His literary agent Jennifer De Chiara told USA Today: "The world has lost one of its greatest actors who also happened to be a wonderful human being. [35] Director Spike Lee and actor John Turturro gave eulogies. Mr. Aiello never studied acting and was often described by critics as a natural a description, he said in a 2015 NPR interview, that he considered some sort of insult., To me, he said, it meant I was unlearned., In a 1990 interview with The New York Times Magazine, he appeared to dismiss Method techniques and preparation. He was 86. Aiello played Biggie, a pop singer from Hoboken, New Jersey, in La RussosLampost Reunion, and he and it went fromconverted churchesto Broadway in 1975, when it earned a Tony nomination for best play and the actor a Theatre World award. 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The cause was pancreatic cancer, said a sister-in-law, Debbra Aiello. In his teenage years, he joined a street gang and, he claimed, engaged in burglary and safe-cracking. Early life. He was once nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as Salvatore "Sal" Frangione in the comedy-drama film "Do the Right Thing" (1989). His son, Danny Aiello III, died of . 0:00. Danny Aiello, the Oscar-nominated star of "Do the Right Thing," has died at the age 86. A USC graduate, she joined the Los Angeles Times in 2003 and has 30 years of journalism experience in Southern California. Danny Aiello III, 53, a veteran stuntman and stunt coordinator and a son of the actor Danny Aiello, died Saturday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Hillsdale, N.J., his family said. "It was no big deal; it was just 'Danny, go up and announce the acts,'" he recalled in 1997. Aiello suffered from eczema as a child and wore gloves in school and to bed so he wouldnt bleed from scratching. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. On the set of Robert AltmansReady to Wear(1994), Aiello saidGo fuck yourselftoLauren Bacall after she told him to shut up while he was practicing his lines. Siblings . Aiello, a native of The Bronx, also appeared in prominent movies such as Once Upon a Time in America, The Professional, The Purple Rose of Cairo and Moonstruck. Before going into acting, Aiello had many different jobs, including being a union official for Greyhound bus drivers as well as being in the U.S. Army. I've seen it and experienced it. "During the early times in my acting career, I would fight at the drop of a hat," he said in 1985. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. He was 86. Danny Aiello, the veteran character actor known for his Oscar-nominated supporting turn in Spike Lees Do the Right Thing, died Thursday night in New Jersey. Updated Dec 4, 2022 at 11:24am. Danny Aiello has died at the age of 86. His death was confirmed by Jennifer De Chiara, his literary agent, in an email. He was 86. Approximately 10% of pancreatic cancer . The role . He also has a role in The Black Caesar as Vito Lanza, due to be released in 2020. His mother, Sandy, confirmed the news to TMZ . I was terrified.". In 1990 he was nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar for his role in Do The Right Thing. Getty(from Left), Aiello, Robert de Niro and Italian film director Sergio Leone arrive for the screening of the film Once upon a time in America (Il tait une fois en Amrique), on May 20, 1984 during the Cannes International Film Festival. Aiello was born in Manhattan, New York City on June 20, 1933. Aiello is survived by his wife, Sandy Cohen and their four children. Danny was married to his . [26], In July 2011, Aiello appeared Off-Broadway in the two-act drama The Shoemaker, written by Susan Charlotte and directed by Antony Marsellis. InThe Godfather: Part II(1974), Aiello played gangster Tony Rosato (his line, Michael Corleone says hello, said as he garrots Frankie Pentangeli, was improvised), and he appeared as the neighborhood bookie who takes bets from Allens character inThe Front(1976). In a documentary on the making of Do the Right Thing, Aiello said that he based his character of Sal on a candy shop owner he knew growing up along Arthur Avenue in The Bronx. See you in Heaven, Danny. Aiello was married to his wife, Sandy, for more than 60 years. Aiello also portrayed more sympathetic characters. Shortly after reports started to surface that "Do the Right Thing" actor Danny Aiello had died on Thursday at the age of 86, celebrities took to social . Aiello sang Fly Me to the Moon in Lasse HallstromsOnce Around(1991), and he wound up releasing a handful of jazz albums, including 2004sI Just Wanted to Hear the Words, which made it to No. When he and his wife saw the film and Mr. De Niros character first said, You talking to me?, he recalled, she turned to him and said, Danny, hes doing you., Danny Aiello, Actor in Do the Right Thing, Dies at 86, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/13/movies/danny-aiello-dead.html. Do The Right Thing star Danny Aiello has died aged 86. He started his onscreen career with Italian American sagas like "The Godfather: Part II" and "Once Upon A Time In America . Anyone can read what you share. In addition, Aiello said that he was involved in robbing cigarette vending machines. The actor, best known for his role as . Lee stated, "We recognized our differences, political or whatever else you want to talk about it, but we truly loved each other."[35]. Aiello, the fifth of six children, was born on West 68th Street, Manhattan,[2] the son of parents Frances Pietrocova, a seamstress from Naples, Italy, and Daniel Louis Aiello, a laborer who deserted the family after his wife lost her eyesight and became legally blind. In 2019 he could be seen in Making A Deal With The Devil and The Last Big Save. He also starred in The House of Blue Leaves (1986) alongside John Mahoney (who earned a Tony Award for his performance), Ben Stiller, Stockard Channing, and Julie Hagerty[25], In 2002, Aiello starred in Elaine May's comedic play, Adult Entertainment alongside May's daughter, Jeannie Berlin. Rich also compared the play to the work of Tennessee Williams. I have known him for almost 50 years. