Zorich was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Yugoslavian immigrants Anna (née Gledi) and Christ Zorich. He attended Earle Elementary School before going on to attend Roosevelt College and Goodman Theater School of Drama in his hometown of Chicago. Zorich has been married to Academy Award winning actress Olympia Dukakis since 1962. They have three children together. Zorich has appeared twice in the Law & Order franchise, the last being in the 1995 episode Jeopardy.