Joe Pesci
| Joe Pesci | |
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Joe Pesci in February 2009
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| Born | Joseph Frank Pesci February 9, 1943 Newark, New Jersey |
| Residence | Lavallette, New Jersey |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, singer, musician |
| Years active | 1961–Present |
| Spouse(s) | 2 other previous wives |
| Children | 1 |
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci (/ˈpɛʃi/ PESH-ee; Italian: [ˈpeʃʃi]; born February 9, 1943) is a semi-retired American actor, comedian and musician, known for playing tough, volatile characters, in a variety of genres. He is best known for a trio of films in which he co-starred with Robert De Niro, directed by Martin Scorsese: Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995).
Pesci was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Raging Bull, and then won the same award for his role as the psychopathic mobster Tommy DeVito (based on Thomas DeSimone) in Goodfellas.
Pesci has starred in a number of other high-profile films, including Easy Money (1983), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Home Alone (1990), JFK (1991), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), A Bronx Tale (1993), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998). He announced his retirement from acting in 1999, and since then he has appeared only sporadically in films, including a cameo appearance in the 2006 spy thriller The Good Shepherd, directed by De Niro.
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Early life
Pesci was born on February 9, 1943, in Newark, New Jersey. His mother, Mary (née Mesce), worked part-time as a barber, and his father, Angelo Pesci, was a forklift driver for General Motors, and a bartender.[1][2] Pesci, of Italian descent, was raised in Belleville, New Jersey, and attended Belleville High School. By the time Pesci was five years old, he was appearing in plays in New York.[1] At age 10, he was a regular on a television variety show called Startime Kids which also featured Connie Francis.[1]
Pesci was childhood friends with singers Frankie Valli and Tommy DeVito, and in 1959, at age 16, he helped introduce them to singer and songwriter Bob Gaudio, which led to the formation of the band The Four Seasons.[3]
Early career
In the 1960s, Pesci began working as a barber, following in his mother's footsteps. At the same time, he tried to start a musical career, playing guitar with several bands, including Joey Dee and the Starliters. (The position of guitarist in that band was taken several years later by Jimi Hendrix.) Originally, he went by the original spelling of his name, Peski, but changed it due to ridicule from peers.[4] In 1968, he released the album Little Joe Sure Can Sing! (billed as "Joe Ritchie"), on which he sang covers of contemporary pop hits.[5]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Pesci teamed up with fellow actor Frank Vincent, performing in local clubs like the Arlington Lounge and other venues around North Jersey as "Vincent and Pesci." The comedy duo's material was a play on Martin and Lewis and Abbott and Costello. In 1975, they appeared in the Broadway show The New Vaudevillians, which only lasted one week.[5]
The first film Pesci starred in was the 1976 low-budget crime film The Death Collector alongside Frank Vincent. After the film Pesci returned to run his restaurant, Amici's, in the Bronx.[5]
Acting career
In 1979, Pesci got a telephone call from Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, who were impressed with his performance in The Death Collector and asked him to co-star in Scorsese's Raging Bull as Joey LaMotta. Pesci won the BAFTA Film Award for Newcomer to Leading Film Roles in 1981 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Over the next few years, Pesci appeared in several smaller films, including Dear Mr. Wonderful (1982), Easy Money (1983) and Eureka (1983).[5]
In 1984, he was cast in Once Upon a Time in America, again appearing alongside De Niro.
In 1985, he starred as private detective Rocky Nelson in the short-lived television comedy series Half Nelson.[5]
In 1988, Pesci appeared in the Michael Jackson musical anthology film Moonwalker, in the film's sixth and longest segment, "Smooth Criminal". He played the antagonist, crime boss Frankie "Mr. Big" LiDeo (an anagram for one of the film's producers and longtime Jackson manager Frank DiLeo,[6] with whom Pesci would later act in Goodfellas).[7]
He appeared as Leo Getz in the Lethal Weapon sequels, released in 1989, 1992 and 1998.
