Nick Sandow
Biography
Nick Sandow (born August 3, 1966) is an American character actor, writer, producer and director, best known for his role as Joe Caputo in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). Of Italian descent, Sandow grew up in the Italian neighborhood of Van Nest in the Bronx.He moved to Manhattan around age 19 to study acting under William Esper Studio in the Two-Year Professional Actor Training Program and work in theater. Sandow made his debut appearing in an episode of television series Law & Order in 1992 and worked as a bartender while taking small acting jobs in New York City. He appeared in a number of films, such as Grind (1997), A Brooklyn State of Mind (1998), Return to Paradise (1998) and On the Run (1999). Sandow performed in the 1999 off-Broadway production of Halfway Home. He played mobster Henry Hill in the 2001 made-for-television crime drama film, The Big Heist. Sandow guest-starred on New York Undercover, Third Watch, NYPD Blue, Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, How to Make It in America and Blue Bloods. He began his directing career in theater on Off-Off-Broadway directing Dark Yellow, Chicken and From Riverdale to Riverhead. In 2011 he directed the immigrant drama film, Ponies based on play with the same name. In 2013, Sandow was cast in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black, as prison administrator Joe Caputo, was originally supposed to have been for a handful of episodes for the show's first season. Instead, his role was expanded during the second season, and Sandow was made a series regular with the start of the third season. He received three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series with the cast. In 2015 he wrote, directed and acted in The Wannabe. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and later got a wider release. In 2017 he received News and Documentary Emmy Awards nomination for producing the documentary series, Time: The Kalief Browder Story. In 2021 he was regular cast member in the short-lived CBS crime drama series, Clarice.
Movie Appearances
Swimfan
as Detective John Zabel
2002
The Unheard
as Hank
2023
The Accidental Husband
as Larry
2008
Spinning Gold
as Mo Ostin
2023
Plan B
as Tommy
2002
The Hungry Ghosts
as Gus
2009
The Day the Ponies Come Back
as Joey
2001
The Big Heist
as Henry Hill
2001
Uninvited
as Ed
2000
No Looking Back
as Goldie
1998
New Port South
as Armstrong
2001
Grind
as Lenny
1997
The Cold Lands
as Foreman
2013
On the Run
as Jack
1999
No Exit
as Benny Lentini
1996
Patti Cake$
as Ray
2017
Connie and Carla
as Al
2004
The Wannabe
as Anthony
2015
Resurrecting the Champ
as Marciano
2007
Houses
as Nick
2015
TV Appearances
Orange Is the New Black
as Joe Caputo
2013
Blue Bloods
as Lt. Alex Bello
2010
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
as Roydell Getty
2001
Unforgettable
as William 'Bud' Spence
2011
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Ted McCormack
1999
Law & Order
as Pete Pogosian
1990
Law & Order
as Bail Agent Andy Grenada
1990
Due South
as Barry Pappas
1994
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Doug Kersten
1999
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
as Albert Kirkoff
2001
Clarice
as Murray Clarke
2021
Third Watch
as Joe Lombardo
1999