| Years active 1952–present Spouse Jane Pittson (m. 2003) Height 1.80 m | Role Actor Name Dominic Chianese Albums Ungrateful heart, Hits | |
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| Born February 24, 1931 (age 84) (1931-02-24) The Bronx, New York, U.S. Occupation Actor, singer, musician Website http://www.dominicchianese.net/ Children Dominic Chianese Jr., Leah Espy Chianese Movies and TV shows The Sopranos, Under Hellgate Bridge, The Godfather Part II, The Family, Unfaithful Similar People James Gandolfini, Tony Sirico, Robert Iler, Michael Imperioli, Aida Turturro | ||
Dominic chianese uncle junior performs at the 2012 litchfield jazz festival
Dominic Chianese (; born February 24, 1931) is an American actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his role as Corrado "Junior" Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, and Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II.
Contents
- Dominic chianese uncle junior performs at the 2012 litchfield jazz festival
- Raul malo and dominic chianese solamente una vez
- Early life
- Career
- References
Raul malo and dominic chianese solamente una vez
Early life
Chianese was born in the Bronx, New York. His father was a bricklayer. His grandfather emigrated to the United States from Naples in 1904 and settled in the Bronx.
Career
After a decade of attending college and appearing in Off-Broadway theatre, Chianese attended his first professional acting class at HB Studio in Manhattan, with renowned teacher Walt Witcover. Drama and musical theater became Chianese's passion. His first Broadway show was Oliver! in 1965. He has continued to perform in Broadway theatre, Off Broadway, and regional theatre. To supplement income in the dry periods, he played rhythm guitar and sang in taverns and restaurants. Chianese's first television credit occurred when George C. Scott recommended him for a role in the acclaimed series East Side/West Side. In 1974, Francis Ford Coppola cast Chianese as Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II, which sparked a film career, culminating in several films (and plays) with Al Pacino.
Before being cast in The Godfather Part II, Chianese worked for the Drug Commission of New York State as a recreational worker in a rehabilitation center. He taught guitar to women who were serving time for drug-related crimes.
In 2010, Chianese received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his humanitarian efforts.
Chianese has appeared in four movies with his friend Al Pacino:
Chianese is an accomplished tenor and musician, having released a CD titled Hits in 2000, on which he sings American and Italian songs. He performed Salvatore Cardillo's sentimental classic "Core 'ngrato" ("Ungrateful Heart"), on the third-season finale of The Sopranos (episode 3.13, "Army of One"). In 2003, Chianese, along with AOL Music, released a second CD titled Ungrateful Heart, which features 16 classic Neapolitan songs.
Chianese appeared as a guest actor on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire as Leander Whitlock, a retired Atlantic City alderman.