Dominic Chianese

Dominic Chianese
Chianese singing at the opening of the US Open, 2005
Born	(1931-02-24) February 24, 1931 New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1952–present

Dominic Chianese ( /ˌkiːəˈnɛzɛ/; born February 24, 1931) is an American film, television and theatre actor, perhaps best known for his role as Corrado "Junior" Soprano on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos.

Early life

Chianese was born in the borough of The Bronx in New York, the son of a bricklayer. He graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1948. He worked as a bricklayer with his father and attended night school during the 1950s, graduating with a bachelor's degree in speech and theater from Brooklyn College in 1961. His earliest stage work occurred in 1952 with a Gilbert and Sullivan repertory company of singers, actors and musicians called The American Savoyards, under the direction of Dorothy Raedler.

Career

After a decade of attending college and appearing in off-broadway theatre, Chianese attended his first professional acting class at HB Studios in Manhattan, with renowned teacher Walt Witcover. Drama and musical theater became Chianese's passion. His first Broadway show was Oliver! in 1965. He has continued to perform in Broadway theatre, Off Broadway, and regional theatre. To supplement income in the dry periods, he played rhythm guitar and sang in taverns and restaurants. Chianese's first television credit occurred when George C. Scott recommended him for a role in the acclaimed series East Side, West Side. In 1974, Francis Ford Coppola cast Chianese as Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II, which sparked a film career, culminating in several films (and plays) with Al Pacino.

Before being cast in Godfather II, Chianese was working for the Drug Commission of New York State as a recreational worker in a rehabilitation center. He taught guitar to women who were serving time for drug-related crimes.

In 2010, Chianese received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his humanitarian efforts.

Chianese has appeared in 4 movies with his friend, Al Pacino:

• The Godfather Part II (1974) - as Johnny Ola
• Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - as Sonny's Father
• ...And Justice For All (1979) - as Carl Travers
• Looking for Richard (1996) - as Himself

Chianese is an accomplished tenor and musician, having released a CD titled Hits in 2000, on which he sings American and Italian songs. He performed Salvatore Cardillo's sentimental classic "Core 'ngrato" ("Ungrateful Heart"), on the third-season finale of The Sopranos (episode 3x13, "Army of One"). In 2003, Chianese, along with AOL Music, released a second CD titled Ungrateful Heart, which features 16 classic Neapolitan songs.

His son, Dominic Chianese Jr., is also an actor and appeared in the final season of The Sopranos as a member of the fictional Lupertazzi crime family.

Chianese can currently be seen in the second season of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire as Leander Whitlock, a retired Atlantic City alderman.

Filmography

• Fuzz (1972)
• The Godfather Part II (1974)
• Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
• All the President's Men (1976)
• Fingers (1978)
• On the Yard (1978)
• Firepower (1979)
• ...And Justice for All (1979)
• A Time for Miracles (1980) (TV)
• Fort Apache, the Bronx (1981)
• Ryan's Hope (1975 & 1981) TV series
• Second Sight (1989)
• Q&A (1990) (as himself)
• The Lost Capone (1990) (TV)
• Out for Justice (1991)
• The Public Eye (1992)
• Rivalen des Glücks - The Contenders (1993)
• The Night We Never Met (1993)
• If Lucy Fell (1996)
• Love Is All There Is (1996)
• Gotti (1996) (TV)
• The Mouse (1996)
• Looking for Richard (1996) (documentary)
• Night Falls on Manhattan (1997)
• Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five (1998)
• The Sopranos (1999–2007) TV series
• Cradle Will Rock (1999)
• Unfaithful (2002)
• When Will I Be Loved (2004)
• King of the Corner (2004)
• Crimes of Fashion (2004) (TV)
• The Last New Yorker (2006)
• Adrift in Manhattan (2007)
• Damages (2010) (TV)
• Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)
• The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2011) (TV)
• Boardwalk Empire (2011) (TV)

External links

• Dominic Chianese at the Internet Movie Database
• Dominic Chianese at the Internet Broadway Database
• A conversation with Dominic Chianese, The Sopranos' Uncle Junior in Lavery, David; Howard, Douglas L.; Levinson, Paul (eds.). The Essential Sopranos Reader. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 339–362. ISBN 9780813130125. http://books.google.com/books?id=xfP243s2dTkC&pg=PA339date=2011. 
• Dominic Chianese - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org