Syracuse, New York in fiction

Film and television

Film

• Adult World filmed in downtown Syracuse and suburbs, such as DeWitt.
• A Clouded Name, starring Norma Shearer - Scenes were filmed at the State Fair, the Calthrop mansion, and at the Liverpool's solar salt fields.
• All the Right Moves - At a party, someone asks Tom Cruise's character if he had heard anything from Syracuse.
• In a deleted scene from ', Veronica Corningstone mentions that she has a degree from Syracuse University.
• - Filmed in the Greater Syracuse Area, including downtown Syracuse, surrounding suburbs and the American High film hub in Liverpool, New York. Stars Hannah Marks, Liana Liberato, , and .
• Big Daddy - Several mentions; Adam Sandler's character attended school at Syracuse University College of Law and wears various Syracuse sweatshirts and T-shirts.
• - Filmed in Syracuse suburbs and the American High film hub in Liverpool, New York. Stars , Pete Davidson, Jon Cryer, , and Machine Gun Kelly.
• Birdman or - In answer to Mike Shiner's question as to why he chose to adapt Raymond Carver's story for the stage, Riggan Thomson tells him Carver sent him a note of encouragement on a napkin after a performance in Syracuse during high school.
• Blue Chips - Syracuse University men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim has a small speaking part.
• Born on the Fourth of July - Tom Cruise's character attends a Vietnam War protest which is held at Syracuse University.
• Enemy of the State - Congressman Sam Albert, a character who is murdered in the film's opening scenes, is mentioned as being from Syracuse.
• For Love of the Game - Kelly Preston's character is from Syracuse.
• Freak Talks About Sex - Filmed in Syracuse; life in Syracuse is part of the plot.
• God Bless America , which was written and directed by Syracuse-born Bobcat Goldthwait and is set and shot in Syracuse for the first portion of the film.
• Heat - Detective Vincent Hanna's dossier alludes to his experience in Syracuse.
• Highlander - Connor MacLeod's modern namesake was born in Syracuse.
• - Filmed entirely in Syracuse suburbs with stars , Britt Lower, Nathalie Emmanuel and Ron Livingston.
• In the movie Jack the Bear , John Leary and his two sons moved to Oakland, CA from Syracuse, NY.
• Lady in White - Opening sequence filmed in Syracuse Hancock International Airport; much of the rest of the movie was filmed in the villages of Lyons, Newark and Phelps, approximately fifty miles west of Syracuse.
• - Filmed in Syracuse suburbs and the American High film hub in Liverpool, New York. Stars , Julia Goldani Telles, and Ki Hong Lee.
• "Nixon " - While at the Lincoln Memorial, President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins runs into a student from Syracuse University and Nixon tries to make small talk by mentioning the football success of Jim Brown and Ernie Davis.
• - Filmed in Syracuse suburbs and the American High film hub in Liverpool, New York. Stars , , , Genevieve Hannelius, and Mary Stuart Masterson.
• In Since You Went Away - While in the train station, Syracuse is mentioned as one of the upcoming stops.
• Slap Shot - One of the hockey teams is the Syracuse Bulldogs, and parts of the movie were filmed at the Onondaga County War Memorial in downtown Syracuse.
• Snow Day - Syracuse is portrayed as a small village with high snowfall. The film was filmed in Edmonton and Calgary.
• Superman - The train scene featuring Otis in the film's beginning features Syracuse as one of the announced stops that a train is making.
• The Bone Collector - A character makes reference to Denzel Washington's character's past work in Syracuse which got him convicted.
• The Commuter - In the opening sequence, Michael MacCauley's teenage son is trying to meet Syracuse University's early-admissions deadline. On the commute back from work that day, he informs a train regular his son is indeed going to Syracuse.
• ' - The movie is about Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy, and a Syracuse University football player. Parts of the movie were filmed in Syracuse, and the world premiere took place at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse.
• The Jerk - When Navin asks his carnie friends to name an emotion, one of them says "Syracuse."
• The Perfect Score - Kyle mentions attending Syracuse University for Architecture at the end of the film.
• Tootsie - Syracuse is mentioned as the locale where character Michael Dorsey has done some acting work. A theater in Syracuse is depicted as a rustic wooden structure.
• When in Rome - 2010 - The main character graduated from there.
• The Purge - 2013 - Syracuse appears in Purge Feed in the film's introduction.
• The Wire -2003- In season 2, Bunk mentions Jim Brown played lacrosse for Syracuse University.

