Did you watch the 2016 documentary I Go Back Home: Jimmy Scott? Did you ask, “how old is Joe Pesci”? Age is catching up with this Italian-American Actor since his first appearance in Star Time Kids in the mid-1950s. He is retired at the moment and barely appears in films.
Before we allow Joe Pesci to take a break after entertaining us for decades, let us reminisce on who he has been to us.
Who is Joe Pesci?
Joe Frank Pesci is a retired Italian-American actor and musician, born on February 9, 1943. His character was tough and volatile in the various film genres he acted. Also, he displayed his comical nature in some of the films.
Some of the Joe Pesci movies are Raging Bull (1980), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Casino (1995), Goodfellas (1990), The Irishman (2019), Moonwalker (1988), and JFK (1991).
Musically, Joe Pesci’s songs are in three albums. The Albums must be containing several Joe Pesci music pieces. The albums are:
- Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You (1998),
- Little Joe Sure Can Sing! (1968)
- Still Singing (2019)
A Joe Pesci Quick Information Sheet
| Celebrity Name | Joe Pesci |
| Real/Full Name | Joseph Frank Pesci |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 78 years |
| Date of Birth | February 9, 1943 |
| Place of Birth | Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A. |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 1.63 meters (64.17 inches) |
| Weight | 66 kilograms (145.2 pounds) |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Name of Wife/Spouse | Claudia Haro (Married: 1988, Divorced: 1992)Angie Everhart (Partner: 2000-2008) |
| Children | Tiffany Pesci |
| Girlfriend | None |
| Is Pesci Gay? | No |
| Profession | Actor, Comedian, Musician |
| Salary | N/A |
| Networth (2021) | $50 Million |
| Last Information Update | December 2021 |
Joe Pesci’s Early Life
Joe Pesci’s parents were Mary (Mesce) and Angelo Pesci. Mary was a part-time barber, and Angelo was a forklift driver and a bartender.
Joe Pesci came into the limelight as an actor in the mid-1950s. During that time, he starred in the series Star Time Kids. Joe Pesci’s singing career started in the mid-1960s when he released a music album Little Joe Sure Can Sing. His stage name was Joe Ritchie. He was also a guitarist in several bands, such as Starliters and Joey Dee.
Joe also went into comedy in the mid-1960s, along with Frank Vincent. However, the Frank Vincent Joe Pesci initial collaboration resulted in limited success. Later, the collaboration became successful in several gangster films.
The first film role that Joe played was as an uncredited dancer in Hey, Let’s Twist! in 1961. Fifteen years later, he played another minor role in the 1976 film, The Death Collector. When acting in the second film, Robert De Niro noticed him. Afterward, Robert convinced the 1980 Raging Bull director, Martin Scorsese, to allow Joe to work as Joey LaMotta in the third film.
Joe’s role in the Raging Bull got him noticed in Hollywood. He acted alongside Rodney Dangerfield in the 1983 film, Easy Money. In 1984, he performed alongside De Niro in Once Upon a Time in America. Joe also shined in the 1989 film Lethal Weapon 2. One of his climax moments happened in 1990 when he won an Oscar for the best supporting actor role in Goodfellas.
Joe presented his comical talent in the film Home Alone. When did home alone 1 come out? On December 14, 1990. Later, Joe was to act as a co-conspirator, David Ferrie, in the film JKF. In 1992, he was a bumbling crook in Lethal Weapon 3, Home Alone 2, and Lost in New York. In 1993, Robert De Niro gave him a minor role in A Bronx Tale.
In 1995, Joe took the role of a Casino actor. He acted like a deranged gangster. The movie was a replica of real-life gangster events of Tony Spilotro, AKA The Ant.
Despite several successful films that Joe acted, two comedy films failed to become famous. The two 1997 films were 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag and Gone Fishin’. In 1998, Joe made a comeback as a fast-talking conman in the film Lethal Weapon 4.
Eventually, Joe retired in 1999 but showed up occasionally in films, such as 2006 The Good Shepherd and 2006 music documentary I Go Back Home.
All About Pesci’s Personal Life
- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
- Chinese Zodiac: Goat
- Birth Element: Water
Joe has two siblings. His ancestry is Italian American, and he studied at Belleville High School. His teenage friends were Tommy DeVito and Frankie Valli, who later became singers. Joe had introduced them to Bob Gaudio, a singer and songwriter. Later, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, Joe Pesci, and Frankie Valli formed the internationally famous rock band, The Four Seasons.
Regarding his marriage life, Joe is a 3-time divorcee. He has one child, Tiffany, whom he got with Claudia Haro.
How Old is Joe Pesci? Plus Height and Weight
Seventy-eight years old is how old Joe Pesci now is. His weight is 66 kilograms (145.2 pounds). Last, Joe Pesci’s height is 1.63 meters (64.17 inches).
