I can't wait for "The Irishman 2" starring Rob Lowe, David Schwimmer, Larry Storch, and Chevy Chase.
4
So, he plays a mobster in this one too?
What range!
2
His performance as DeNiro’s brother in Raging Bull is so good and true and moving - the peacemaker, the supportive sibling who is bullied, abused, but still strong and smart and sensitive too. A great performance of what it means to be a brother. He is a wonderful actor and I can’t wait till “The Irishman” opens in Boston in a few weeks. Thanks for this career review.
2
No mention of Pesci’s role in My Cousin Vinney! Still a movie I will watch again and again and laugh just as hard!
7
“Hollywood never really knew what to do with the actor and so it put him in broad comedies.”
Broad comedies? I never realized Goodfellas and Casino were comedies.
1
Perhaps his die has been cast as a comedian but he is a very talented actor and I always enjoy his films.
4
Grew up in south Queens where everyone had connections to Idlewild/JFK. Worked there during summers in high school, making Goodfellas a sort of home movie for me. I often waited to pick up my freight after Customs at Air France and bought Italian bread on Wednesdays from Frenchie. That’s a whole movie right there. There were lot of guys like Tommy all over Queens. At TWA cargo one day, a wannabe Gotti I had graduated high school with kept me from getting hijacked. Lots of memories.
1
Nobody puts a scene across better than Joe, even in comedies which Edmund Gwenn pronounced more difficult than death. Look at the pride in his face when Marisa Tomei interprets the significance of a photo of tire tracks in 'My Cousin Vinny'. He doesn't need violence to deliver a powerful performance in any scene.
5
This piece by Violent Lucca is how you do a profile of an actor.
It's about his technique, not about his celebrity or a fake intimate meeting that describes his food, clothes, mood.
But maybe it takes a real acting talent to get that done.
13
The Pesci sketch referred to in Goodfellows has nothing to do with comedy. He's not looking for a laugh. Pesci is setting himself up to be insulted by something Ray Liotta has said, he's going to twist it around until he's provided evidence of the insult, so that he will be justified in physically attacking Liotta. If this has ever happened to you, you know it's a full-fledged threat, and Liotta tries to "get out of it" by being non-confrontational. Pesci is a very good actor, and not professionally trained -- and he's probably "acting" pretty much the way he grew up. But don't cast him as Hamlet.
1
Always loved Joe Pesci. Classic tough guy. Can't wait to see The Irishman.
9
Great to see him back, and in such a role (looking forward to film’s release). He’s an authentic American film character. Great that he took control of his life and career vs some actors who just seem to appear in everything/anything.
4
There is no such thing as acting "genius." There are excellent, good etc actors but please, genius is when you do something that few others imagined doing or are capable of doing.
Actors memorize words written by others, in scenes arranged by others, in stories created by others, wearing costumes designed and made by others.
Enjoy the movie but please, hold the hyperbole.
3
@Allan H.
Finally someone not hypnotized by Hollywood hype.
Pesci is short funny looking man with superb comic timing. Period
His performance is the same as the rest he just does it with some restraint.
1
Agree. The term is too often misused.
Einstein could not sit in a trailer and memorize lines, then walk on a film set with lights, camera and crew and entertain what will eventually be an audience of thousands. That not only takes courage and talent, but genius!
6
For those of you (like me) who had been unaware of Joe Pesci's (Joe Doggs) AMAZING singing voice need to treat themselves to a little YouTube exploration. He's a wonderful singer, exhibiting wonderful intonation, smooth vibrato, and effortless phrasing, all with a really pleasing tone. Treat yourself!
Here's a random pick:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrFHMnKbivU
8
Thanks for the brilliant writing about a brilliant, loveable, versatile, riveting actor. So glad to know he's got a band!
4
"Restrained 'genius'"? I respectfully disagree. Pesci is a marvelous character actor who, however, reduces any character he's playing into Joe Pesci.
1
Not since William Bendix or Aldo Ray has such charisma lit up the motion picture screen . . . How blessed we are to live in his times!
2
@Red Allover
“How blessed we are to live in his times!”
Haha haha
May I someday get to walk on the hallowed grounds of one of Joe’s country clubs where he does his powerful works for the people.
“Yer a funny guy,” said Henry Hill
1
A terrific piece, except for one thing. Who says Mr. Pesci is underappreciated? From Goodfellas to Vinnie, the man is magnificent and every movie watcher I’ve talked to agrees.
12
I'm glad to hear Joe Pesci is getting some well deserved accolades. There's no denying he is an actor with range and depth.
