Robert Pastorelli

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Robert Pastorelli
Born Robert Joseph Pastorelli
(1954-06-21)June 21, 1954
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Died March 8, 2004(2004-03-08) (aged 49)
Hollywood Hills, California
Years active 1982–2004
Partner(s) Charemon Jonovich
(?–1999; her death)
Jalee Carder
(1992–2004; his death)
Children two daughters (Gianna Li, Giannina Marie)

Robert Joseph Pastorelli (June 21, 1954 – March 8, 2004) was an American actor. He had many roles on TV, in movies, and on the stage, including the seven years he played painter Eldin Bernecky on the television series Murphy Brown. His last role was as an oddball hit man in Be Cool, reuniting him with Michael star John Travolta. Pastorelli died of a heroin overdose in 2004.[1]

Early life

Pastorelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the son of Dotty, an artist, and Ledo Pastorelli, an insurance salesman.[2] Pastorelli was of Albanian descent from Italy. His sister, Gwen Pastorelli, is an opera singer and a real estate agent. He was a 1972 graduate of Edison High School in Edison, New Jersey. A near-fatal car crash on his 19th birthday cost him his dream of boxing professionally.[3]

Career

Pastorelli was an admitted drug addict before he cleaned up his act and pursued theater work in New York in such 1970s productions as Rebel Without a Cause, The Rainmaker, and Death of a Salesman, he headed to Los Angeles and turned to film and TV in 1982, soon finding a fairly comfortable niche playing streetwise characters. Supporting Bette Midler and Shelley Long in Outrageous Fortune and Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop II his first substantial film role came with Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves. But it was TV that he would hit his stride as Candice Bergen's gruff but lovable house painter Eldin in Murphy Brown, staying with the show for seven seasons. With that came more visible roles in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Michael, and Modern Vampires. He played the role of salty Luther Billis in the mini-movie remake of South Pacific with Glenn Close, then appeared as Mitch with Ms. Close on stage in A Streetcar Named Desire a year later. His final screen posthumous screen appearance was in Be Cool as Joe Loop in 2005.

Death

Pastorelli was found dead in his home at Hollywood Hills in 2004; a syringe, a spoon and a plastic bag with white powder were discovered near his body.[4] His death occurred at the time the authorities were reopening the investigation into the March 1999 shooting death of his then-girlfriend, 25-year-old Charemon Jonovich, at their home.[4] The Coroner's Office later reported that Pastorelli died of "fatal blood concentration of morphine."[5]

Pastorelli was interred at Saint Catherine's Cemetery in Sea Girt, New Jersey.

Personal life

Pastorelli had two daughters. One is Gianna Li Pastorelli (born February 6, 1998), with Charemon Jonovich. His second daughter is Giannina Marie Pastorelli (born March 6, 2000) with long-time girlfriend Jalee Carder, a former fashion designer and co-owner of Stone Marten.[6]

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Screen World: 2005 Film Annual By John Willis, Barry Monush. Hal Leonard Corporation p.386
  2. ↑ "Robert Pastorelli Biography (1954-2004)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2011-07-08. 
  3. ↑ "NY Times Obit". Nytimes.com. 2004-03-10. Retrieved 2011-07-08. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Fox News Report". Foxnews.com. 2005-02-07. Retrieved 2011-07-08. 
  5. ↑ Coroner: Pastorelli's Death Drug-Related
  6. ↑ Biography for Robert Pastorelli at the Internet Movie Database

External links

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