Veteran character actor Dennis Farina , best known for playing his fair share of weathered tough guys in films like " Out of Sight ," " Get Shorty ," " Midnight Run ," has died at age 69, his publicist confirmed today. A former Chicago police officer, Farina is best known to most for his portrayal of Detective Joe Fontana in NBC's long-running drama series "Law & Order." Long relegated to supporting roles, Farina experienced a late career breakthrough in 2011 with the release of Joe Maggio 's solemn character study " The Last Rites of Joe May ," starring Farina as the titular short-money hustler clinging to the belief that he has a future in the game. In an interview with Indiewire, Farina said of the role, "Every character I’ve enjoyed doing, but this was another kind of character. Everybody likes to do that. Switch it up." Following that acclaimed turn, Farina continued his great run on the small screen