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. He was 86. Born on June 20, 1933, Danny was the fifth of six children to a seamstress mum and labourer dad. A late bloomer, he didnt get his union card until he was in his 40s. [12], Aiello broke into films in the early 1970s. Danny Aiello, a prolific actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as pizzeria owner Sal in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," has died, a family representative confirmed Friday to CNN. "This is my pizzeria!" If you change your mind, go to Notifications in the menu to enable browser notifications. "I was very hungry. Lee had first offered the role to Robert De Niro, but Aiello's performance brought him an Oscar nomination for supporting actor. . ", Recognizable, if not famous, for his burly build and husky voice, he was an ex-union president who broke into acting in his 30s and remained a dependable player for decades, whether vicious or cuddly or some of each. Aiello's role in Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" landed him a 1989 Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. 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Danny would go on to earn praise in several hit films in the '80s, like "Fort Apache the Bronx" with Paul Newman, "Once Upon a Time in America," "The Purple Rose of Cairo" and "Moonstruck" opposite Cher. [29], In 2014, Aiello published his autobiography, I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, on the Stage, and in the Movies via Simon & Schuster. His mother worked as a seamstress, an envelope stuffer and a toy-factory supervisor. But at age 52 . The star passed away shortly after his family left his bedside at a New Jersey hospital on December 12, 2019. I was married with a family to feed.. He added that sometimes he engaged in fistfights with actors after work because of incidents during filming or rehearsals. In a tweet, Cher mourned the man she called "a genius comedic actor.". Ralph Gatti/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. [6] He moved to the South Bronx when he was seven, and later attended James Monroe High School. 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For many years, Aiello publicly condemned his father, but the two reconciled in 1993, although Aiello harbored a . You got me making pizzas, flipping them in the air, thats a very ginzo thing, he told the writer-director. Danny Aiello, a prolific actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as pizzeria owner Sal in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," has died, a family representative confirmed Friday to CNN. Aiello never trained as an actor but learned on the job. Family Members. [15] He played a main role in the 1985-86 television series Lady Blue. One of his earliest roles came as a ballplayer in the baseball drama, Bang the Drum Slowly (1973), with Robert De Niro. Danny Aiello was born on June 20, 1933 in Manhattan, New York, USA, to parents Daniel Louis Aiello, Sr. and Frances. The film and TV star, known for starring in Do The Right Thing and The Soporanos, passed away at . Aiellos death was confirmed by his publicist on Friday. First published on December 13, 2019 / 11:10 AM. Two sons followed their father into the industry: Rick as an actor and Danny as a stuntman and stunt coordinator. He was the son of actor Danny Aiello. Rick died on Monday . The whole shape. They remained together until his death, and she survives him. "There was a little bantering between acts, and I kept that short. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Kay went on to describe Aiello as an enthusiastic Yankees fan and that the pair had running text message conversations during games. Danny Aiello was an actor and producer best known for his role in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing and Godfather Part 2. . Academy Award nominee Danny Aiello has died at the age of 86. And for that I'm adored by the police in New York City.". He was once nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as Salvatore "Sal" Frangione in the comedy-drama film "Do the Right Thing" (1989). (Aiello said he pulled some strings to help Kay get a job with theNew York Postyears ago.). Mr. Aiello never claimed to have inspired the signature line in Taxi Driver (1976), but, according to his 2014 memoir, I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else, he could have. He started with a role in the 1970 play Lamppost Reunion, which he later reprised on Broadway, and did the 1973 film Bang the Drum Slowly, which starred Robert De Niro. Aiello is . The singer, 73, shared her condolences on Twitter Friday following the news that Aiello, who starred with her in the 1987 film Moonstruck, had died on Thursday. U.S. diplomatic convoy fired on in Sudan, prompting warning from Blinken, Rat ambassadors try to counter bad press amid NYC's rat war, Draymond Green ejected after stomping on Domantas Sabonis' chest; Kings go up 2-0 on Warriors. [28] He later moved to Saddle River, New Jersey. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. We Laughed so much. See Danny Aiello full list of movies and tv shows from their career. The play was directed by Stanley Donen and opened off-broadway at the Variety Arts Theatre. Gazzo). Off-Broadway, he appeared in "The Shoemaker" in 2011. Flipboard. In addition to the initial issue, he was battling an infection related to his treatment. Rick Aiello, an actor who appeared in films including Do the Right Thing, Harlem Nights and A Brooklyn State of Mind alongside his father, the late Oscar-nominated actor Danny Aiello, has died.He . The two had starred in "Moonstruck . He kept coming to places where I was, seeing me in a restaurant, taking me to a ballgame, taking me to a Knick game. Danny Aiello and his wife Sandy Cohen were married for 64 years before his death at 86 years old, but the secret to their lasting bond may come as a . Dec. 13, 2019 8:16 AM PT. Danny Aiello, shown in 2001, died Thursday after a short illness. Seen with his father Danny Aiello in 2008 in NYC. Updated on: December 13, 2019 / 4:42 PM Aiellos nephew was ESPN radio personality Michael Kays uncle. Danny III died in 2010 of pancreatic cancer. Aiello died on December 12, 2019, at the age of 86, in a hospital in New Jersey, after a brief illness. Aiello died Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019 after a brief . After that, he had various blue-collar jobs around New York until breaking into acting. Danny was 86 years old at the time of death. His last was in Making a Deal With the Devil, a 2019 F.B.I. Danny Aiello, the New York actor and former Greyhound bus employee best known for his Oscar-nominated turn as Sal the pizza-joint owner inDo the Right Thingand for portraying Chers lovelorn suitor inMoonstruck, has died. In 1990 he was nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar for his role in Do The Right Thing. Danny, who starred in Do The Right Thing and The Godfather III, is survived by four children and his wife Sandy, to whom he was married since 1955. HILLSDALE, N.J. 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