I hope this doesn't offend but I would still love to see him team up with Marisa Tomei again for a sequel. "My Cousin Vinny" has always been on the desert island list. I'd love to see what those characters are up to at this age.
12
When I walked out of "The Irishman," I turned to my husband and said, "Pesci was the best thing in it." Definitely and by far.
15
@Lisa
I think Joe Pesci is "the best thing"in EVERY movie he has ever played.
12
I can’t tell you how many times since Goodfellas that my friends and work associates have launched into the famous “you’re funny “ scene whenever someone says “that’s so funny.” The intensity of that moment, and the menacing threat of violence portrayed in Joe Pesci’s deadpan attack on Henry Hill are indelible. I don’t recall any moment in any film with so much drama. Pesci is awesome!
9
Interesting and not surprising that Pesci drew from real-life experience for "funny how?" Anyone who grew up in the ethnic, working class neighborhoods of the Northeast knew men like Tommy - and Pesci nails that. That scene and character brought back those memories in a very immediate way. Also, there were Tommy's of Irish descent, Italian descent, African-American descent, etc. I don't think psychopathic killers like Tommy are born that way, but rather it's something that the dark side of this society creates. In a way, it's Brechtian, no?
2
The intelligence and decency Pesci showed as the lawyer, Vinny, is at an opposite pole from the psychotic pure evil of Tommy; but both were encased in the same Northeastern big city ethnic Italian mold. The same mannerisms, speech, and gait, but two people as different in their souls as they could be. That is acting genius.
13
Are we forgetting A Bronx Tale? Small role - but played well, and quietly
4
To me Joe Pesci is the everyday person one sees in real life.
He was great in My Cousin Vinnie, better yet I still get
chills with his work with De Nero in Bronx Tale.
I grew up in a hood where there were people looking out
for you.
3
@The Chief from Cali
I think you nailed it as to the appeal of Joe Pesci for so many. He personifies an "everyday person" rather than some super good looking Hollywood star.
What you see is what you get. And his blunt, frank and honest speaking and humor is uniquely Pesci.
I swear I wonder if he really acts or just speaks his lines as if he was talking to just you or me.
He's a real gem and entertainment treasure.
Hope all is good with you and the family.
9
I agree that Joe Pesci is a great dramatic actor. But I still love his role as Rodney Dangerfield’s sidekick in “Easy Money”, one of the most overlooked and underrated comedies.
5
Chris Matthews of MSNBC is a film buff and sometimes highlights certain movies with the question, "why is this movie being made now?".
"Russell is the negative space from which all of Frank’s sins flow"... It’s clear why Frank’s daughter Peggy hates Russell. His attempts to be friendly to her are darkly comic, ..., until you realize the perversity of his persistence.
As I read the quoted paragraph, I could not help but think that Russell is Trump, Frank represents the people he corrupts, and the decent people of this country are Peggy, whom Trump tries to shield his corruption.
I don't know whether this was the intent of Scorsese, Pesci, or Violet Lucca, but I can't shake the impression.
5
@Mike
Frank Sheeran was a cold-blooded psychopathic killer and can never be misconstrued as metaphor for some foolish part of society. This mass murder is now lionized and made immortal by the very over-rated Martin Scorcese. His last truly great movie was probably Raging Bull but definitely Mean Streets.
1
I always found it saddening how Pesci's talent was boxed in comedy when his real talent was drama. His restraint, the pauses and his facial expressions said more than any words. Bravo that someone recognized this actor needed to come back to rescue all of us from the pablum of comedy and regurgitation of past movies that has become the operating model of Hollywood.
74
So, do we really want to see another movie that glorifies the senseless violence and mayhem of the mafia?
5
If you saw the movie you’d understand that glorification of violence is the exact opposite of Scorsese’s intent. The violence is portrayed as sordid, senseless and ultimately pointless. Don’t see it if you don’t want, but don’t condemn what you haven’t seen.
10
I so wholeheartedly agree. In addition to offering yet more offensive, grotesque, needless violence, the genre is so overused it could double for a doormat. As for the notion that its violence is somehow a message that, gee, violence is bad, well, if you don't get that already, one more mafia movie ain't gonna get the message through. The world is chock full of real violence. Why on earth would people want to wallow in a similacrum thereof if they didn't get a thrill from it? Art my foot. More exploitative nonsense, and no thanks. I'd rather watch my toenails grow.
2
@Nancy C
Nancy you can’t make a $100 Million dollar movie and not glorify its content.
I imagine there’s a few families that were victims of the psycho’s Sheeran and Bufalino they don’t feel the same as you.
You have drank the Hollywood kool-aid so you don’t see that Hollywood promotes guns more than the NRA.
