Known for portraying tough, volatile characters in a variety of genres and for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci is the compact Italian-American actor that packs a punch on screen. His distinct Jersey voice and larger-than-life personality have landed him some of the most acclaimed and memorable roles in film. Although he announced his retirement from acting in 1999, he has returned to acting in four films since. America Domani has put together a list of some of Joe Pesci’s most iconic moments on screen that will never be forgotten.
Raging Bull (1980)
Raging Bull was the beginning of one of Hollywood’s most dynamic trios - Joe Pesci, Martin Scorsese, and Robert De Niro. A biopic about Italian-American boxer Jake LaMotta, DeNiro embodied a self-destructive, rage-obsessed, jealous character who destroyed his relationship with his family. Pesci was cast as LaMotta’s brother, Joey LaMotta and his performance landed him the BAFTA Award for Newcomer to Leading Film in 1981. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone is one of the most iconic and unforgettable family Christmas films ever released. Taking a break from mobster roles and changing his pace to do slapstick comedy, Joe Pesci shows up on screen as Harry, one half a less-than-stellar thief duo who is constantly one-upped by a clever kid played by Macaulay Culkin. Pesci reprised his role as Harry in Home Alone 2: Christmas in New York and it still remains one of his most memorable performances.
Goodfellas (1991)
Widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, particularly in the gangster genre, Pesci teamed up once again with DeNiro and Scorsese in Goodfellas. Based on the real-life mobster Henry Hill, Pesci played Tommy DeVito, one of the most cruel and feared characters in the movie. Some of the iconic scenes fans reenact to this day were completely improvised - Scorsese allowed the talent to run with the scenes he could never replicate. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Pesci won Best Supporting Actor where he gave one of the shortest acceptance speeches.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
When two Italian-American boys from New York are wrongly accused of murder in a small Alabama town, the only lawyer they know who can help them is their cousin Vinny, played by Joe Pesci. After six attempts before he passed his bar exam, Cousin Vinny tries to clear the two boys’ names; however, that seems like a small piece of the plot compared to the culture-clash humor. Still one of the funniest comedies of the 1990s, Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei team up and stand out like sore thumbs in the best way possible.
With Honors (1994)
Academia meets street smarts in With Honors. The Harvard graduate student, played by Brenden Fraiser, is struggling to finish his program, loses his thesis, and finds it in the hands of a homeless man named Simon Wilder, played by Joe Pesci. The pair become the most unlikely friends and teach each other some of life’s most important lessons.
Casino (1995)
Pesci, DeNiro, and Scorsese team up in Casino, a gangster drama set in early-1970s Las Vegas. Pesci plays the loose-cannon enforcer Nicky Santoro, based on real-life Chicago Outfit enforcer Anthony John "The Ant '' Spilotro. It was nominated for many awards however, only one would go home to Sharon Stone who won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama.
The Irishman (2017)
It could only take Martin Scorcese and Robert DeNiro to pull Joe Pesci out of retirement. It was rumored that Pesci was offered a part in The Irishman over 50 times before he agreed to accept in the Netflix Original. The film follows Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a truck driver who becomes a hitman involved with mobster Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and his crime family, including his time working for Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). Although the epic three-and-a-half-hour gangster drama received 10 Academy Award nominations, it came home empty-handed.
AJ Forrisi
Assistant Editor for America Domani, AJ Forrisi is a Brooklyn-based writer and photographer. His work focuses on food, travel, sports, landscapes, and urban scenes. You can find him on Instagram @aj.photo.works.