Vincent M. Spano Jr. (born October 18, 1962) is an American film, stage and television actor; he is also a film director and producer. Early life Spano was born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian-American parents Vincent Sr. and Theresa. Career His career started when he was 14 years old in the Broadway drama The Shadow Box. He was originally credited as Vincent Stewart because his first agent felt the name Spano was "too ethnic", and he was even instructed to sign autographs using that stage name. At age 16, in respect for his Italian heritage, Spano began using his real name and has done so ever since then. His debut in The Shadow Box was in 1977, first at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut and later on Broadway in New York City. Spano's film debut was at the age of 15 in the mystery The Double McGuffin, shot in the winter of 1978. Following The Double McGuffin, he shot Over the Edge in the summer of 1978. Spano subsequently appeared in many Hollywood films, including the romantic-comedy Baby, It's You (1983), the drama City of Hope (1991), the drama Rumble Fish (1983), the biographical survival drama Alive (1993), the horror television film The Rats (2002), the drama Over the Edge (1979) and the comedy Creator (1985). In the adventure film The Black Stallion Returns (1983), Spano appeared as a handsome, young, Arabic rider named Raj, who returns home from university to compete in a major horse race and befriends an American boy, Alec Ramsey (Kelly Reno). He also appeared in the Italian drama film Good Morning, Babylon (1987), and the crime drama film Alphabet City (1984). He received a Cable Ace Award nomination in 1988 for his role as Mark Ciuni in Blood Ties (also known as Il cugino americano). He co-starred with Dylan and Cole Sprouse in the comedy film A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper (2007). He appeared on ION Television with Lou Diamond Phillips in the Western television film Lone Rider (2008). Spano had a recurring role as FBI Agent Dean Porter on the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since its eighth season in 2006. In the fantasy horror-thriller film The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000), he appeared as Zophael, a handsome angel that was after a young man named Danyeal. Spano starred in the television movie