1
You can't stop watching a Pesci performance no matter what the venue.
13
Pesci is consistently brilliant. He, like Michael Caine, is always great. The "Funny how?" scene is one of the great moments in cinema, a home run, but his batting average over the long haul is even more impressive.
9
Joe Pesci has been a great favorite of ours for ever. There is something about his energy -you can't help but watch him every second that he's on screen, whether's he's speaking or not. Even if he's playing a brutal character, you see the intelligence and fun that Pesci brings to each. Amazing! You just know that he's laser focused on whatever is going on, and you see the lightning fast thinking going on behind his eyes. That "Goodfellas" scene gets much play in our household - "Funny how?" or "Do I amuse you?" He's lightning in a bottle and is integral to how well a story is told. I can't imagine any of his movies with someone else. Sometimes, I pity the fool who tries to go up against Pesci.
9
Excellent piece, truly. Pesci is brilliant in The Irishman and one can only hope that we won't have to wait quite so long to see him in another movie that knows what to do with his talents. Had his career consisted only of the films he's done for Scorsese he'd still be a prime candidate for the pantheon of great screen performers. (And, speaking of which, Harvey Keitel- also wonderful in The Irishman- is another Scorsese veteran whose career is worthy of reappraisal.)
185
There should have been nothing preventing Hollywood from offering Pesci the roles his considerable talent deserved. Alas, this is still the town where beauty upstages talent. Even if and when they happen to occur together, which is often enough, it is the looks that get the part. Delighted that at this stage of Mr. Pesci’s career we are accorded the gift of the full range of his creative skills.
6
His movie, "The Public Eye" with Barbara Hershey is an overlooked film-noir-type classic.
4
Absolutely! A flawed, but engrossing film and Pesci is heartbreaking.
1
Truly difficult to pick but he is in a class by himself along with De Nero or Pacino
3
@Danny Boy All three actors are among my favorites, but I have a special appreciation for Joe Pesci because I went to high school with him and hung out with him and others in front of Jenny's, the mom and pop store in our Belleville, NJ, neighborhood that also served as our local post office. Joe was a year or two behind me in school, but I remember him singing in our auditorium talent shows several times and once with Connie Francis, who had graduated from our school and was already well-known. He liked to play guitar and sing Elvis Presley songs in those days (his "Blue Suede Shoes" was pretty dynamic, as I remember, and "You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog" was pretty good, too). While the rest of us at Jenny's were hoping and practicing to become the next Dimaggio, Rizzuto, or Mantle, he was working on his singing and acting chops. Good choice, Joe. It's nice to see him rewarded and appreciated for what he's become: a first class artist and performer. Now the other Jenny guys contend with arthritis and rheumatism cutting down our bat speeds, but Joe's still going strong, with or without his guitar and those dynamic blue suede shoes. Nice story; I'm grateful to the Times for publishing it.
61
@Fred Misurella
Fred, wonderful. Send that to him.
PS - was just in Belleville now in Wyckoff. Grew up in Lyndhurst. Jersey guys, the best.
3
Mr. Pesci sure beats the standard Hollywood fare—-you know, the Matt Damons, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitts and Jennifer Lawrences of the world. It’s not that they are bad actors but Joe Pesci brings so much more “texture” to the screen. You can “feel” the parts that he plays as if you were touching the character in the flesh. I always enjoy his roles.
9
@Mark Young You should watch "Winter's Bone," then re-think Ms. Lawrence being on your list.
1
@Tom
Agreed. And +2 for her work in American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook.
2
@JimmyWayneful Yes. "She got game."
3
Just to put this out there because I saw it mentioned a couple times here in the comments. Mr Pesci's album is called ' LITTLE JOE Sure Can Sing ' .. it came out on the Brunswick Label in 1968. It is pretty hard to find, esp in Mint Condition. And is very collectable going for $50.00 on up to a couple hundred or so.
5
To Joe Pesci, one of my homeboys - Keep swinging, man!
6
In case you're reading this, Mr. Pesci, please know that you were also amazing in "Home Alone". Don't let any snooty high-brow movie critic convince you otherwise.
25
The USA is enriched and renewed by immigration. Joe Pesci comes from fine Italian immigrant stock.
22
Funny? Funny how? Like a clown/
3
@stewarjt
My daughter (34) and me (70) have our top 5 movies and this maybe #1.
So many great scenes, lines....’go get your shine box’ the genius of Scorsese and these guys, almost played as a comedy. ahahhahah
2
Pesci's portrayal of mobsters in Goodfellas & Casino are very realistic. In that, in life these are people you do not want to be around. Other movie actors playing bad people bring their star quality and appeal to the role. They might do a fantastic job but you feel like you could have sympathy & hang out with these gangsters. Most of the time that is not the case ..... and also Pesci hits it right on the head with C.K. ... he's not funny. In fact he's annoying.
