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Born in New York City. Stocky, stage-trained character actor, usually typecast as a thug. Born to Italian immigrants in Queens, he worked at a variety of jobs before studying drama with Lee Strasberg at the Actor's Studio. After a series of off-Broadway plays, he made his screen debut in THE GANG THAT COULDN'T SHOOT STRAIGHT (1971). For his role as the tender, frustrated brother-in-law Paulie in the original ROCKY (1976), he won an Academy Award® nomination. He has gone on to appear in all six ROCKY movies. Work on the ROCKY cycle allowed him time to write, direct, and appear in plays.
Other notable credits include TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING and THE CHOIRBOYS (both 1977), CONVOY (1978), ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA and THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE (both 1984), BACK TO SCHOOL (1986), LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN (1989), BETSY'S WEDDING (1990), SHE'S SO LOVELY (1997), MICKEY BLUE EYES (1999), NEVER LOOK BACK (2000), THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH (2002), and TRANSAMERICA (2005).
1 nomination |
Nominated for Supporting Actor