Joe Pesci Biography / Pictures
Joe Pesci was
born in
His close
friend
Detailed Biography
Pesci was
born in Newark,
New Jersey where
he worked as a
singer in the
1960s, releasing
an album
entitled Little
Joey Sure Can
Sing under the
name Joe
Ritchie. Also in
his band was
good friend and
future fellow
actor Frank
Vincent. As an
actor his
breakthrough
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 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
well-known
enough to
inspire a
recurring sketch
on Saturday
Night Live,
called The Joe
Pesci Show.
Pesci also
starred in Home
Alone, JFK, and
My Cousin Vinny.
He also appears
in three of the
Lethal Weapon
films.
In 1999, Pesci
announced that
he was leaving
acting in order
to pursue his
musical career.
Finally in
2004-2005, he
announced that
he was coming
out of
retirement and
is going to star
in his good
friend Robert
DeNiro's The
Good Shepherd.
On January 22,
2006, a
24-year-old
community
college student
named Juan
Carlos
Montenegro filed
a police report
claiming that
Joe Pesci
punched him in
the mouth after
he snapped a
photo against
the actor's will
in the parking
lot of a
shopping center
in Boca Raton,
Florida.
Sargeant Jeff
Kelly of Boca
Raton Police
stated he was
not sure if the
man who
allegedly struck
Montenegro was
Pesci.
Montenegro
ultimately
decided not to
press charges.
Trivia
- His song My Cousin Vinny was a pretty big hit in some European countries (the song is not directly related to his movie My Cousin Vinny (1992).
- He recorded an album in the 60s under the name Joe Ritchie. Titled "Little Joe Sure Can Sing", it flopped.
- Started out with Joey Dee And The Starliters, working his way around as a waiter and singing and playing guitar in local nightclubs.
- Director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro tracked down Pesci after seeing his role in The Death Collector (1976) because they felt he was perfect for the role of Joey La Motta in Raging Bull (1980).
- Eyes are different colors.
- Born at 11:45am-EWT.
- The word
Pesci in
Italian
means "fish"
(plural).
Pesci's close friend George Carlin mentions him in his bit "There is No God," in which Carlin says that he prays to Joe Pesci because, unlike God, Pesci can get things done... especially with a baseball bat. - 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 didn't say more, he said, "I really didn't think I was going to win."
- Did judo in his teens.
- Is an avid golfer.
- Very good friends with fellow actor and frequent co-star, Robert De Niro.
- 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.
Filmography
- The Good Shepherd (2006)
- Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
- 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997)
- Gone Fishin' (1997)
- Casino (1995)
- Jimmy Hollywood (1994)
- With Honors (1994)
- A Bronx Tale (1993)
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
- The Public Eye (1992)
- Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
- My Cousin Vinny (1992)
- JFK (1991)
- The Super (1990)
- Home Alone (1990)
- Goodfellas (1990)
- Betsy's Wedding (1990)
- Catchfire (1990)
- Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
- Moonwalker (1988)
- The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway (1988)
- Man on Fire (1987)
- Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
- Easy Money (1983)
- Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983)
- Dear Mr. Wonderful (1982)
- I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (1982)
- Raging Bull (1980)
- The Death Collector (1976)
- Out of It (1969)
- Hey, Let's Twist (1961)
This Joe Pesci Biography Page is Copyright © 2004 - 2009 Chuck Ayoub