Chazz Palminteri Bio

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Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri (born May 15, 1952) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale and Mulholland Falls.

Chazz Palminteri: Early life and film career

Palminteri, a Sicilian/Italian American, was born in the Bronx, New York, the son of Rose, a homemaker, and Lorenzo Palminteri, a bus driver. The Bronx has had considerable influence on his work, particularly in A Bronx Tale, a play which he wrote and adapted into a 1993 film which starred him and Robert De Niro. The film was acclaimed and opened doors to Palminteri as an actor, and supporting roles in Hollywood films such as The Usual Suspects and Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway followed, the latter earning Palminteri a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Palminteri has had acclaimed dramatic performances in films such as The Perez Family, Jade and Diabolique, as well as comedic roles in films such as Analyze This and Down to Earth. During its run, Palminteri did many advertisements for Vanilla Coke, in which he portrayed a mob boss who would threaten celebrities if they didn't praise the taste of the product in question, and then let them walk away with the Vanilla Coke to "reward their curiosity", touching on its slogan at the time. Palminteri has voiced characters in various animated films, the most notable being 2006's Hoodwinked.

He made his directorial debut with the 2002 television film, "Women vs. Men". He has also directed the 2004 film Noel which starred Alan Arkin and Susan Sarandon. Palminteri's recent efforts include A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Running Scared and Arthur and the Minimoys.

Chazz Palminteri starred on Broadway in A Bronx Tale the semi-autobiographical one-man show he first performed off-Broadway in 1989. The production, directed by Jerry Zaks and with music by John Gromada, began previews October 4, 2008 at the Walter Kerr Theatre and opened on October 25, running for 18 weeks. Palminteri plays 18 roles in "A Bronx Tale," which depicts a rough childhood on the streets of the Bronx. The play ran for two months at Playhouse 91 in 1989. Robert De Niro saw this show there and made his directorial debut with the big-screen version, co-starring with Palminteri.

Chazz Palminteri: Personal life

Palminteri lives in Bedford, New York.

Palminteri is married to actress Gianna Ranaudo, with whom he has two children: Dante Lorenzo (born October 11, 1995) and Gabriella Rose (born December 25, 2001).

Palminteri is a self-avowed New York Yankees fan, and is often heard as caller "Chazz from Bedford" on WFAN-AM, a sports radio station.

He often visits Nassau County Long Island to visit relatives.