Joe Pesci's Real Name: Joseph Frank Pesci
Joe Pesci → Joseph Frank Pesci
Quick answer: Joe Pesci's real name is Joseph Frank Pesci. He was born on February 9, 1943, in Newark, New Jersey. "Joe" is simply the short form of Joseph.
Joe Pesci's real name
Pesci was born Joseph Frank Pesci and grew up in Belleville, New Jersey (Britannica). He has always worked as Joe Pesci, though early in his music career he also recorded under the name Joe Ritchie.
Early life and music
Pesci performed as a child, appearing on radio and TV, including the variety show Star Time Kids. As a young man he worked as a barber and played guitar in bands. In 1968 he released an album, Little Joe Sure Can Sing!, under the name Joe Ritchie. He also formed a comedy act with his friend Frank Vincent (Britannica).
Raging Bull and the Scorsese partnership
Robert De Niro saw Pesci in the low-budget film The Death Collector (1976) and recommended him to Martin Scorsese. Pesci was cast as Joey LaMotta, the brother of boxer Jake LaMotta, in Raging Bull (1980), earning an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor (Britannica).
His performance as the volatile Tommy DeVito in Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990) won him the Academy Award for best supporting actor. His acceptance speech, "It's my privilege. Thank you," is one of the shortest in Oscar history (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). He reunited with Scorsese and De Niro in Casino (1995).
Comedy hits
Pesci showed his comic side as Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) and its sequels, as burglar Harry Lime in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), and as the fish-out-of-water lawyer Vinny Gambini in My Cousin Vinny (1992).
Retirement and The Irishman
Pesci largely stepped away from acting after the late 1990s, appearing only occasionally, including in The Good Shepherd (2006). Scorsese persuaded him to return to play mob boss Russell Bufalino in The Irishman (2019), which earned him another Oscar nomination for best supporting actor (Variety). He also released a 2019 album, Pesci... Still Singing.
Goodfellas (1990) Blu-ray My Cousin Vinny (1992) Blu-ray Home Alone (1990) Blu-ray
FAQ
What is Joe Pesci's real name?
Joseph Frank Pesci.
When and where was Joe Pesci born?
February 9, 1943, in Newark, New Jersey.
What did Joe Pesci win an Oscar for?
Best supporting actor for *Goodfellas* (1990).
Who did Joe Pesci play in Home Alone?
Harry Lime, one of the "Wet Bandits."
Did Joe Pesci use a different name?
Yes. He recorded music in the 1960s as Joe Ritchie.