Joe Pesci Movies and Other Career Endeavors
Movies
Year Title Role
- 1961 Hey, Let’s Twist! Peppermint Club Dancer
- 1976 The Death Collector Joe Salvino
- 1980 Raging Bull Joey LaMotta
- 1982 I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can Roger
- 1982 Dear Mr. Wonderful Ruby Dennis
- 1983 Eureka Mayakovsky
- 1983 Easy Money Nicky Cerone
- 1984 Once Upon a Time in America Frankie Minaldi
- 1984 Everybody in Jail Corrado Parisi
- 1985 Half Nelson Rocky Nelson
- 1987 Man on Fire David Coolidge
- 1988 Moonwalker Frankie Lideo (a.k.a. Mr. Big)
- 1988 The Legendary Life of Ernest John Dos Passos
- 1989 Lethal Weapon 2 Leo Getz
- 1990 Catchfire Leo Carelli
- 1990 Betsy’s Wedding Oscar Henner
- 1990 Goodfellas Tommy DeVito
- 1990 Home Alone Harry Lime
- 1991 The Super Louie Kritski
- 1991 JFK David Ferrie
- 1992 My Cousin Vinny Vincent LaGuardia Gambini
- 1992 Lethal Weapon 3 Leo Getz
- 1992 The Public Eye Leon Bernstein
- 1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Harry Lime
- 1993 A Bronx Tale Carmine
- 1994 Jimmy Hollywood Jimmy Alto
- 1994 With Honors Simon Wilder
- 1995 Casino Nicky Santoro
- 1997 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag Tommy Spinelli
- 1997 Gone Fishin’ Joe Waters
- 1998 Lethal Weapon 4 Leo Getz
- 2006 The Good Shepherd Joseph Palmi
- 2010 Love Ranch Charlie Bontempo
- 2015 A Warrior’s Tail Mosquito
TV Shows
Year Title Role
- 1966 The Lucy Show Lead Musician
- 1985 Half Nelson Rocky Nelson
- 1992 Tales from the Crypt Vic/Jack
- 1992 Saturday Night Live Host (The Joe Pesci show)
Pesci’s Awards and Achievements
1980
- Best Newcomer BAFTA Award
- Best Supporting Actor National Board of Review Award
- Best Supporting Actor National Society of Film Critics Award
- Best Supporting Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award
- Best Supporting Actor Academy Award Nomination
- Best Supporting Actor (Motion Picture) Golden Globe Award Nomination
1990
- Best Supporting Actor Academy Award
- Best Supporting Actor Boston Society of Film Critics Award
- Best Supporting Actor Chicago Film Critics Association Award
- Best Supporting Actor Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award
- Best Supporting Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award
- Best Supporting Actor National Board of Review Award
- Best Supporting Actor (Motion Picture) Nominated – Golden Globe Award
- Best Supporting Actor National Society of Film Critics Award Nomination
- Best Supporting Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award Nomination
1992
- Funniest Actor (Motion Picture) American Comedy Award
- Best Comedic Performance MTV Movie Award Nomination
- Actor in a Dramatic Series CableACE Award Nomination
1995
- Best Villain MTV Movie Award Nomination
1998
- Favorite Supporting Actor (Action/Adventure) Blockbuster Entertainment Award
- Worst Supporting Actor Golden Raspberry Award Nomination
The Joe Pesci Net Worth and Salary
According to the Celebrity Net Worth website, Joe Pesci’s net worth is $50 million. His earnings include $3 million from Lethal Weapon 4 and $3.5 million from Jimmy Hollywood.
9 Facts About Joe Pesci you Didn’t Know
- Robert De Niro broke Joe’s rib during the filming of the Raging Bull. De Niro had thrown Joe against a glass window. He also kicked Joe intensely and broke his rib. The scene remained in the film.
- Joe nearly played Mushu, the dragon, in the film Mulan. However, the directors discarded the split personality idea. Joe was to become the voice of the dark side of Mushu, and Richard Dreyfuss was to voice the light-hearted side of the dragon.
- At one point, Joe had sued a film company for forcing him to gain 30 pounds (13.5 kilograms) of weight and for also reducing his salary. He was asking for compensation of $3 million.
- A witness implicated Joe in the murder-for-hire case involving Joe Pesci’s wife, Claudia. The witness had said that Joe had paid the hitman. However, it was not true.
- In The Irishman, Joe had turned down an acting offer 40 times. He was already retired. However, he accepted the offer finally.
- Joe facilitated the creation of The Four Seasons band. He had introduced his two teenage friends to Bob Gaudio, a singer and songwriter.
- The shortest speech in the history of the Oscar awards ceremony is the 1991 Joe Pesci Oscar Speech. Joe was not expecting the award. So, his speech consisted of five words only.
- At one time, Joe filled his home swear jar within one day. Actors had to refrain from swearing during the filming of Home Alone because of the high presence of children on the set.
- Joe’s golf schedule determined his casting hours in the film Home Alone. He was a golf loyalist fan that forced the movie directors to cast the film near a golf course.
Pesci’s Best-Known Movies
- Goodfellas (1991): Joe won the Best Supporting Actor after casting this movie. In the movie, Joe is a vicious killer that testifies against his accomplices.
- Raging Bull (1980): This film earned Joe the Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. It also won him favor from several film critic groups. In this movie, Joe plays the role of a boxing manager.
- The Irishman (2019): Joe became active again after retiring to cast in this movie. In this movie, he is a Mafia boss that trains a truck driver to become a hitman.
- My Cousin Vinny (1992): In this movie, Marisa Tomei, Joe’s girlfriend, won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role. The film is about a lawyer seeking to help his cousin falsely accused of murder.
- Home Alone (1990): This classic Christmas film never gets old. The film stands as one of the box office blockbuster movies. It is a comedy movie that features a child that fights off robbers.
“You Win! You Win!”
The legacy of Joe Pesci will outlive him. He remains a hero that has kept most of us glued to our screens. He is also not a disappointment to his fans. Some of them are still waiting for his next move, though we are unsure whether his age will allow him to surprise them. Regardless, his legacy deserves a standing ovation.
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