Paul Sorvino, the Italian-American actor known for his role in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, has died.
He was 83 years old.
The announcement was made by his wife, Dee Dee, who said he passed away from natural causes, although he had also suffered from type 2 diabetes. He is the father of actors Mira and Michael. (ANSA).
He was an American actor, opera singer, businessman, writer, and sculptor.
Brief Biography
He often portrayed authority figures on both sides of the law and was known for his roles as Paulie Cicero (based on Paul Vario) in the 1990 gangster film Goodfellas and NYPD Sergeant Phil Cerreta on the TV series Law & Order.
He had supporting roles in A Touch of Class, Reds, The Rocketeer, Nixon, and Romeo + Juliet.
The son of Ford Sorvino, originally from Naples, and Angela Renzi, originally from Casacalenda in the province of Campobasso, Paul Sorvino studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York in hopes of becoming an opera singer.
Unable to realize his dream due to a severe form of asthma, he turned to acting, graduating in dramatic arts.
In 1964, he made his Broadway debut in the musical Bajour, and in 1971 he starred alongside Al Pacino in the film The Panic in Needle Park. He returned to Broadway and found great success with That Championship Season.
From the 1970s onward, he appeared in numerous films, including Goodfellas (1990) by Martin Scorsese and Dick Tracy (1990) by Warren Beatty.
During the 1991-1992 season, he played Sergeant Phil Cerreta on the television series Law & Order, a role that brought him international recognition.
In 1993, he starred in the first Perry Mason TV movie after Raymond Burr’s death, playing a colleague lawyer.
In 1995, he portrayed Henry Kissinger in Oliver Stone’s film Nixon, and in the following years, he continued to appear in various film productions.
In 2004, he was awarded in Rome by the Tremaglia Foundation. During the ceremony, he performed a duet with tenor Andrea Bocelli.
In 2006, he appeared on Gianni Morandi’s TV show Non facciamoci prendere dal panico on Rai 1.
Among his final performances was in the 2009 western miniseries Doc West, where he teamed up with Terence Hill.
That same year, he played Beniamino in the TV series L’onore e il rispetto, aired on Canale 5.
In 2008, he received the “Penisola Sorrentina Arturo Esposito” award, as part of the Great Events of the Campania Region.
Sorvino passed away on July 25, 2022, in Jacksonville.
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