Actor
Joe Pesci
Born 9 February 1943 · Newark, New Jersey, USA
Joe Pesci (born 1943) is an American actor from Newark, New Jersey, known for volatile mobster roles and sharp comic performances. He became a key Martin Scorsese collaborator and won an Oscar for GoodFellas. He also found wide popularity in comedies such as My Cousin Vinny and Home Alone.
Key films
Raging Bull (1980)
Played Joey LaMotta, Jake's brother, in his breakthrough role and first collaboration with Scorsese; earned an Oscar nomination.
GoodFellas (1990)
His terrifying turn as Tommy DeVito won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
A rare leading comic role as a brash New York lawyer, showing his range beyond gangsters.
Casino (1995)
Played violent enforcer Nicky Santoro, reuniting with Scorsese and Robert De Niro.
The Irishman (2019)
Brought him back to acting as mob boss Russell Bufalino, earning another Oscar nomination.
Key awards
- 1991 – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (GoodFellas)
- 1981 – Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor (Raging Bull)
- 2020 – Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor (The Irishman)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 61
- 1961Hey, Let's Twist! · as Peppermint Club Dancer (uncredited)Actor
- 1976Family Enforcer · as JoeActor
- 1977Short Eyes · as Other Inmate (uncredited)Actor
- 1980Raging Bull · as Joey LaMottaActor
- 1982Dear Mr. Wonderful · as Ruby DennisActor
- 1982I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can · as RogerActor
- 1983Easy Money · as Nicky CeroneActor
- 1983Eureka · as MayakofskyActor
- 1984Once Upon a Time in America · as FrankieActor
- 1984All for the Moral Majority! · as Corrado ParisiActor
- 1985Half Nelson · as Rocky NelsonActor
- 1987Man on Fire · as DavidActor
- 1988Moonwalker · as Mr. BigActor
- 1988The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway · as John Dos PassosActor
- 1989Lethal Weapon 2 · as Leo GetzActor
- 1989The Making of Moonwalker · as SelfActor
- 1989Mel Gibson's Unauthorized Video Diary · as SelfActor
- 1990GoodFellas · as Tommy DeVitoActor
- 1990Home Alone · as HarryActor
- 1990Catchfire · as Leo Carelli (uncredited)Actor
- 1990Betsy's Wedding · as Oscar HennerActor
- 1990Martin Scorsese Directs · as SelfActor
- 1991JFK · as David FerrieActor
- 1991The Super · as Louie KritskiActor
- 1992Home Alone 2: Lost in New York · as HarryActor
- 1992Lethal Weapon 3 · as Leo GetzActor
- 1992My Cousin Vinny · as Vinny GambiniActor
- 1992The Public Eye · as Leon BernsteinActor
- 1993A Bronx Tale · as CarmineActor
- 1993Andrew Dice Clay and His Gang Live! The Valentine's Day Massacre · as SelfActor
- 1994With Honors · as Simon WilderActor
- 1994Jimmy Hollywood · as Jimmy AltoActor
- 1994Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! · as Ronald GrumpActor
- 1995Casino · as Nicky SantoroActor
- 19978 Heads in a Duffel Bag · as TommyActor
- 1997Gone Fishin' · as Joe WatersActor
- 1998Lethal Weapon 4 · as Leo GetzActor
- 1999Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity · as SelfActor
- 1999Home Alone - Making of & Behind the Scenes · as HarryActor
- 2004Getting Made: The Making of 'GoodFellas' · as SelfActor
- 2005Raging Bull: Inside the Ring · as SelfActor
- 2005Raging Bull: Before the Fight · as SelfActor
- 2005Raging Bull: Outside the Ring · as SelfActor
- 2005Raging Bull: After the Fight · as SelfActor
- 2006The Good Shepherd · as Joseph PalmiActor
- 2007Making Casino · as SelfActor
- 2010Love Ranch · as Charlie BontempoActor
- 2012Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen · as (archive footage)Actor
- 2012Rising Above the Blues: The Story of Jimmy Scott · as SelfActor
- 2013Behind the Gate · as SelfActor
- 2014Inside Rupert Pupkin · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2016I Go Back Home - Jimmy Scott · as SelfActor
- 2019The Irishman · as Russell BufalinoActor
- 2019The Irishman: In Conversation · as SelfActor
- 2020Making 'The Irishman' · as SelfActor
- 2020The Collaboration of a Lifetime: Scorsese's Epic The Irishman · as SelfActor
- 2020GoodFellas: Behind Closed Doors · as Self (Archive Footage)Actor
- 2022Nothing Compares · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2023Yellow Door: '90s Lo-fi Film Club · as Joey LaMotta (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 2024Day of the Fight · as Mike's FatherActor
- 2026As Far Back As I Can Remember... The Story of Goodfellas · as Self (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.