Born in Brooklyn, Farentino attended local schools followed later by studying drama and acting in Catholic school. In the 1950s and 1960s, he performed on the stage and a few TV roles. He starred in
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour alongside
Vera Miles and
John Carradine (episode "Death Scene"). He garnered a
Golden Globe Award for Best Male Newcomer for the film,
The Pad (and How to Use It) (1966). In 1969, he starred opposite
Patty Duke in the film
Me, Natalie. Farentino was one of the lawyers in NBC's TV series
The Bold Ones (1969–1972), which also starred
Burl Ives and
Joseph Campanella. He made two appearances in the 1970s anthology television series
Night Gallery, once with then-wife
Michele Lee ("Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay"), and next with actress
Joanna Pettet ("The Girl with the Hungry Eyes"). Also in 1970, Farentino appeared as Pick Lexington in
The Men from Shiloh (the repackaged name of the popular long-running TV Western
The Virginian) in the episode titled "The Best Man". In 1973, he appeared in the episode "The Soft, Kind Brush" of the romantic anthology series
Love Story. During the 1970s, he appeared on NBC's
Cool Million. In 1978, he was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his portrayal of
Simon Peter in the miniseries
Jesus of Nazareth. In 1980, Farentino starred in
The Final Countdown with
Kirk Douglas and
Martin Sheen, and then played
Juan Perón opposite
Faye Dunaway's
Eva Perón in the 1981 television film
Evita Perón. Farentino appeared as Frank Chaney in the short-lived 1984 ABC series
Blue Thunder, based on the 1983
film of the same name, starring
Roy Scheider. He starred as Dr.
Nick Toscanni on the second season of
Dynasty from 1981 to 1982. In the late 1990s, he appeared as the estranged father of lead character
Doug Ross on
ER. ==Personal life==