Federico Castelluccio
Federico Castelluccio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 29, 1964 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | School of Visual Arts (BFA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1986–present |
Federico Castelluccio (/fɛdəˈriːkoʊ kæstɛˈluːtʃoʊ/; Italian pronunciation: [fedeˈriːko kastelˈluttʃo]; born April 29, 1964)[1] is an Italian-American actor and painter. He is best known for his role as Furio Giunta on the HBO series The Sopranos.
Early life
Born in Naples, Italy, Castelluccio moved with his family to Paterson, New Jersey, when he was three years old. In 1982, Castelluccio was awarded a full scholarship to the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he earned a BFA in painting and media arts.[2] Prior to winning the scholarship, he received an opportunity to create a painting for actor George Burns.[3]
Career
Castelluccio began his career as an actor in 1986. Some of his film credits include Made with Jon Favreau, Fire with Paul Campbell and 18 Shades of Dust with Danny Aiello. In television, his credits include NYPD Blue and his best known role, in the HBO hit series The Sopranos, as the Neapolitan enforcer Furio Giunta.
He also appeared in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints which debuted in 2006 at the Sundance Film Festival and received two awards, one for best dramatic directing and another for best dramatic ensemble, headed by Robert Downey Jr., Chazz Palminteri, and Rosario Dawson.
Other film projects include the biographical El Cantante; Aftermath, a crime thriller; and The Obscure Brother, filmed in southern Italy, a short film that he executive produced and acted in; 2003's La Araña; the 2008 comedy Capers; Lucky Days; and the 2009 Forget Me Not. In television, Castelluccio played the lead role in Dragon Dynasty, a telefilm that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. He also appeared in the episode of Kenny Vs. Spenny titled "Who Can Produce The Best Commercial".
In 2014, Castelluccio starred in the short film Eulogy directed by Don Capria. The film won "Best Ensemble" in the 2015 Queens World Film Festival.[4]
In 2016, Castelluccio directed the feature film The Brooklyn Banker. In 2017, Castelluccio directed the TV pilot Outcall.
During the fourth season of Celebrity Apprentice, Castelluccio was asked by Donald Trump to judge which celebrity designed the best hat. Castelluccio eventually chose La Toya Jackson. She was awarded $25,000 for her charity, the AIDS Project Los Angeles.[5]
Painting discovery
Castelluccio discovered a 17th-century painting by Italian baroque painter Guercino at a Frankfurt gallery and subsequently purchased it at auction in 2014 after it had been incorrectly identified as an 18th-century painting. He purchased the painting for approximately $68,000. After restoration, insurance, shipping, and other expenses, his total costs came to $140,000.[6] The work's actual value was subsequently placed at approximately $10 million.[7]
Filmography
Films
- 1999 18 Shades of Dust – Bouncer #1
- 2001 Made – Doorman
- 2002 Fire – Himself (video)
- 2003 La Arana – Bobby
- 2004 Return of Fire – Himself (voice)
- 2004 Volare – Paolo Bongiovanni (short film)
- 2005 In Hot Water – Father Sal Manella (short film)
- 2006 A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints – Antonio's Father
- 2006 Dragon Dynasty – Marco TV Movie
- 2006 El cantante – Jerry Massucci
- 2007 The Obscure Brother – Father (short film)
- 2008 Lucky Day – Vincent
- 2008 Proud Iza – Samuel Stein
- 2008 The Bronx Balletomane – Joey (short film)
- 2008 The Brooklyn Heist – R. Fadagucci
- 2008 Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace – Louie the Bartender
- 2009 Forget Me Not – Samaratian Antagonist (short film)
- 2010 Bicycle Lessons – Himself (voice) (short film)
- 2010 Lily of the Feast – Santo Bastucci (short film)
- 2010 For Customers Only – Mr. Sierra (short film)
- 2011 Keep Your Enemies Closer – Agent (short film)
- 2011 The Decoy Bride – Marco
- 2011 The Orphan Killer – Dr. Morris (Uncredited)
- 2012 The Trouble with Cali – Chassidic Bouncer
- 2012 Pollination – Father short film
- 2012 1,000 Times More Brutal – Kastriot Morina
- 2012 Delivering the Goods – Enzo
- 2013 Stanley's Adventures (short film)
- 2013 Aftermath – Darrell
- 2013 Checkmate: Keep Your Enemies Closer – Agent Lepari
- 2013 House of Shadows – Nicola
- 2014 Euology – Martin (short film)
- 2015 Dutch Book – Mel
- 2015 Fall 4 You – Nicky (short film)
- 2016 Fall 4 You – Jerry
- 2016 The Brooklyn Banker – Zucci
- 2016 Leaves of the Tree – Doctor Ferramanti
- 2016 Toy Gun – Sante Cassoria
- 2017 Good Friday – Gio
- 2018 Sarah Q – Barry Homburg
- 2018 Exit 0 – Detective Mueller
TV shows
- 1991–1996 Another World – Maltese Guard; 4 episodes
- 2000–2002 The Sopranos – Furio Giunta; 28 episodes
- 2003 NYPD Blue – Brian Vaughn; 1 episode
- 2008 Law & Order: Criminal Intent – Frank Chess; 1 episode
Music videos
References
- ^ "For the Cast, a Touch of Authenticity". The New York Times. March 4, 2001. Retrieved December 4, 2007.
The 36-year-old actor ... was born in Naples and came to Paterson when he was almost 4.
- ^ "«I Sopranos? No agli stereotipi ma non facciamone un dramma» - Federico Castelluccio, il Furio Giunta della celebre serie tv, a Toronto per incontrare gli zii" Archived November 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Corriere Canadese, May 11, 2005. Accessed December 4, 2007. "Nel 1982, Castelluccio vince una borsa di studio alla School of Visual Arts di New York, dove si laurea in pittura."
- ^ "The Sopranos: Cast & Crew". HBO. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^ "Festival Winners @ Queens World Film Festival". www.queensworldfilmfestival.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ "'Celebrity Apprentice' recap: Richard Hatch fired for not raising money". Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ "'Sopranos' Actor Discovers $10 Million Guercino". artnet news. September 30, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ "'Sopranos' star Federico Castelluccio: How I found a $10M Guercino". West46th Mag. October 12, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
External links
- Federico Castelluccio at IMDb
- Federico Castelluccio official site (archived version, now links to a domain-parking list)
- Federico Castelluccio paintings
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- American male television actors
- Male actors from New Jersey
- Male actors from New York City
- Living people
- Actors from Paterson, New Jersey
- School of Visual Arts alumni
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- 1964 births
- Italian emigrants to the United States
- American art collectors
- American people of Italian descent