14
My brother Richie was a great lover of movies and as his little sister I enjoyed going to movies with him. As a Vietnam Vet, I saw how he was healed by cinema. We always shared great times and he was a different man discussing his two favorite actors. He told me to study performances of his two favorite actors: Bob Hoskins and Joe Pesci.
We have lost Mr. Hoskins in 2014. Thank God I can still see Mr. Pesci.
Thank you Mr. Pesci for your craft that I can watch over and over and smile. God bless.
23
“My Cousin Vinny” still breaks me up every time I see it. Especially since during my Air Force years, I was stationed in both NYC and the Deep South. My son is a prosecuting attorney and it was recommended by the faculty while he was law school.
12
Not true (to me) that Pesci is under appreciated. Most people I know who know movies love him.
17
November 6, 2019
Yes not the true American of its criminal culture and what could be the glory but the dialect of the Irish American power.
Scorsese has given his art form the best for all audiences to connect to the soul of historic characters given their place in the archetypal heroes /anti heroes where reality make movie making a offer you best experience as this is what we all having been waiting for,thinking for, and worth the bravado of theater arts - that is not exactly every families dream .ever.
3
Mr. Pesci is one of my favorite actors. He's been underappreciated for many, many years. He's such a natural actor that his talent is often overlooked.
But, it's his voice that seals the deal. Once you've heard him, you will never forget him. It's almost as if his voice is a character on to itself.
Cinephiles have missed his presence onscreen. He's one of our very best actors.
133
@Pamela L.
So true. Many of today's actors seem to have generic voices to go with their pre-fab noses and identical hair. A shame. Joe Pesci stood out even among the stand-outs.
9
I'm really looking forward to seeing "The Irishman" but I mildly disagree that Pesci has been somehow overlooked. There is nothing minor about a comedian. From Aristophanes on, it's been comedians who have spoken truth to power - and even more dangerous: truth to the powerful. Pesci has been a master from "My Cousin Vinney" through the Home Alone franchise, I only regret he apparently didn't think he didn't think he's as good as I do.
74
When people ask me who I think is a 'sexy movie star', I love to reply 'Joe Pesci' and watch their faces contort. ;) No matter the vehicle, he can make me laugh or cry or feel the chill of the grim reaper with a seamless change of expression.
49
There are three dimensional actors and two dimensional "movie stars." Joe Pesci is the former. The latter is the reason I go to the movies about three times a year now.
69
Too bad this wonderful sounding movie will only be in selected theaters; nothing better than seeing a BIG movie on the BIG-SCREEN.
9
@Candlewick
Netflix put up most of the money and wants people to watch on Netflix’s platform...
If everybody would have worked for just a cut of the take, they wouldn’t have needed Netflix’s money...
It’s a long movie
Likely more people will watch at home via sitting in theaters for almost 3 hrs (w/trailers)...
Casino wasn't a comedy.
1
You had to tell us what happens in the last scene between them?
4
Ms Lucca, thanks for an outstanding article, and the links to Pesci’s lesser know work.
Really looking forward to seeing The Irishman. Pesci’s “Funny how?” scene In Goodfella gives me butterflies to this day. Absolutely riveting scene, you want to turn your eyes away but can’t.
So tired of Trumpsters bashing the NYT. There is so much that is so well written. Hat tip to all the writers, reporters, editors, critics and designers !!
24
He was right about Louis C.K.!
14
And let's not forget the role that combined the mob tough guy with the Joe Pesci willing to make fun of himself (one of my favorites):
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/pinky-ringery/n10305
3
There is NO bad movie with Joe Pesci. He is absolutely a superb actor! Thank you, Mr. Pesci,
for your brilliant work!
12
Joe Pesci is a living legend, but I didn’t realize he was such a gifted actor until I got older because my first experience seeing him on the big screen was Home Alone. Those kids movies like Home Alone somehow ended up in a separate pile in my brain as I grew up—the idea that kids movies couldn’t possibly have serious actors kind of thing. I’m probably just weird... But anyway, he has since become one of my favorites and my day has been made in reading that he told Louis C.K. he wasn’t funny. Hilarious!
But when and where will The Irishman be released? I keep checking Netflix every day and it’s nowhere. Am I misunderstanding how it’s going to be released?
6
@Corrie It's released November 27 on Netflix.
