Danny Aiello

Danny Aiello

  • Highest Rated: 100% Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
  • Lowest Rated: 4% Reach Me (2014)
  • Birthday: May 20, 1933
  • Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA

  • An Italian-American character actor with a beefy physique, no-nonsense expression, and intimidating presence, Danny Aiello came to acting late in life, having been a bus driver, a transport labor official, a night-club bouncer, and (he claims) an occasional thief. He began performing at an improvisational night spot. As he was approaching middle age, he appeared in a regional theater production of Jason Miller's That Championship Season, for which he won a Most Outstanding Newcomer award. Aiello made his screen debut in Bang the Drum Slowly (1973), and he went on over the next 15 years to play a succession of tough guys, cops, brutes, slobs, and "ordinary guys" in a wide variety of movies, but broke out of that mold when he portrayed Cher's fiancée in Moonstruck (1987). For his portrayal of a pizza parlor owner in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing two years later, Aiello received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. He went on to become one Hollywood's more prolific character actors; between 1989 and 1996, he appeared in 26 feature films. The actor's first lead role came in the title part of Ruby (1992). In addition to his screen work, Aiello has also appeared frequently on Broadway, and in 1976, he won a Theater World Award for his Broadway debut in Lampost Reunion. His work in TV movies includes the acclaimed A Family of Strangers (1980).

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Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

Movies

Rating

Title

Credit

Box
Office

Year

No Score Yet The Neighborhood Joseph Donatello — 2017
4% Reach Me Father Paul — 2014
80% Henry & Me Actor — 2014
No Score Yet Running with the Hitman Actor — 2011
No Score Yet Anyone's Son Director Actor — 2010
No Score Yet Just Laugh! Actor — 2010
No Score Yet A Broken Sole Shoemaker — 2007
No Score Yet The Last Request Executive Producer Pop — 2006
52% Lucky Number Slevin Roth $22.5M 2006
No Score Yet Stiffs Actor — 2006
44% Brooklyn Lobster Frank Giorgio — 2005
No Score Yet Off Key Actor — 2005
No Score Yet Zeyda and the Hitman (Running with the Hitman) Nathan Winkler — 2004
No Score Yet The Italian Americans Actor — 2004
No Score Yet Shorty Executive Producer — 2003
29% Mail Order Bride Tony Santini — 2003
91% Dinner Rush Louis — 2001
No Score Yet Sicilian Code Director Vincent — 2001
No Score Yet Off Key Actor — 2001
20% Prince of Central Park Noah Cairn — 2000
No Score Yet Mambo Café Joey — 2000
No Score Yet Comedy Central Presents: The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller Actor — 1999
No Score Yet A Brooklyn State of Mind Frank Parente — 1998
No Score Yet Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis Rathbone — 1998
No Score Yet Dead Silence Actor — 1998
No Score Yet Last Don II Actor — 1998
No Score Yet The Last Don Actor — 1997
No Score Yet Mojave Moon Al — 1997
No Score Yet Unforgotten: Twenty-Five Years After Willowbrook Narrator — 1997
59% 2 Days in the Valley Dosmo Pizzo — 1996
14% Two Much Gene Paletto — 1996
56% City Hall Frank Anselmo — 1996
No Score Yet Brothers' Destiny Duke — 1996
No Score Yet Power of Attorney Joseph Scassi — 1995
24% Ready to Wear (Prêt-à-Porter) Major Hamilton, Retail Buyer — 1994
73% Léon: The Professional Tony — 1994
20% The Pickle Harry Stone — 1993
No Score Yet Moadon Beit Hakvarot (The Cemetery Club) Actor — 1993
57% The Cemetery Club Ben Katz — 1993
No Score Yet Me and the Kid Harry — 1993
45% Ruby Jack Ruby — 1992
No Score Yet Rabbit Ears: Pinocchio Actor — 1992
82% 29th Street Frank Pesce, Sr. — 1991
72% Mistress Rasso — 1991
26% Hudson Hawk Tommy Five-Tone — 1991
72% Jacob's Ladder Louis — 1990
No Score Yet The Closer Chester Grant — 1990
70% Once Around Joe Bella — 1990
21% Harlem Nights Phil Cantone — 1989
No Score Yet Russicum George Sherman — 1989
No Score Yet The Preppie Murder Det. Mike Sheehan — 1989
93% Do the Right Thing Salvatore 'Sal' Fragione — 1989
25% The January Man Capt. Vincent Alcoa — 1989
No Score Yet Alone in the Neon Jungle Chief — 1988
No Score Yet White Hot Charlie — 1988
90% Good Morning, Vietnam MP — 1987
93% Moonstruck Johnny Cammareri — 1987
57% The Pick-Up Artist Phil Harper — 1987
No Score Yet Daddy Jacobs — 1987
89% Radio Days Rocco — 1987
No Score Yet Man on Fire Conti — 1987
20% The Protector Danny Garoni $0.9M 1985
50% Key Exchange Carabello — 1985
69% The Stuff Vickers — 1985
91% The Purple Rose of Cairo Monk — 1985
No Score Yet Deathmask Capt. Mike Grasso — 1985
86% Once Upon a Time in America Police Chief Aiello — 1984
82% The Natural Emil LaJang — 1984
100% Broadway Danny Rose Actor — 1984
No Score Yet Old Enough Mr. Bruckner — 1984
No Score Yet A Question of Honor Martelli — 1982
No Score Yet Chu Chu and the Philly Flash Johnson — 1981
86% Fort Apache, the Bronx Morgan — 1981
No Score Yet Hide In Plain Sight Sal — 1980
No Score Yet Defiance Carmine — 1980
No Score Yet Bloodbrothers Artie — 1978
83% Fingers Butch — 1978
73% The Front Danny La Gattuta — 1976
No Score Yet Hooch Actor — 1976
97% The Godfather, Part II Tony Rosato — 1974
92% Bang The Drum Slowly Horse — 1973

