Chazz Palminteri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chazz Palminteri
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Palminteri in 2011
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| Born |
Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri
May 15, 1952 New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Gianna Ranaudo
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 2 |
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri (born May 15, 1952) is an American actor, writer, and filmmaker. He is famous for writing and starring in the movie A Bronx Tale (1993). This film was based on his own play about his childhood.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1994 movie Bullets Over Broadway. You might also know him from the movie The Usual Suspects (1995) or as the recurring character Shorty in the TV show Modern Family.
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Early Life and Family
Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri was born in the Bronx, a borough of New York City, on May 15, 1952. His mother, Rose, was a homemaker, and his father, Lorenzo, was a bus driver. He grew up in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx.
Palminteri's family comes from Sicily, an island in Italy. All four of his grandparents were born in Sicily and moved to the United States. When he was nine years old, Palminteri saw a serious crime happen in front of his building. The police asked him questions, but he said he didn't see anything. This event later became a major part of his famous play, A Bronx Tale.
Starting His Career
Palminteri worked hard to become an actor. He acted in small plays and also worked as a bouncer at clubs to make money. For a while, he worked alongside the actor Dolph Lundgren.
In 1988, he was working as a bouncer at a nightclub. A very powerful Hollywood agent named Swifty Lazar tried to enter, but Palminteri didn't know who he was and stopped him. This got Palminteri fired. With no job and little money, he decided to write a play for himself to star in. That play was A Bronx Tale.
Breakthrough with 'A Bronx Tale'
From Stage to Screen
Palminteri first performed A Bronx Tale as a one-man show in Los Angeles in 1989. In the play, he acted out 18 different characters from his childhood in the Bronx. The play was a huge hit.
The famous actor Robert De Niro saw the play in 1990 and loved it. De Niro wanted to turn it into a movie. Palminteri agreed, but only if he could write the script and play the role of Sonny, the gangster. De Niro agreed and decided to direct the movie himself, which was his first time directing. He also played the part of Palminteri's father, Lorenzo.
The movie A Bronx Tale was released in 1993 and was a big success with both audiences and critics. It launched Palminteri into stardom.
Famous Roles and Films
After A Bronx Tale, Palminteri's career took off. In 1994, he starred as a gangster named Cheech in the comedy Bullets Over Broadway. His performance was so good that he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He also appeared in other popular movies, including:
- The Usual Suspects (1995), where he played a U.S. Customs Agent.
- Analyze This (1999), a comedy about a mob boss.
- Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001), where he was the voice of the dog Buster.
- Hoodwinked! (2005), where he voiced the character Woolworth the sheep.
- Little Man (2006), a comedy film.
- Legend (2015), where he played a real-life crime boss.
Work in Television
Palminteri has also been a familiar face on television. He had a recurring role as Frank Rizzoli, Sr. in the crime show Rizzoli & Isles from 2010 to 2014.
Many people know him as "Shorty" on the hit comedy series Modern Family. He appeared as a friend of the main character, Jay Pritchett, in several episodes between 2010 and 2019. He also played a mob lawyer in the police drama Blue Bloods.
From 2019 to 2021, he played the real-life crime boss Joseph Bonanno in the series Godfather of Harlem.
Other Projects
Besides acting, Palminteri has tried other things. He directed a movie called Noel in 2004. For a time, he owned an Italian restaurant in Baltimore and later opened one in New York City.
He also did voice acting for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II. In 2021, he started his own podcast on YouTube called The Chazz Palminteri Show, where he interviews other celebrities.
Personal Life
Chazz Palminteri lives in Bedford, a town in Westchester County, New York. He has described himself as a devout Roman Catholic.
In 1992, he married Gianna Ranaudo. They have two children together. Palminteri is a big fan of the New York Yankees baseball team.
See also
In Spanish: Chazz Palminteri para niños