@Jeff thank you! I just saw the November 1 release and didn’t realize it meant a limited theatrical release in NY and CA. I just want to know who didn’t want to give Scorsese the financing to do a national release on this film. It bugs me that I won’t be able to se it on the big screen unless I hop on a plane. I mean, it’s Scorsese for pete sakes.
3
Pesci is one of those actors who is never bad in anything.
Even the roles you would think he is miscast in, or roles he was doing for a fat paycheck, he always brought all of him to it. There is no walking through a role or phoning it in.
When he won his Oscar (of which he should have had more) he only said: "It's my privilege. Thank you." Partly because of his natural humility and partly because he had overdosed on champagne and didn't think he was going to win.
As with the greatest actors, Pesci doesn't need statues or awards to affirm his talent. A far cry from today's celebrities who have to be a part of everything, win every award, and lead everyone on social media.
Who is the real artist here?
35
What an utterly exquisite article, of utterly exquisite appreciation, of an utterly exquisite (and utterly exquisitely underappreciated) actor. Sometimes truth is just truth. Indeed, this is Truth, capital "T." Pesci is a national Treasure, and you nailed it, every word.
29
What an utterly exquisite article,of utterly exquisite appreciation, of an utterly exquisite (and utterly exquisitely underappreciated) actor. Sometimes truth is just truth. Indeed, this is Truth, capital "T." Pesci is a national Treasure, and you nailed it, every word.
4
Let's take this moment to imagine America today if it had been Made Great by keeping out the 4 million Italians who came here early in the last century. Remember that they were not considered white, were not treated as fully human, though today we see them as the essence of human-ness, and essential to our nation's culture.
Those who oppose immigration and immigrants and fret about an erasure of American culture have always been wrong, and it is they who try to erase our culture with their own cultural poverty. American culture is cherished world-wide because it IS world-wide, and its continued vitality through continued immigration is our best hope for redemption.
118
@Dan Coleman
Well-said. Thank you.
2
My all-time favorite Joe Pesci performance is his portrayal of "Leon Bernstein" aka "Bernzy," the tabloid photographer in the excellent period piece "The Public Eye" (1992).
I don't know if that role was written for him specifically, but I can't imagine any actor being a better fit and becoming a character so completely and believably. It is apart from Pesci's more popular gangster or over-the-top comedy performances, e.g. the Scorcese and Lethal Weapon stuff.
The film also boasts a great supporting actor performance by Jerry Adler as Bernzy's only friend Artie Nabler, and features Barbara Hershey in a black widowy role at the apex of her beauty.
6
Pesci, lamenting being typecast as a criminal, came out of acting retirement to play a Scorsese mobster for the third time? In the film “Dead Again,” Robin Williams’ character essentially describes the key to happiness: know what you are and be that. Maybe Pesci listened.
4
He quite reminds me of Jonah Hill in his talent and presence on screen. Thankfully Hollywood has figured out that Jonah Hill is not a bit player. And he is doing well to carve out his own path too.
1
For a year or so I worked as a laborer and truck driver in a mobbed up food & meats company. My supervisor was from NJ and related through marriage to the owners. He and his wife were uncannily similar to some of the portrayals in Goodfellas, including their classic first names ( unable to mention here - I still live in the same city. ) I was treated fairly and paid a competitive wage. The meat business, though, is no walk in the park, so I bailed.
12
Joe Pesci in "My Cousin Vinny," aside from the comedy which is great, is an excellent example of shrewd and effective trial work that young lawyers would do well to study. It is an example of his ability to show authenticity in his character even in an absurd story.
19
Well done. He certainly deserves another nomination.
11
Joe Pesci, while in the company of some of the greatest actors, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, absolutely stands out in "Irishman". Simply extraordinary.
11
Some where out there is a Joe Pesci Christmas album, which I always thought was some kind of joking send up of the whole Christmas album thing. Now I have to find those YouTube clips, I had no idea
2
De Niro and Pesci with Scorcese could have had quite a franchise if Pesci didn't go into oblivion.
1
Joe Pesci stole this movie from De Niro and Pacino. It is a masterpiece of acting. He is utterly compelling every moment he is on camera.
16
Yes, he is nothing short of brilliant in this film. He and DeNiro are a lesson in what acting is and should be!! Joe Pesci is definately going to get an Academy Award this season!
24
Few people realize that Joe Pesci is an excellent, professional jazz singer. You can find him on Youtube as "Joe Doggs" performing with premier jazz organist Joey deFrancesco, a legend of of his instrument, although if you like Pesci from his movies you might have trouble separating him from his roles once you hear him sing (I know I can't).
But Joe actually began his career as a musician, not an actor.
