Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci | |
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| Born | Joseph Pesci |
Joseph Francesco DeLores Eliot Pesci (born February 9, 1943), best known as Joe Pesci, is an American Academy Award-winning actor, comedian and singer who is often typecast as a violent mobster, mafia thug, or a grouchy funnyman.
Personal life
Pesci was born in Newark, New Jersey to Edwardo Francesco Pesci, and Marie DeLores Mesce, who worked part-time as a barber. Pesci's father worked for General Motors. Pesci started out working as a barber in the 1960s, following in his mother's footsteps; and released an album entitled Little Joe Sure Can Sing under the name Joseph Richie, accompanied by a band that included good friend and future fellow actor Frank Vincent. His breakthrough as an actor came in 1980 opposite Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's boxing film Raging Bull. Subsequently he acted opposite De Niro several times, often in a similar role, in the films Once Upon A Time In America (in which he was cast at the behest of his friend De Niro), Goodfellas (for which he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), and Casino. The pairing became famous enough to inspire a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live, called The Joe Pesci Show (the real Pesci and De Niro would eventually make a surprise appearance in one episode).
Pesci also starred in Home Alone, playing one of two bumbling burglars (along with Daniel Stern) who attempt to rob Macaulay Culkin's house; and most memorably in one of his few stellar, non-gangster roles as David Ferrie in JFK and finally My Cousin Vinny released in 1991 and 1992 respectively. He appeared in three Lethal Weapon films as the sleazy but likeable Leo Getz.
In 1999, Pesci announced that he was leaving acting to pursue a musical career and to enjoy life away from the camera. Pesci returned to acting when he did a cameo role in De Niro's 2006 film The Good Shepherd.
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. |
- He is of Sicilian descent on his father's side, and of mixed Spanish and Italian on his mother's side.
- He suffered from depression as teenager, and turned to acting and street crime to vent his anger.
- His song "Yo Cousin Vinny" was somewhat successful in some European countries (the song is not directly related to My Cousin Vinny, however).
- He started out with Joey Dee and the Starliters, working his way around as a waiter and singing and playing guitar in local nightclubs.
- He knocked out two camera men in 1980 at the premiere of Raging Bull after a number of paparazzi blocked his way to a theater.
- Scorsese and De Niro tracked down Pesci after seeing him in The Death Collector (1976) deeming him perfect for the role of Joey La Motta in Raging Bull (1980).
- Each of his eyes are a different color. In the movie of My cousin Vinny his character says: Nobody - I mean nobody-pulls the wool over the eyes of a Gambini, especially this one.[1]
- Pesci's friend George Carlin mentions him in his bit "There is no God", in which Carlin says that he prays to Joe Pesci.
- After accepting his Oscar for the role of Tommy DeVito, his entire acceptance speech was "This is an honor and privilege, thank you very much." When asked why he did not say more, he said, "I really didn't think I was going to win."
- When De Niro first called Pesci to ask him if he was interested in playing Joey LaMotta in Raging Bull; he was convinced that it was a prank phone call and almost hung up the phone. Pesci was so excited about the role he threw his phone at the wall.
- He practiced judo in his teens, and is an avid golfer.
- Jay Leno once described Pesci as "...an insane maniac."
- He has a very violent temper both on and off-screen; many actors refuse to work with him because of this.
- Pesci does not smoke cigarettes, which is why his characters usually chew toothpicks. He does smoke cigars.
- His favorite drink is Balshaw's Scotch Whisky.
- Pesci's father worked as a forklift driver for General Motors while Pesci was young and would beat him very frequently after long hard days. Pesci has stated this is what made him so violent in his youth.
- He sang as Joe Doggs with jazz organ player Joey DeFrancesco. They recorded an album on Concord Records in 2003 titled, Joey DeFrancesco featuring Joe Doggs, Falling In Love Again.
- Pesci has a house in Lavallette, New Jersey. In the 1980s, he established a reputation as a community Little League Baseball coach.
- His final film before he announced movie retirement for a career in music in 1999 was Lethal Weapon 4
- He punched Martin Scorsese and broke his nose accidentally while they were both holidaying in Mexico.
- Pesci's mother's maiden name is Mesce (pronunciation rhymes with Pesci) Making her name Mary Mesce Pesci.
- His childhood nickname was "Furious Joe", and he was known to be a bully in high school. He once mentioned he slammed a friend's head into a toilet 30 times because he liked his sister.
- Per the play Jersey Boys, Pesci introduced Bob Gaudio to the members of the band "The Three Lovers". They joined together to become The Four Seasons. The play makes it clear that this is the same Joe Pesci. Near the end of the play, as the characters recap their lives, Tommy DeVito mentions that he is now Joe Pesci's Chauffeur.
- He is referenced in the song, Threat by Jay-Z in which the song goes, "I'm especially Joe Pesci with a grin, I will kill you commit suicide and kill you again".
- His best friend are fellow actors and frequent co stars Robert De Niro and Frank Vincent
Filmography
References
External links