  Television

• In 30 Rock, Jack Donaghy mentions that a character, Bradley, "never graduated from Syracuse. He’s four credits shy of his degree in Bro studies"
• In a 2011 episode of the CBS drama Criminal Minds, Syracuse figures prominently in the investigation; Syracuse University is mentioned many times. A reference is made to the criminal John Jamelske in his Syracuse suburban home.
• - a criminal mentions intercepting a victim on their way through Syracuse.
• My Name Is Earl - Syracuse is mentioned as the place where Buffalo wings come from.
• In an episode of NCIS, one of the characters mentions he arrested a suspect selling drugs to his frat brothers in Syracuse.
• One Tree Hill - One of the main characters attended Syracuse University and has mugs and other items with Syracuse logos.
• The Quantum Leap episode "Catch a Falling Star" was set in Syracuse.
• The Chris Isaak Show - Chris Isaak's publicist, Yola Gaylen, mentions that she has a degree from Syracuse University.
• In The Sopranos episode "Walk Like a Man", AJ participates in punishing a student, who borrows money from Jason Gervasi and Jason Parisi's sports betting operation and does not repay his debt on time. After the deadline, the Jasons find Victor sitting on a couch at a fraternity house party, unconcerned about paying his debt, telling a girl he is only 11 credits away from transferring to the business program at Syracuse University. Not limited to this, Syracuse and its athletic teams - Syracuse is mentioned in several episodes, especially those written by Syracuse native Rod Serling.
• The West Wing - Makes several mentions of the Maxwell School, Syracuse University's renowned school of public administration, which is the number-one ranked graduate program in public administration ; the series creator Aaron Sorkin is a Syracuse University alumnus.
• The X-Files - Several mentions, visited by characters on more than one occasion.
• In Unforgettable, two of the main characters used to work for the Syracuse Police Department and flashbacks often take place in Syracuse.
• In Cold Case- It is stated in the episode "Breaking News" that the victim, a television reporter, attended Syracuse University and that her station manager was one of her professors.
• In multiple episodes of Pretty Little Liars it is mentioned that Byron Montgomery goes to Syracuse University for seminars.
• In Black Mirror Season 3 episode 2, Cooper mentions that he is from Syracuse.
• In the episode "Off Duty Cop" of The Looney Tunes Show, Bugs Bunny freaks out at a doctor's office, and mentions that his doctor is possibly not a real doctor. Bugs Bunny looks at his doctor's college diploma, which says the doctor went to Syracuse University, and Bugs says, "Syracuse? That's a basketball school!" Bugs then tears up the diploma.
• In the episode "Quagmire's Quagmire" of Family Guy, Quagmire dates a girl named Sonja, and she mentioned that she went to Syracuse University.
• In Showtime's "The Affair" season 1, episode 4, the character Alison mentions her husband, Cole, is in Syracuse buying a horse.
• In TBS's "The Detour" a Syracuse family goes on a wild road trip. In the first episode, you can see a sign for the Syracuse Airport as they start their trip.
• In New Girl , Schmidt and Nick both attended Syracuse University. It is also implied that Winston played basketball at Syracuse, possibly under the leadership of Coach Jim Boeheim.
• In The Office'', the Syracuse branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin is mentioned several times throughout the series.
• F is for Family is set in a suburb of Syracuse during the 1970s. The main character, Frank, works as at the local airport.
• Seinfeld Syracuse is mentioned several times.
• In the episode "The Vulture" of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Terry Crews mentions that he went to Syracuse University and played on the football team as a linebacker.
• In the episode "Somewhere Else" of The Good Place, Eleanor's friend describes a "near death experience" as a time when she was in Syracuse, NY two weeks before 9/11.

  Literature

• Most Freddy the Pig books take place on farm a few miles outside of Syracuse.
• Monster of the Year is a book that takes place in Syracuse; the author, Bruce Coville, was born and raised there.
• is a thriller by Diana Abu-Jaber set in Syracuse.
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a novel set in Syracuse.
• Vampire Zero by David Wellington is a vampire novel in which a significant portion of the novel takes place at Syracuse University.
• Hanging Upside Down by Anthony Otero in which the majority of the book take place in and around Syracuse University.
• Mitch Rapp are novels written by Vince Flynn, the principal character, Mitch Rapp, has a degree from Syracuse University. Mentions of Pan Am Flight 103
• I’ll take you there by Joyce Carol Oates is set at Syracuse University.

  Video games

• In L.A. Noire, Syracuse was mentioned as a place where someone committed a crime and held a criminal record.