, on Boardwalk Empire.
In 2014, Janowitz played the character Alex in the film H., directed by Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia and set in Troy, NY. The film revolves around the aftermath of an apparent meteor strike. H. premiered at the 71st Venice International Film Festival and went on to play at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Janowitz also appeared in the Broad City episode "Destination Wedding". Janowitz played the ghost of a Confederate soldier named Josiah in The Heart, She Holler(2014). He played Chef Christopher in the Deadbeat (2015) episode "Table for Sue".
In the American Experience episode “Murder of a President” (2016), Janowitz depicted Charles J. Guiteau, who shot and killed President James A. Garfield.
In 2016, Janowitz portrayed Steve in the film Little Boxes, which follows a family moving from the city life of Brooklyn to a small town in Washington state. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2016. He also appeared as the character Ralph in Youth in Oregon which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival as well.
On the T.V. series Gotham, Janowitz plays an informant named Wally Clarke. In the episode "Hog Day Afternoon" (2017) Janowtiz gives Gordon (Ben McKenzie) a tip, saying he retrieved pigs from a butcher and left them for a man known as the "Professor".
Janowitz took the role of mentor in the character Tony, a manager of a bowling alley in the coming-of-age story CRSHD (2019). Directed by Emily Cohn, CRSHD premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.
In 2019, Janowitz portrayed Mark Rollins in the Chicago P.D. episode “Brotherhood”. He played David Fallon on FBI: Most Wanted in the 2020 episode "Grudge".
Janowitz co-wrote and portrayed a priest in the Chris Pine production Doula (2022).
In the meta-film comedy short Proof of Concept (2023), Janowitz acted alongside Richard Kind. It premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
In 2025, Janowitz earned an Academy Award nomination as one of the producers of the film Train Dreams.
Filmography
Film
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Terror Firmer | Partier | |
| 2000 | George Washington | Railroad Worker | |
| 2004 | Press Gang | Derrick | Short |
| 2005 | Backseat | Frankie | |
| David & Layla | Woody Fine | ||
| 2006 | Bristol Boys | Corey | |
| 2007 | Bed Head | Will | Short |
| Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe | East European Lab Assistant | ||
| Gnome | Gnome | Short | |
| 2009 | The People v. Leo Frank | Leo Frank | |
| Taking Woodstock | Chip Monck | ||
| Two Birds | The Other Man | Short | |
| 2010 | John Sharnhorst | John Sharnhorst | Short |
| 2012 | Bottle Poppaz | DJ Lava | Short |
| Exposed | Alexi Krustonovich | ||
| Ex-Girlfriends | Matt | ||
| 2013 | B-Side | Evan | |
| The Volunteer | Joe | ||
| Junkie Doctors | Andersen Stevenson | Short | |
| 2014 | Google Comes to Collect | Short | |
| H. | Alex | ||
| 2015 | Lucky and the Long Walk Home | Turkey | Short |
| 2016 | Little Boxes | Steve | |
| Youth in Oregon | Ralph | ||
| Puppy Love | James | Short | |
| 2017 | Bikini Moon | Trevor | |
| Troll | Noah | Short | |
| 2019 | Balk | Rob | Short |
| Pitcher/Catcher | Valentine | Short | |
| Crshd | Tony | ||
| 2020 | The Ride | Cole | Short |
| 2022 | Doula | The Priest | |
| 2023 | Proof of Concept | Eddie Cohen | Short |
| :: |
Television
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Law & Order | Bill Horton | Episode: "Slaughter" |
| 2002–06 | The Sopranos | Finn DeTrolio | Recurring Cast: Seasons 4-6 |
| 2004 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Rico | Episode: "Shrink-Wrapped" |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jacob Green | Episode: "Vanishing Act" |
| 2009 | Law & Order | Cal | Episode: "Skate or Die" |
| 2010 | Mad Men | Comedian | Episode: "The Good News" |
| 2011 | Louie | Goblin | Episode: "Halloween/Ellie" |
| 2012–13 | Boardwalk Empire | Hymie Weiss | Guest: Season 3, Recurring Cast: Season 4 |
| 2013 | Inside Amy Schumer | Sam | Episode: "Clown Panties" |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Officer Scott Graver | Episode: "Military Justice" | |
| 2014 | Broad City | Will | Episode: "Destination Wedding" |
| The Heart, She Holler | Josiah | Episode: "Groaning Amore" | |
| 2015 | Deadbeat | Chef Christopher | Episode: "Table for Sue" |
| 2016 | American Experience | Charles J. Guiteau | Episode: "Murder of a President" |
| Netflix Presents: The Characters | Jeremiah | Episode: "Paul W. Downs" | |
| The Night Of | Dr. Ross | Episode: "Ordinary Death" | |
| The Daily Show | Doug Bailey | Episode: "Common" | |
| 2017 | Gotham | Wally Clarke | Episode: "Hog Day Afternoon" |
| 2019 | Chicago P.D. | Mark Rollins | Episode: "Brotherhood" |
| 2020 | FBI: Most Wanted | David Fallon | Episode: "Grudge" |
| 2024 | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Eric Bonner | 2 episodes |
| :: |
Video Games
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | Donald Love (voice) |
| 2008 | Grand Theft Auto IV | The Crowd of Liberty City (voice) |
| Midnight Club: Los Angeles | Julian (voice) | |
| :: |
References
References
- (May 16, 2004). "MOB GALS, AND GUYS, WANT FINN et al".
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