Paul Sorvino

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Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino as Sergeant Phil Cerreta in Law & Order
Birth name Paul Anthony Sorvino
Born April 13, 1939
Brooklyn, New York City

Paul Anthony Sorvino (born April 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York City) is an Italian-American character actor whose career has largely been the portrayal of authority figures, both as legal enforcer and criminal, in television, stage, and film.

Contents

[edit] Career overview

He began his career as a copywriter in an advertising agency, where he worked with John Margeotes, founder of Margeotes, Fertitta, and Weiss.

He took 18 years of voice lessons. While attending The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, he decided to go into the theatre. He made his Broadway debut in the 1964 musical Bajour, and six years later he appeared in his first film, Where's Poppa?

He received an avalanche of critical praise for his performance as Phil Romano in Jason Miller's 1972 Broadway play That Championship Season, a role he repeated in the 1982 TCS film version.

He appeared also in the 1976 Elliott Gould-Diane Keaton vehicle I Will, I Will...For Now. Sorvino has starred in the weekly series We'll Get By (1975, as George Platt), Bert D'Angelo/Superstar (1976, in the title role) and "The Oldest Rookie" (1987, as Detective Ike Porter).

In 1991, he took over from George Dzundza on the popular series Law & Order, and in 1993 he subbed for the late Raymond Burr in a Perry Mason TV movie. He has also appeared as Bruce Willis' father in the weekly series Moonlighting, and the "Lamont" counterpart in the never-aired original pilot for Sanford and Son.

One of his most famous roles was that of Paul Cicero in Goodfellas. He also played Henry Kissinger in Oliver Stone's film Nixon (1995).

In 1999, friend Jason Miller wrote the screenplay as Sorvino directed and again starred in (albeit playing a different role) a lower-budget TV version of That Championship Season.

From 2000 to 2002 he had a starring role as Frank DeLucca in the CBS television drama That's Life.

[edit] Personal life

  • He still remains very active in the theatre as both an actor and director.
  • He has three children, including actors Mira, Michael and playwright Amanda.

[edit] Recent events

He is currently filming "The Trouble with Cali" in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of Pennsylvania. He is directing and starring in the film which is partially funded by Lackawanna County, where the city of Scranton is the county seat. His daughter, Mira Sorvino also stars in the film.

On January 17, 2007, news reports detailed that he displayed a gun in front of his daughter Amanda's ex-boyfriend, Daniel Snee, after the man pounded on her hotel door and made threats. Amanda Sorvino testified Snee threatened to kill her at a hotel Jan. 3 in Stowe, Vt.; she said she locked herself in the bathroom and called both police and her father. Her 67-year-old father showed up before police, she testified. When police arrived, the young man was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, she said. As a deputy sheriff in Pennsylvania, he is legally able to carry a gun in different states. He did not point the gun at Snee, or threaten him.[1]

[edit] Partial filmography

[edit] External links

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