Home > News & Advice > News Obituaries > Frank Pesce (1946–2022), actor in “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Top Gun”

Frank Pesce (1946–2022), actor in “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Top Gun”

by Linnea Crowther

Frank Pesce was a character actor known for roles in movies including “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Top Gun.”

Acting career

One of Pesce’s earliest roles was an uncredited bit part in “Rocky” alongside his friend, Sylvester Stallone. He made early appearances on TV shows including “Kojak” and “Police Story” and in such movies as “American Gigolo” and “Flashdance.” Pesce had a small role at the beginning of “Beverly Hills Cop,” playing a criminal buying illegal cigarettes from Eddie Murphy’s Alex Foley. He returned in a different role for “Beverly Hills Cop II,” playing a thug mistaken for a cop by Murphy. In “Top Gun,” Pesce played a bartender, and in “Midnight Run,” he was a fugitive handcuffed in a hotel bathroom by a bounty hunter. Later, Pesce had a recurring role on TV in “Karen Sisco” and appeared in the movie “Creed.” He cowrote the movie “29th Street” and directed an episode of “Knight Rider.”

Tributes to Frank Pesce

Full obituary: People

View More Legacy Videos

More Stories