Joe Pesci

Joseph Frank Pesci ( PESH-ee, Italian pronunciation: [ˈpeʃːi]; born February 9, 1943) is an American actor and musician. He is known for portraying tough, volatile characters in a variety of genres and for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in the films Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995) and The Irishman (2019). He also appeared in Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Moonwalker (1988), JFK (1991), A Bronx Tale (1993), and The Good Shepherd (2006). His comedy roles include such films as Home Alone (1990), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), and the Lethal Weapon franchise (1989–1998). Pesci won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the psychopathic gangster Tommy DeVito (based on Thomas DeSimone) in Goodfellas; he had been previously nominated for the same award for his role as Joey LaMotta in Raging Bull. He announced his retirement from acting in 1999, and since then he has appeared only occasionally in films. He is also a musician who recorded three studio albums, Little Joe Sure Can Sing! (1968), Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You (1998) and Still Singing (2019). In 2019, Pesci returned from his retirement to star alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (2019).