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Danny Aiello
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Danny Aiello | |
 Danny Aiello |
|
| Born | May 20, 1933 (age 73) Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Spouse(s) | Sandy Cohen (8 January 1955 - present) |
| Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
| Nominated 1990 Do The Right Thing |
|
Daniel Louis Aiello, Jr. (born May 20, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York)[1] is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including Once Upon a Time in America, Ruby, The Godfather: Part II, Hudson Hawk, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Moonstruck, Léon: The Professional, Two Days in the Valley, and Dinner Rush. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the 1989 Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing. Aiello was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in 1990 for his portrayal of Sal, the pizzeria owner.
Aiello also played the title character in the video for Madonna's song "Papa Don't Preach".
Although his characters are often crass, vulgar, and violent, Aiello has also portrayed sensitive, kindly men with an earthy sense of humor, for example his roles in Jacob's Ladder and Once Around.
Aiello once served as a union representative for Greyhound bus workers, and was a night club bouncer. He is also a musician who has released several CDs of jazz music.
He has been quoted as saying, "The first time I put on a dress and a wig and they took a polaroid of me, I wanted to throw up. Except I saw a little bit of beauty in that I looked like my mother."[2]
Aiello was a Democrat until the Lewinsky sex scandal in 1998, when he switched his support to the Republican Party. He has also criticized swearing in films and television series featuring poor portrayals of Italian Americans, especially The Sopranos.
Aiello is the uncle of New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay.
- ^ AIELLO, Danny International Who's Who. accessed September 1, 2006.
- ^ IMDB contributor (2006) "Biography for Danny Aiello" IMDb.com (accessed August 21, 2006)
- ^ AIELLO, Danny International Who's Who. accessed September 1, 2006.
- ^ IMDB contributor (2006) "Biography for Danny Aiello" IMDb.com (accessed August 21, 2006)