43
@Nick Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
9
@Vincent Yes . . . if you like jazz, AND like the Hammond organ, as I do, you're going to *love* Joey de Francesco . . . a disciple of Jimmy Smith, he's easily the best keyboard player jazz has produced in the last 50 years. Joe Pesci sure knew what he was doing when he picked that guy for his collaboration! Although I still have trouble listening to Tommy de Simone "sing" . . .
4
@Nick
Yes!! in love with Joe Doggs.....
1
How many Italian-American actors are there in "The Irishman"?
I guess Daniel Day-Lewis wasn't available.
4
@Mike Edwards Hoffa was only half Irish and De Niro is only a quarter Italian, so I wouldn’t be too upset.
9
Nice to see two men who came together professionally when they were just two youts reunited again.
74
@Atruth Utes, did you say Utes?
13
I am most certainly going to watch The Irishman, what a cast and director ...... should be amazing!!!
3
@Kitjon
No, he said youts. a Ute is an Aussie pickup truck :)
5
I think Joe Pesci and Robert Di Nero are living legends of silver screen. Lots of love and respect for you guys. Thank you for entertaining us for 4 decades and still going. You should run for President and Vice President ticket.
22
@Tom Bandolini
And I would vote for them!
2
The Death Collector -- sometimes called Family Enforcer -- and Dear Mr. Wonderful are not all that easy to come by.
But there is a DVD around that has both of them.
Ask your library to look for a copy.
6
Check YouTube. It’s there.
2
@Jim Jam
Thank you!
1
Really trying to see this on the big screen. Hello? Hello?
7
@Morris Lee
It will be in theaters after Nov 15
1
I alwaya wonder where Mr. Joe Pesci was hiding all these years .
Now He has resurfaced with a bang, can`t waut to see The Irishman.
16
Met him once as he was a friend and a golf buddy of the owner of the brokerage firm I started in the 80's. He walked in the back door as I was heading out with the lit cigar going and announcing to no one in particular"What did da the market crash!" He loves his golf and I had heard that golf mattered more to him then working. One of the moments I always remember is the Raging Bull scene when Deniro bursts into the Pesci household and you can see Pesci knows somethings amiss as Deniro say's "I'm hearing things" Check out Pesci's face as he soon sees the raging bull coming at him because Deniro thinks he's fooling around with his wife.
6
The photo accompanying this article is stunning!
17
No mention of "My Cousin Vinny?" One of the classic lines in the film is when Pesci (playing the lawyer for the two kids who were arrested) says to a witness....."Would you say that the two utes....?" And the judge says "What is a ute???! Ute - youth.
53
@susan
It’s right there in the seventh paragraph.
15
These great actors don't have much time left with us, it's great that Scorcese was able to get all three of them together for perhaps their last great film.
71
@Not 99pct
Nonsense. They've got plenty of "time left with us."
Ever hear of an 88 year old director named Eastwood?
2
Tommy De Simone not DeVito. Pesci played him well even though he did not resemble him physically. A tribute to his acting skills.
7
@ga They had to give everyone different last names in Goodfellas. Although I can't imagine the relatives of the real Tommy de Simone objecting to his being named in the movie. The real Tommy de Simone was over six feet tall, built like a bull from lifting weights and was a murderous thug constantly high on coke.
He shot a perfect stranger in the head while walking in the street just to show off to a friend (his first murder) and was a live wire . . . I actually asked Henry Hill for a photo of the real Tommy back when Henry had started his website (early 2000s) and he promised he'd send me one. Never did, but I bought an autographed script anyway.
For a good portrait of the real Tommy de Simone pick up "The Sinatra Club" by former thug Sal Polisi. I don't know how much about the real Tommy Joe Pesci knew but at least his acting holds some of the terrifying menace the real guy must have had . . . *shudder*
10
@Nick
Pesci would have seen that sort of stuff where he grew up. Not the killing necessarily but the violent reactive behavior for sure.
3
Just hand him the Oscar right now.
30
Lol. "Restrained genius"? Oh, I get it. Reciting lines written by others is right up there with the Sistine Chapel. Thanks for the insight!
4
@Hugh MacDonald Well, yeah; I mean, it’s apples and oranges, and there are certainly degrees of genius, but yes indeed, acting is an art.
21
Is your point that only physical object (painting, sculpture etc) art counts as art in your estimation? So all the musical, and dramatic, and comedic performances over the centuries, no matter how great, can not be counted as art, in your book? Just asking.
15
@Hugh MacDonald if it was easy, we would all be doing it and be extremely wealthy.
The same holds true for those who paint masterpieces.
