larry manetti

Larry Manetti was born on July 23, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He began his acting career studying with the Ted Liss Players in Chicago. His early television work included a role as a young detective in Jack Webb’s series ‘Chase’ (1973–1974). His career progressed with a notable role as First Lieutenant Robert A. “Bobby” Boyle in ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ (1976–1978), where he co-starred with Robert Conrad. Following this, he took on the role of a bookie in the NBC series ‘The Duke’ (1979), also featuring Conrad.

Manetti’s most recognized role came as Orville Wilbur Richard “Rick” Wright in the CBS television series ‘Magnum, P.I.’, which spanned eight years from 1980 to 1988. During this period, he appeared in nearly all 156 episodes of the series. Beyond ‘Magnum, P.I.’, Manetti has accumulated co-starring roles in over twenty-five feature films. His television career also includes guest appearances on a variety of shows such as ‘The Rockford Files’, ‘Emergency!’, ‘Starsky & Hutch’, ‘Fantasy Island’, and ‘Battlestar Galactica’.

In recent years, Manetti has continued his work in television, appearing in reboots of classic series. He joined CBS’ ‘Hawaii Five-0’ (2013-2016) in the recurring role of Nicky “The Kid” Demarco and later appeared in the reboot of ‘Magnum P.I.’ (2019–2023) as the same character. In 2023, he reunited with Tom Selleck on the CBS series ‘Blue Bloods’, playing Sam Velucci. Manetti is also the author of the semi-autobiographical book ‘Aloha Magnum’, detailing his experiences on the set of ‘Magnum, P.I.’ and sharing insights into his interactions with various celebrities.