- Born
- Birth nameJoseph Frank Pesci
- Height1.60 m
- Compact Italian-American actor Joe Pesci was born February 9, 1943 in Newark, New Jersey, to Mary (Mesce), a part-time barber, and Angelo Pesci, a bartender and forklift driver. Pesci first broke into entertainment as a child actor, and by the mid-1950s, was starring on the series "Star Time Kids". In the mid-1960s, he released a record under the stage name Joe Ritchie titled "Little Joe Sure Can Sing", and was also playing guitar with several bands, including Joey Dee and The Starliters. He even joined with his friend Frank Vincent to start a vaudeville-style comedy act, but met with limited success (interestingly, Pesci and Vincent would later go on to co-star in several gangster films together, including Chiến Hữu (1990) and Sòng Bạc (1995).
Pesci's first film role was as an uncredited dancer in Hey, Let's Twist! (1961) and then he had to wait another 15 years for a minor role in The Death Collector (1976). His work in the second film was seen by Robert De Niro, who convinced director Martin Scorsese to cast him as Joey LaMotta in the epic boxing film Bò Đực Nổi Điên (1980), which really got him noticed in Hollywood. He played opposite Rodney Dangerfield in Easy Money (1983), was with buddy DeNiro again in Nước Mỹ Một Thời (1984), nearly stole the show as con man Leo Getz in Vũ Khí Tối Thượng 2 (1989) and scored a Best Supporting Actor Oscar playing the psychotic Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas (1990).
His comedic talents shone again in the mega-popular Ở Nhà Một Mình (1990), and he put in a terrific performance as co-conspirator David Ferrie in JFK (1991). Pesci was back again as Leo Getz for Vũ Khí Tối Thượng 3 (1992), and was still a bumbling crook in Ở Nhà Một Mình 2: Lạc Ở New York (1992), and had a minor role in the Robert De Niro-directed Chuyện Ở Bronx (1993). He was lured back by Scorsese to play another deranged gangster named Nicky (based on real-life hood Tony Spilotro [aka "The Ant"]) in the violent Sòng Bạc (1995), and starred in the comedies 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997) and Câu Cá Cùng Sát Nhân (1997), although both failed to fire at the box office.
Pesci returned again as fast-talking con man Leo Getz in Vũ Khí Tối Thượng 4 (1998). In 1999, he announced his retirement from acting and since then, he appeared only occasionally in films, including a cameo appearance in Hồ Sơ Một Điệp Viên (2006). He also appeared in the music documentary I Go Back Home: Jimmy Scott (2016).- IMDb Mini Biography By: Pedro Borges
- SpousesClaudia Haro(September 7, 1988 - 1992) (divorced, 1 child)?(1964 - ?) (divorced, 1 child)
- ChildrenTiffany Pesci
- ParentsMary MesceAngelo Pesci
- Often plays a criminal (ex. Chiến Hữu (1990), Ở Nhà Một Mình (1990), Ở Nhà Một Mình 2: Lạc Ở New York (1992) and Sòng Bạc (1995))
- Frequently works with longtime friend Robert De Niro and film director Martin Scorsese
- Frequently plays characters who are short-tempered and obscene (Chiến Hữu (1990), Sòng Bạc (1995))
- High-pitched voice with New Jersey accent and rapid-fire delivery
- Different-colored eyes
- After winning the Oscar for his role as Tommy DeVito in the movie Chiến Hữu (1990), his entire acceptance speech was "It's my privilege. Thank you." When asked why he didn't say more, he said "I really didn't think I was going to win.".
- According to Maxim magazine, he wrote and directed the "You think I'm funny?" scene from Chiến Hữu (1990) at director Martin Scorsese's request.
- Is known to have a very foul mouth, both on and off screen. On the set of Ở Nhà Một Mình (1990), Chris Columbus placed a Curse Jar for the adult actors to place change in whenever they cursed. Supposedly, Joe Pesci filled this up in a single day.
- Director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro tracked down Joe Pesci after seeing him in The Death Collector (1976) because they felt he was perfect for the role of Joey LaMotta in Bò Đực Nổi Điên (1980). Before they persuaded him to take the role, Joe Pesci had been on the verge of giving up his faltering acting career.
- He sued the producers of Gotti (2018), claiming they had promised him a major role in the film for which he had packed on extra pounds, and then changed their minds, offering him a minor character.
- [on his good friend and My Cousin Vinny (1992) co-star, the late Fred Gwynne] It takes somebody who's very serious to pull off a character like Herman Munster [from Gwynne's series The Munsters (1964)]. It's not simple to play the goof. Fred was not Herman. He was an intelligent, quiet gentleman.
- [on Bò Đực Nổi Điên (1980)] I remember being asked do you think we should shoot in black and white or in color. And I said black and white without any hesitation.
- [on Robert De Niro] We work so well together. It's like breathing in and out. It's so easy for us - we feed off each other.
- [on Martin Scorsese] Marty is probably the best director I've ever worked with and one of the best directors of our generation and previous generations.
- Vũ Khí Tối Thượng 4 (1998) - $3,000,000
- Jimmy Hollywood (1994) - $3,500,000
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