15
Joe Pesci said he would have smacked Sinead O'Connor had he been there when she ripped the photo of Pope John Paul II in 1992 on Saturday Night Live as a protest against pedophilia in the Catholic Church. I wonder what he thinks now.
51
I am so sick and tired of the poor portrayal of Italians in the media. The same actors playing mobsters and making Italians out to be idiots or worse, murderers. How does the media get away with this? Stereotypes about Italians are old, boring and all about the mafia. When will Hollywood start making movies showing off the intellectual side of Italians? Just so sick of it. No other ethnic group in this country is as openly discriminated and stereotyped in the media as Italians. Is it because Americans are just bitter that Italians have a better quality of life than them? Is it because Italians have the best clothing, food, cars and engineers in the world? Is it because Italians have full universal health care? Is it because America is named after an Italian? I often wonder why?
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@Unbelievable It's because some stereotypes Hollywood is very comfortable with, others, not so much...
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@Unbelievable Sadly many Italian Americans love this portrayal of themselves especially in areas like Staten Island and Brooklyn. Remember the Gotti trial. it was embarrassing how many of them were rooting for a ruthless killer. Then you have show like Mob Wives and Jersey Shore to add further insult to injury.
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@Zoenzo As my parents were born and raised in Italy, we don't consider those so called Italians from Staten Island. To us, they represent everything that is wrong with the portrayal of Italians in the media.
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The SLN 'Pinky Ring Store' sketch is classic Pesci! https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/pinky-ringery/n10305
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Was there ever 5 minutes of cinema tension better delivered than that scene with Ray Liotta in Goodfellas?
Pesci is a true treasure.
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Bardim in No Country For Old Men.
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@Joe Lynch
Also a gem. I can't forget it after many years.
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@Plennie Wingo
I just watched Goodfellas again for the umpteenth time. All the great scenes, my favorite is when Henry and Karen go on their first date at a nightclub, and they go thru a back door, thru hallways, the kitchen, etc, accompanied by a music track from the Crystals (I think). I never tire of seeing it. And Pesci is one ball of pent up anger in his scenes.
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I began to boycott The Oscars in '91 when Goodfellas pretty much lost all its nearly dozen (?) Oscar nominations to the awful Dances with Wolves. The only highlight of that year was Joe winning Best Supporting Oscar. He walked up to the mic after the music stopped and said literally two words for his speech: "Thank you."
That's it. That's really all we need to know about this great actor and seemingly great man in his private life. Welcome back, Joe. And welcome back Marty. And Bobby. And Al. And Harvey. Thank God for the likes of these artists still putting out such great films in this age of Marvel theme-park types of cinema. (See what I did there?)
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@Alex M. Pruteanu
Yes! This was unquestionably the greatest Oscar speech ever! I remember it fondly. Mr. Pesci is a class act, through and through!
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@Alex M. Pruteanu
Broadway, alas, is also awash in theme-park -worthy “theater.”
Sad!
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@Michael
Gloria Graham, when announced as winner for best supporting actress for The Bad and the Beautiful, walked on stage, took the Oscar from Edmund Gwenn, and without stopping, said into the microphone, "Thank-you", and continued walking away.
But Pesci is definitely wonderful in all he does.
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Had the opportunity to work on two of his films -Casino, and a bomb called 'The Love Ranch' - nice man - classy guy. One can't say that about a lot of hollywood "stars"
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One of Joe Pesci's great performances, unmentioned here, is in Nicolas Roeg's Eureka--which has another great performance by another under-appreciated actor, Theresa Russell.
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Joe Pesci's performance in the Tommy DeVito scene with Ray Liotta is riveting acting, and it holds up no matter how many times one sees it. His transitions as an actor during that scene - subtle, building - are textbook examples of building incredible tension using the spoken word.
Quentin Tarantino's directrion is also a master of that technique (the tavern scene in Inglorious Basterds is but a prime example of that).
I first came to notice Joe Pesci in his comedic turn in the Lethal Weapon film. Talk about range as an actor: compare that performance with his Tommy DeVito character and you have a film actor that is an American treasure.
Looking forward to seeing The Irishman.
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One of Pesci's least mentioned movies is called "The Super". This is one of the most hilarious roles Pesci has ever played and was cast perfectly as the son of a slum lord ( memorably played by the great Vincent Gardenia) who had to takeover duties of the super at one of his father's own buildings as punishment for not taking care of repairs.
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I've never seen the entire Goodfellas, but I've watched My Cousin Vinny many times and always thoroughly enjoy Pesci as a man of comedy.
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@Katherine I drop all pretense of getting things done when "Goodfellas" or "Casino" pops up on our TV. Pesci is one of my favorite. Ever!
