While Joe Pesci might be best remembered for playing tough characters in gangster films, the Oscar-winner’s best movies prove he has done so much more throughout his impressive career. Taking a somewhat unconventional pathway into the world of acting, Pesci started out as a musician and comic who soon impressed filmmakers like Martin Scorsese.
It was with Scorsese that Pesci would hone his craft, playing a variety of roles in some of the director’s best films. Pesci excelled at embodying fast-talking heels, and he usually played opposite a strong silent type. Pesci’s work with Robert De Niro is one of film’s best pairings, and they left a mark on the fabric of cinema.
Despite being typecast as a slick mafioso, Pesci landed roles that allowed him to stretch his range into the world of comedy. Movies like Home Alone proved that he wasn’t a one-trick-pony, and he elevated a project every time he was onscreen. Though Joe Pesci doesn’t have a perfect filmography, his best movies have stood the test of time.
10
JFK (1991)
Pesci Plays A Larger-Than-Life Figure In The Historical Drama
JFK
- Release Date
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December 20, 1991
- Runtime
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189 minutes
- Director
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Oliver Stone
- Writers
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Oliver Stone, Zachary Sklar, Jim Garrison, Jim Marrs
JFK was director Oliver Stone’s first film about an American president, and it utilized a massive ensemble cast. The film chronicles the exploits of Jim Garrison, a district attorney who tries to uncover the truth about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Pesci appears in a somewhat minor role as David Ferrie, but he nearly steals the show.
Pesci’s character is naturally based on a real individual, but the movie pushes things just a little bit further for humorous effect. Ferrie himself is something of a shady character who may be involved in the conspiracy, and Pesci is his usual tough-talking self. However, he plays it completely straight while donning a goofy wig and fake eyebrows.
9
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Pesci Joins The Buddy Cop Genre
After the smashing success of the first film, Riggs and Murtaugh quickly returned for Lethal Weapon 2 in 1989. While on the trail of South African criminals, the cop duo must look after an incredibly annoying federal witness played by Joe Pesci. Instead of messing up the chemistry, Pesci fit right in with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.
Unfortunately, Pesci would return as Getz in the next two movies, but they made him too much a part of the story.
Pesci’s turn as Leo Getz is not unlike his more dramatic roles in gangster films, and that’s what makes it so charming. He’s fast-talking and sleazy, and offers a nice contrast to the styles of the two cops. Unfortunately, Pesci would return as Getz in the next two movies, but they made him too much a part of the story.
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How Lethal Weapon 2 Nearly Killed Riggs (& The Franchise)
Lethal Weapon 2 was another success for the action series, but the original plan to kill Riggs in the finale would have also killed the franchise.
8
Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
Joe Pesci’s First Major Gangster Movie
Once Upon a Time in America
- Release Date
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June 1, 1984
- Runtime
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229 Minutes
- Director
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Sergio Leone
- Writers
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Harry Grey, Leonardo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Enrico Medioli, Franco Arcalli, Franco Ferrini, Stuart Kaminsky, Sergio Leone
The third film in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time trilogy, Once Upon a Time in America was the first epic gangster film to star Joe Pesci. Robert De Niro leads the story as aging gangster David “Noodles” Aaronson, who recalls his past exploits from the ’20s and ’30s in New York City.
Joe Pesci’s first ever gangster film was The Death Collector in 1976.
Pesci plays a major role as Frankie Minaldi, but it’s somewhat different from his other gangster parts. While he’s still a suave criminal, Minaldi is a bit more subdued and in control. Unlike the more bombastic films of Martin Scorsese, Leone’s interpretation of the gangster epic is a bit slower, which allows Pesci to deliver a strong and subtle performance.
7
A Bronx Tale (1993)
An Underrated Gangster Movie From The ’90s
There were plenty of excellent gangster movies in the 1990s, but A Bronx Tale is often overlooked. Set against the racial tension of the 1960s, the story of a young man rising through the ranks of the criminal underworld feels both classic and original, and it features genre stalwarts like Robert De Niro and Chazz Palminteri in major roles.
Joe Pesci plays a relatively minor role, but he gets to make a big impact on the story. He appears as Carmine, a high-ranking member of the mob who lords over the story from the shadows. Instead of his usual loudmouthed shtick, Pesci’s Carmine is quiet and commanding, which is quite effective at building tension.
6
The Irishman (2019)
Pesci, De Niro & Scorsese Return For Another Gangster Epic
By 2019, Joe Pesci had largely stepped away from acting, and it was unclear if he’d ever return. However, he came out of retirement for Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman where he once again teamed up with Robert De Niro. Pesci co-stars as Russell Bufalino, a crime boss who brings De Niro’s Frank Sheeran into the criminal world.
