Joe Pesci was born in New Jersey in 1943 and became interested in the arts early on. He became a child actor at the age of four, starring in a local radio program. By the age of ten, he had earned a regular spot in a television variety show titled Star Time Kids. Pesci also briefly pursued a music career in the mid-60s, releasing the LP Little Joe Sure Can Sing! Gaining little traction in his career aside from a minor role in the 1975 film The Death Collector, however, Pesci decided to shift his aspirations towards running a restaurant. It was, of course, Pesci’s role in the low-budget film The Death Collector that would ultimately lead him to his breakthrough role in Martin Scorsese’s 1980 biopic Raging Bull. Robert DeNiro, having been impressed with Pesci’s performance in the film, recommended him to Scorsese for his next project.
Indeed, Pesci’s role as Joey LaMotta in Raging Bull earned him Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, and, soon, he was being offered roles in a series of 80s movies such as Easy Money, Once Upon a Time in America, Man on Fire, and Lethal Weapon 2. The 90s mark a high point in the actor’s career with roles in films such as Goodfellas, Home Alone, and My Cousin Vinny. In 2019, Pesci re-united with De Niro and Scorsese for Netflix's epic mafia film The Irishman. Here are the best Joe Pesci movies, ranked.
8 Home Alone
Home Alone stars Macaulay Culkin as eight-year-old Kevin McAllister, who is mistakenly left home alone for the holiday season. When petty thieves Harry (Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) find out, they plot to break into the family home, but Kevin has other plans. The film has earned its reputation as one of the best Christmas movies of all time.
7 With Honors
Pesci stars opposite Brendan Fraser as unhoused man Simon Wilder in With Honors, wherein he happens upon a young scholar's thesis and offers to return it one page at a time in exchange for food and shelter. Throughout the film, the pair form an unshakeable bond, as Simon teaches Monty (Fraser) valuable life lessons along the way.
6 JFK
The critically acclaimed drama JFK is arguably one of Oliver Stone's best movies of all time. It follows the investigation and conspiracy surrounding the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy, told from the perspective of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner). In the film, Pesci plays American pilot David Ferrie, who was said to be involved in the conspiracy to kill the 35th POTUS. The film received critical praise and controversy alike for its take on the events and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
5 Raging Bull
Martin Scorcese's Raging Bull is based upon the memoirs of former middleweight boxer Jake LaMotta. It follows JakeLaMotta (Robert De Niro) as he works towards his first middleweight crown. LaMotta's own personal demons would ultimately derail his career and destroy his family life. Pesci plays Joey LaMotta, Jake's supportive brother who tries to help get his life back on track. Pesci's performance in the film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
4 The Death Collector
Pesci stars in the low-budget crime thriller The Death Collector, about a young man who rises through the ranks of a mafia organization by playing errand boy for a prominent New Jersey mobster. His role in the film foreshadowed his eventual roles in the popular mob movies Goodfellas, Casino, and The Irishman. Despite having a small role in the film, Pesci impressed future co-star Robert De Niro and De Niro recommended Pesci for Raging Bull based on his performance in the lesser-known film.
3 Casino
Casino follows the ups and downs of Sam Rothstein (De Niro), a gambling expert who is recruited by the mob to oversee the day-to-day operations at a Vegas Casino. Casino marks Pesci's third collaboration with director Martin Scorsese wherein he stars as loose cannon Nicky Santoro, a made-man who is friends with Sam. Casino is commonly regarded as one of Scorsese's most underrated works.
2 My Cousin Vinny
In one of the best lawyer movies of all time, Pesci stars as New York lawyer Vinny Gambini in the uproarious courtroom comedy My Cousin Vinny. Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) hires his cousin Vinny to defend him when he is tried for a murder he did not commit. Pesci stars opposite Marisa Tomei, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the pair have undeniable chemistry throughout the film, leading to comedy gold.
1 Goodfellas
Goodfellas is an adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy written by Nicholas Pileggi, which chronicles the life of mafia associate turned informant Henry Hill. The film is widely regarded as one of Scorsese's best mafia movies and hails an all-star cast including the late Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Paul Sorvino, and Lorraine Bracco. Pesci's performance in the film as Tommy DeVito, one of the most feared members of the Lucchese crime family, won him his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. As outlined by Rolling Stone, the iconic film celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2020.