TV

Rating

Title

Credit

Year

No Score Yet Sunday Morning
2011-2018
Appearing
  • 2014
0% Dellaventura
1997-1998
Anthony Dellaventura
  • 1998
  • 1997
No Score Yet Saturday Night Live
1975
Host Guest
  • 1996
No Score Yet Kojak
1973-1978
Mattie
  • 1976

QUOTES FROM Danny Aiello CHARACTERS

Louis
"If you're afraid of dying, and you're holdin' on, you'll see devils tearin' your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freein' you from the world. It all depends on how you look at it."
Louis
If you're afraid of dying, and you're holdin' on, you'll see devils tearin' your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freein' you from the world. It all depends on how you look at it.
Rocco
This is a coincidence. I meet nobody from the old neighbourhood in years. I finally do, and I gotta kill her.
Radio Raheem
[while playing "Fight the Power" loudly in Sal's pizzeria] Two slices.
Radio Raheem
[while playing 'Fight the Power' loudly in Sal's pizzeria] Two slices.
Sal
NO service till you turn that shit off!
Radio Raheem
[insistent] Two slices.
Pino
Turn it off!
Phil Cantone
OK Ray, here's the deal. I got a call from a friend of mine by the name of Bugsy Calhoune. He told me you're sitting on a little gold mine here. Now don't get me wrong. I know there's always gonna be after-hour places. We pretty much leave them alone when the money's not that significant, but you guys are doing about 10-15,000 a week. I mean, that's a lot of money. And to be perfectly honest. Mr. Calhoune & myself want some of it.
Sugar Ray
How much money you talking about, you maggot motherfucker?
Phil Cantone
Well, you guys are doing 15.000 a week. Let's say our cut is 10,000.
Sugar Ray
You're robbing us, you son of a bitch.
Phil Cantone
No, no, no. You're robbing the system, Ray. What do you want... sympathy from me? You're criminals, for Christ's sake. And I think it's a pretty fair deal. I wanted more, but Bugsy said it was fair. I mean, he's a real softy, Bugsy. I mean, if it was up to me, I'd give you jigs just enough money to function. So when I see you guys with the... with the fancy suits and cars and nice houses, and I'm living in a FUCKING HOVEL... I mean, that bothers me.
Vickers
Ben! No, Ben! I'll buy more!
Tony
Hey, Leon, nothing's gonna happen to you. You're indestructible! Bullets slide off you, you play with 'em.
Tony
Hey, Leon, nothing's gonna happen to you. You're indestructible! Bullets slide off you, you play with them.
Police Chief Aiello
I'm the chief of police, not the chief of the people.