Though the film itself lacks the same energy as Goodfellas or Casino, The Irishman is a tour de force of strong performances from its two leads. Pesci is understated, but there are flashes of his old self hidden underneath. Like De Niro, Pesci excels at playing Bufalino over the years, adding in subtle signs that the character is aging.
5
Home Alone (1990)
Joe Pesci Is One Half Of The “Wet Bandits”
The same year that he created gangster movie magic in Goodfellas, Joe Pesci also showed he could be hilarious in equal measure in Home Alone. The beloved family classic pits one precocious kid against a pair of bumbling thieves who try to break into his house when he’s left home alone during Christmas.
Taking a page from The Three Stooges, Pesci and Daniel Stern light up the screen as the buffoonish “Wet Bandits”. Pesci plays things straight compared to Stern’s over-the-top character, but he still gets plenty of his own hilarious moments. He would return to reprise his role in the sequel, but it didn’t have the same charm as the first film.
4
Casino (1995)
The Sprawling Gangster Epic Offers A New Setting
Leaving behind the dingy and cold environs of the Northeast, Martin Scorsese’s Casino moved out to Sin City for yet another sprawling gangster epic. Robert De Niro stars as Sam Rothstein, a Midwestern gangster who is sent to Las Vegas to keep his boss’ business affairs in order. Joining De Niro is Joe Pesci, playing a wily enforcer named Nicky.
Related
Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, and Martin Scorsese ran back the success of Goodfellas with Casino, and this gangster movie is true to life as well.
Casino is one of Martin Scorsese’s best movies, but it also suffers from comparisons to Goodfellas. Both films are excellent, but the earlier movie overshadows Casino. However, Pesci’s performance is a memorable highlight, and Nicky is both realistic and over-the-top at the same time. He isn’t given as many chances to steal the show, but Pesci certainly holds his own.
3
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Joe Pesci Stars In A Charming Comedy
My Cousin Vinny
- Release Date
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March 13, 1992
- Runtime
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120 minutes
- Director
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Jonathan Lynn
- Writers
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Dale Launer
- Producers
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Paul Schiff
-
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Marisa Tomei
Mona Lisa Vito
Already typecast as a gangster movie actor, Joe Pesci eschewed his reputation when he starred in 1992’s My Cousin Vinny. When a young man is falsely accused of murder in a rural Alabama town, he calls his cousin Vinny, a timid lawyer. Despite being a goofy comedy, My Cousin Vinny offered Pesci a character with a lot of depth.
Much of the movie’s humor comes from the cultural clash between the city slickers and their rural counterparts, and Pesci is dynamite in the title role. He is both bold and brash as well as nervous and indecisive, and there’s an extra dimension to Vinny not usually found in his other parts.
2
Raging Bull (1980)
Joe Pesci’s First Collaboration With Martin Scorsese
Raging Bull
7/10
- Release Date
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December 19, 1980
- Runtime
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129 minutes
- Writers
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Mardik Martin, Paul Schrader
Though it will always be remembered as one of Robert De Niro’s best films, Raging Bull is undoubtedly one of Joe Pesci’s best too. De Niro is boxer Jake LaMotta, who has a meteoric rise and an even more spectacular collapse. Raging Bull created the story formula that Martin Scorsese would repeat in many of his epic dramas.
The film itself is a masterpiece, and it transcends the sports genre to be one of the best movies ever.
Before he was typecast as tough-guys, Joe Pesci played Joey, Jake’s younger brother who takes a lot of abuse. He gives way to De Niro’s towering performance, but there’s a realness to Pesci’s scenes that shouldn’t be overlooked. The film itself is a masterpiece, and it transcends the sports genre to be one of the best movies ever.
1
Goodfellas (1990)
The Undisputed King Of Gangster Movies
Joe Pesci will always be remembered for his gangster movies, and that’s due to his role in Goodfellas. Honing the genre to a fine point, the film chronicles the rise and fall of New York mobster Henry Hill. Goodfellas established many of the tropes of the modern gangster movie, and kicked off a genre boom in the ’90s.
Pesci plays Tommy DeVito, an unpredictable hood who spouts quotable one-liners. Though he would play some variation of Tommy in many of his later movies, Pesci’s performance couldn’t be replicated. Goodfellas is not only Joe Pesci‘s best movie because it offers his greatest performance, but because it is simply one of the best films of the last 40 years.