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@Katherine
Okay, Katherine....we must get you set up with several hours of no chores, no phone, a few snacks and then watch Goodfellas start to finish.....honestly, a masterpiece on every level....don't put this off, please....truly a masterpiece where every scene, every dialogue is perfect.....just sayin'
Blake
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Nit pick: can one come out of semi-retirement? Doesn't that term imply one is still, occasionally, working?
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Excellent article, thank you. I'm a fan of Pesci's and will watch him in almost anything. I came to appreciate boxing after seeing Raging Bull. I was able to see the gracefulness as well as the dignity that's present in a brutal sport. And no one has honored Little Jimmy Scott the way Pesci's Joey Doggs did. I imagine Pesci will get a few more awards.
4
Wishing “ Irishman” was playing in more theaters, now, nation wide....
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I think we can all agree: Joe Pesci is amazing. I'm looking forward to seeing his latest film, would love to see him in more.
11
Boy, was Joe miscast in those Lethal Weapon and other "comedy" dreck. Glad to see he is getting his chances at real acting, again.
8
No matter what role he played, I've always loved Joe Pesci as an actor... Waiting to see the Irishman...
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Joe Pesci was/is semi-retired?
I understand but sure miss him. I think I recall reading that Jack Nicholson also retired.
The understated genius of Joe Pesci, just hearing the sound of his voice, draws me to anything and everything he has ever done.
I have been waiting for this movie ever since I read the book, "I Hear You Paint Houses" and heard Netflix was making a movie.
The fact that Joe Pesci is in this film simply seals the deal perfectly. Heck, I'd pay to watch him read the phone book.
Love you Mr. Pesci! You continue to rock and bring such joy and entertainment to a little person like me.
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@Marge Keller I want Joe Pesci as the voice for my GPS. "Turn right. No! Right you moron!'
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@K Barrett
Hahahahahahaha!
My absolute favorite comment!
I'd be laughing so much while listening to his voice, I would probably be making wrong turns continuously. His last line could be - "I give up you moron because you shouldn't be driving - PERIOD!"
13
George Carlin famously said: “You know who I pray to? Joe Pesci. Two reasons: First of all, I think he’s a good actor, okay? To me, that counts. Second, he looks like a guy who can get things done. Joe Pesci doesn’t f—around. In fact, Joe Pesci came through on a couple of things that God was having trouble with.”
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@Steve
Great comment!
And thanks for going down George Carlin memory lane.
He too was a genius like Joe Pesci, just a different kind of genius. Miss him and his humor dearly.
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@Steve - I was just about to post George Carlin's comment about Joe Pesci. You beat me to it. Well done!!!!
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I never blamed him for quitting. Those films with Glover and Gibson, the Lethal Weapon series, were bad and made him look dumber than dirt.
He's good, even great. Glad he came back to do this.
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@John Harrington, Sometimes, a job is a job.
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@Ryan Bingham
Ain't that the truth. You should see what I'm doing right now after years of college, an MA and a JD. Lol
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@John Harrington - but who else on earth could turn one line into the priceless gem at the drive-through!
2
Nice tribute to a great actor that is well deserved.
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We saw this movie yesterday with a packed audience. Joe Pesci was fabulous as was Robert D Niro.
I am still thinking about these movie this morning, in fact it affected my sleep!
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@RB That’s the mark of a great movie!
2
Brilliant actor who embodies the cautionary tale for people of talent. If you got talent, it ain't enough. You gotta hustle. An' even if you hustle, "they" are gonna put you in a little box, an' all the talent an' hustle in the world ain't gonna get you outta that box.
34
Thank you, Ms. Lucca, for this piece on one of the most underrated entertainers of the past two decades.
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I keep hearing how I need to watch "Goodfellas" to understand Mafia Don's code talk. Sounds like this movie would go along way toward helping us understand Mafia Don's mood swings, violent temper, and love of revenge. Good timing!
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@Okiegopher You need to watch "Goodfellas" because it's a masterpiece. No further justification is required.
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@Okiegopher seriously, you haven’t seen Goodfellas? Don’t watch the cut TV version.
14
To me, “ Godfather “ is a fantasy like story about a mafia king, his 3 princely sons and the family. “ Goodfellas”, by contrast, is the story about 3 foot soldiers in the mob and shows how the mafia actually lived in NYC. The former is a work of high art- a beautiful renaissance painting- while the latter is akin to a gruesome photograph of systemic destruction- like Hiroshima in 1945. Both are classics- but Goodfellas is accurate representation of the men and what i saw on the streets and in the clubs in NYC in 1960-1980’s.
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