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Joe Pesci is 75! (Topic)

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Joe Pesci is 75!

Image It would seem that the filmography of today's birthday boy has a relatively small number of works, only about 40. However, we can confidently say that he is familiar to the widest audience: from those whose childhood passed under the adventures of the naughty Kevin McCallister to fans of the crime dramas of Martin Scorsese. Today Oscar winner, talented and charismatic actor Joe Pesci turns 75.

Joseph Frank Pesci was born in 1943 in Newark, New Jersey, in a family of immigrants from Italy. His mother worked in a hairdresser and his father was a forklift driver. From an early age, Joe began attending acting, dance and music classes. At the age of four he made his debut in a radio program, at five he first appeared on the stage, and at ten he became a regular participant in the television show "Startime Kids". In the mid-60s, Pesci began a music career, singing in nightclubs, playing guitar in the pop group Joey Dee and the Starliters, and in 1968 he even recorded a solo album under the pseudonym Joey Richie. Over time, the multifaceted artist turned his attention to stand-up, starting to perform with his friend, actor Frank Vincent.

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The logical continuation of such a creative path was, of course, to try my hand at cinema. Joe Pesci's first appearance on the big screen was in the low-budget 1975 film The Death Collector, about a guy who wanted to leave the mafia. After his debut, Pesci set off to try his luck in Hollywood. However, there were no new offers and, running from one audition to another in the hope of snatching his chance, he had to work as a hairdresser, postal clerk, grocer's assistant. Far from the roles that he dreamed of when deciding to move. Having failed to achieve anything, Joe abandoned his acting career, returned to New York and became the manager of an Italian restaurant. Perhaps the audience would never have known about the existence of a talented actor, if not for Robert De Niro and, as they say, a life-changing phone call.
Robert caught the eye of the very "Collector of Deaths", and he was so delighted with the image that the aspiring actor created on the screen that he shared his find with Martin Scorsese. As a result, the director invited Joe to play the role of the boxer's brother Jake LaMotta in the Raging Bull biopic. The film was released in 1980, was a great success and was awarded several prestigious awards, including two Oscars and a Golden Globe. Joe Pesci was not ignored either. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at both ceremonies, and was named the winner in the category "Most Promising Debut in a Leading Role" by the British Academy.

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The film, which has become a classic of world cinema, marked the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between Pesci and Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese. In 1984, the hero of the day again appeared in one shot with De Niro, this time in Sergio Leone's gangster drama Once Upon a Time in America. And six years later, the trio met again on the set of another cult crime movie, Goodfellas, where Joe Pesci played one of his most famous roles. He so got used to the image of the impulsive and cocky gangster Tommy DeVito, a real "mad dog" that it seemed that the actor himself had been connected with the mafia all his life. No wonder that the reincarnation of Joe Pesci was appreciated by the members of the American Film Academy, presenting him with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

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After the resounding success of Boys, the actor began to actively appear in a wide variety of projects. He can be seen in such films of the 90s as the comedy "My Cousin Vinnie", "With Honors", "Eight Heads in One Bag", the historical drama by Oliver Stone "John F. Kennedy. Shots in Dallas ", several parts of the police franchise" Lethal Weapon ", De Niro's directorial debut" The Bronx Story ", another atmospheric crime tape from Martin Scorsese" Casino ". And, of course, one cannot fail to mention such a vivid and memorable image of today's birthday boy as a loser robber from the Christmas comedy "Home Alone" and its sequel, who has suffered all sorts of horrors from an enterprising boy.

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Despite the demand, in 1999 Pesci announced his retirement from the profession and focused on music. He released several albums, but in the intervening time has become an almost elusive figure, rarely giving interviews and rarely appearing in public. And yet, to the delight of fans, the actor rarely returns to work in cinema, but returns. In 2006, he appeared in a small role in the next directorial project of his friend Robert De Niro, "False Temptation", and in 2010, he played in the film "Love Ranch" with Helen Mirren. After that, for seven long years, he again disappeared from sight, but the good old De Niro and Scorsese came to the rescue. According to rumors, Joe Pesci tried several times to refuse the role in the new crime drama of the master "The Irishman", but in the end he gave up. And this, of course, cannot but rejoice.

The Topic of Article: Joe Pesci is 75!.
Author: Jake Pinkman


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