After some bits and guest appearances, he had his first major role as attorney Elliot Streeter in the acclaimed but short-lived legal sitcom
The Associates, which aired from 1979-80. In 1982, Joe Regalbuto played a supporting role in the critically acclaimed film
Missing, as well as the role of Darius in the cult sci-fi/fantasy movie
The Sword and the Sorcerer, and, on television, the recurring role of Kalnik the evil alien in three episodes of
Mork & Mindy. In 1983, he appeared in the comedy series
Ace Crawford, Private Eye alongside
Tim Conway. He starred as Ace Crawford's accountant Toomey. He starred in the CBS series
Knots Landing in the 1984–1985 and 1985–1986 seasons as Harry Fisher, a man who takes possession of the Ewing twins illegally, which centered on the Black Market storyline. In 1984, he appeared in the TV movie
Invitation to Hell, directed by
Wes Craven. In 1985, Regalbuto increased his household recognition when he guest starred as cab driver and high school friend, Don Eddie Rice, in the television series
Magnum, P.I. episode "Going Home". A year earlier, he co-starred with
Magnum, P.I. star
Tom Selleck in Selleck's 2nd film,
Lassiter. In 1986, Regalbuto starred in the TV movie
Fuzz Bucket and a short-lived series,
Street Hawk, and co-starred in the short-lived 1979 sitcom
The Associates with
Martin Short. In 1988, he played the part of Rebecca Devereaux's verbally abusive boyfriend, Jeremy, in the TV series
The Golden Girls. Joe starred in
Murphy Brown for the entire first run of the acclaimed series from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998. He appeared on an uncredited role in the 1992 movie
The Babe. Late in the series, Regalbuto directed more than 20 episodes of
Murphy Brown. Regalbuto also was an early spokesman for
DirecTV when it first came out. In 2002, he appeared on the final season (5th) of the
Ally McBeal TV series, episode 10, "One Hundred Tears", as Harvey Hall, a man who believed he could fly, using wings of his own making. In 2008, he had a small role in the movie
Bottle Shock. In 2008, he also had guest roles in the TV series
Ghost Whisperer and
Criminal Minds. In 2009, Regalbuto had a guest appearance on
NCIS. In 2012, he played the critically acclaimed part of Mr Rogers in the TV Series
Southland: "his character feigned grief in what Det. Lydia Adams (Regina King) called 'an Academy Award-winning performance.' He's not eligible for an Oscar, but Regalbuto might just get an Emmy". He has also directed episodes of
Hot in Cleveland - Season 3, Episode 5 in 2011 and Season 4, Episodes 6 and 7 in 2013. In 2015, he had a guest role as Stuart "Stu" Sloan in episode 4, "Turn Down", of season 4 in the TV series
Major Crimes. Regalbuto returned to a revival series of
Murphy Brown in 2018 along with former co-stars
Candice Bergen,
Faith Ford and
Grant Shaud. ==Personal life==