Richard Portnow

Richard Portnow (born January 26, 1947) is an American actor known for such films and television shows as Good Morning, Vietnam, Barton Fink, Se7en, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Spirit, Law Abiding Citizen, Private Parts, Fallen Arches, Double Down, Spring Break '83, The Sopranos, Hannah Montana and Boston Legal. --- Portnow was born in Brooklyn, New York,. A veteran of stage, film and television with a variety of characters to his credit, Portnow was named one of the "Actors We Love" from the actors' trade newspaper Back Stage West and said, "Portnow knows exactly how to hook an audience with every character." Portnow graduated with a BA degree as a speech and theater major from Brooklyn College. Portnow played the role of defense attorney Harold "Mel" Melvoin on the Emmy-winning HBO series The Sopranos (1999), the lawyer for Uncle Junior, whom he is able to keep out of prison and managed to get placed under house arrest instead. His rates for defending Corrado Soprano(Uncle Juniors's full name) are astronomical, but as Uncle June has said, "Mel, you're worth every penny". He has held the role since the show's inception in 1999.