In 1990, he reunited with Scorsese and De Niro for Goodfellas, where he played mobster Tommy DeVito, based on real-life mobster Thomas DeSimone. (Tommy DeVito is also the name of Pesci's old acquaintance from Belleville, New Jersey and a member of The Four Seasons, but, contrary to popular belief, the naming is coincidental.[3]) Old friend Frank Vincent also appears in the film; Pesci's character kills Vincent's character in a rage in one of the most well-remembered scenes in the film after the Vincent character contemptuously tells him to "go home and get your [shoe] shine box." Pesci received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role, which he accepted with the shortest speech in Oscar history, saying simply, "It's my privilege. Thank you," before leaving the stage.[7][8]
Pesci also co-starred in the blockbuster Home Alone in 1990, playing Harry Lyme, one of two bumbling burglars (along with good friend Daniel Stern) who attempt to burglarize the house of the young character played by Macaulay Culkin. In the film's climactic scene, Pesci accidentally bit one of Culkin's fingers, giving him a scar. Two years later, Pesci reprised his role in the sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Pesci played David Ferrie in 1991's JFK. In 1992 he appeared as the title character in the comedy My Cousin Vinny.
In 1992, Pesci spearheaded the cast of The Public Eye as Leon "Bernzy" Bernstein, a photographer. His performance in the film, a departure from his usual characters, was critically acclaimed.
Pesci hosted sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live on October 10, 1992, while doing publicity for My Cousin Vinny. During his monologue, he restored a picture of Pope John Paul II, which had been torn by Sinéad O'Connor on the previous broadcast; he then tore up a photo of O'Connor, which was met with huge applause.[citation needed]
Pesci had a small role in 1993's A Bronx Tale.
In 1995, Pesci had his third and so far final collaboration with Scorsese and De Niro in the film Casino, playing Nicky Santoro, based on real-life Mob enforcer Anthony Spilotro.
He was the original choice to play Myron Larabee, the stressed-out postman in Jingle All the Way opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1996, but the part was ultimately given to Sinbad, whose physical size was more comparable to Schwarzenegger's.
He had starring roles in several other films including Man on Fire (1987), The Super (1991), Jimmy Hollywood (1994), With Honors (also 1994) and Gone Fishin' (1997), in which he briefly played the guitar.
Other work and retirement from acting
In 1998, he released his second LP (his first album in 30 years) called Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You, which spawned the single "Wise Guy," a rap number that played on the gangsta theme by referencing Mafia gangsterism. "Wise Guy" interpolated the 1980 hit "Rapture" by Blondie, and was co-written and produced by the hip-hop production team the Trackmasters. Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just For You was an album that was both humorous and serious, exploring a variety of genres, though most of it was big band jazz, and which paid homage to his character name from the 1992 film My Cousin Vinny, not only through its album title, but also by its lead track "Yo Cousin Vinny".
In 1999, Pesci announced his retirement from acting to pursue a musical career and to enjoy life away from the camera. He returned to acting when he did a cameo in De Niro's 2006 film The Good Shepherd. He starred in the 2010 brothel drama Love Ranch, alongside Helen Mirren.[9]
Pesci appeared with Don Rickles in a 2011 Snickers advertisement in which he portrays the alter-ego of a young man who attends a party and becomes agitated by two women.[10]
Media depictions
Pesci is a character in the 2005 musical Jersey Boys, which tells the story of The Four Seasons, due to his involvement in the band's formation. He is similarly a character in the musical's 2014 film adaptation. In the film, the Joe Pesci character asks "Funny how?", a quote from a famous line of dialogue Pesci had in Goodfellas.
Personal life
Pesci has been married and divorced three times.[11] His first marriage was in 1964.[12] His third was from 1988 to 1992, to Claudia Haro, a model and actress. In 2007 Pesci was engaged to Angie Everhart,[13] but the couple broke up in 2008.[14]
While filming scenes in two of Martin Scorsese's films (Raging Bull and Casino), Pesci broke the same rib, 15 years apart.[15]
Filmography
Films
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The Lucy Show | Lead Musician / Musician Leader | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Half Nelson | Rocky Nelson | 6 episodes |
| 1992 | Tales from the Crypt | Vic / Jack | Episode: "Split Personality" Nominated – CableACE Award for Actor in a Dramatic Series |
| 1992 | SNL | Host | 1 episode |
References
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- Joe Pesci at the Internet Movie Database
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- Use mdy dates from July 2014
- Articles with hCards
- Articles with unsourced statements from September 2013
- Commons category link from Wikidata
- 1943 births
- American people of Italian descent
- Male actors of Italian descent
- American male comedians
- American male film actors
- BAFTA winners (people)
- Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners
- People from Belleville, New Jersey
- People from Ocean County, New Jersey
- Musicians from Newark, New Jersey
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Male actors from Newark, New Jersey
- Living people
- Belleville High School (New Jersey) alumni
