Although he has appeared in less than 40 movies over his illustrious four-decade career, Joe Pesci has played some of the most memorable characters ever filmed. Look no further than his impressive work as Russell Bufalino in Martin Scorsese’s powerful new gangster epic, The Irishman, which is currently available on Netflix. Pesci hadn’t appeared onscreen since 2010 yet didn’t miss a single beat. He may even give the best performance in the film!
The question now becomes whether or not Bufalino ranks among Pesci’s most memorable movie characters to date. Do you think he will? Find out below as we rank Joe Pesci’s top ten greatest roles.
David Ferrie (JFK)
In The Irishman, Pesci gives a cheeky nod to one of his best previous roles. As Russell Bufalino, he orders Frank Sheeran (De Niro) to visit a “fairy named Ferrie.” Well, it turns out Pesci also played the same real-life person, David Ferrie, in Oliver Stone’s JFK!
As the flamboyant Ferrie, Pesci gives a turn unlike we’ve seen before. He has the huge wig and bushy eyebrows, but the way he speaks and uses his body language is completely antithetical to the gangster image he built a career on.
Frankie (Once Upon A Time In America)
Speaking of, Pesci played one of his first “wise guys” under the direction of Italian maestro Sergio Leone. Eleven years later Pesci would reunite with Robert De Niro and James Woods on Casino. Loyalty is everything to the mob!
What makes Frankie so iconic as a supporting player is that, despite having limited screen time, you remember him even more than some of the main characters. Small in stature but powerful beyond belief, Frankie commands the respect of his underlings.
Simon (With Honors)
In a major departure, Pesci gives one of his warmest, wisest and most emotionally profound performances as Simon in the 1994 coming of age movie With Honors.
As Simon, Pesci plays a homeless savant with long greasy hair and bushy beard living under a Harvard university building. He used to be a leading academic mind but has since fallen on hard times. When an uptight yuppie named Monty (Brendan Fraser) loses his thesis paper and stumbles on Simon underground, an unlikely friendship is formed. Simon imparts life lessons to Monty more valuable than a diploma.
Leo Getz (Lethal Weapon 2-4)
As Leo Getz in the final three Lethal Weapon films, Pesci injected wise-cracking comedic energy that likely kept the franchise going longer than it would have without him.
From 1989 to 1998, Pesci reprised Leo Getz thrice, making it one of his longest-running characters to date. As such, Pesci is able to let the character live, breathe, and evolve over the course of a full decade. Often mocked for his boisterous demeanor getting in the way of Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Riggs (Mel Gibson), Getz is Pesci at his absolute silliest!
Russell Bufalino (The Irishman)
Even among his stellar supporting ensemble, Pesci arguably gives the best performance in Scorsese’s superb new mob-saga, The Irishman. To think he hadn’t acted onscreen since 2010 makes it doubly impressive!
Bufalino is a well-connected and ultra-powerful Italian mobster who, by mere chance, meets Frank Sheeran (De Niro) and changes his life forever. Whether he changes it for good or bad is up for debate. However, the calm, quiet and reserved performance as a man of measure is among Pesci’s finest to date. Don’t be surprised if he earns an Oscar nomination this year.
Nicky Santoro (Casino)
If for no other reason than the character’s brutal demise, Nicky Santoro in Casino is easily one of Pesci’s most iconic roles to date.
The wildly unpredictable Tasmanian Devil of sorts, Nicky Santoro, is sent by the Chicago Outfit to continue a money-skimming operation in Sin City. But Nicky’s greedy ambitions become bigger than his loyalty to a childhood friend, Sam Ace Rothstein (De Niro). In the end, Nicky betrays one too many people and ends up beaten to a gory pulp with metal baseball bats.
Harry (Home Alone)
“Marv, why the hell d’you take your shoes off?!” Oh, who can forget Pesci’s iconic role as the bumbling “sticky bandit” Harry in Home Alone? Yeah, nobody!
In a perfect piece of casting, Chris Columbus paired Pesci with the equally hilarious Daniel Stern to play the idiotic home-robbing foils to young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin). As one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, very few viewers can forget the slapstick hilarity of Harry and Marv chasing Kevin around his boobytrapped house.
Joey LaMotta (Raging Bull)
In his first time working with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, Pesci gives one of his most heartbreakingly human performances of his career.
Pesci plays Joey, brother of heavyweight prize-fighter Jake “Raging Bull” LaMotta. Jake and Joey’s relationship is an abusive one, but also one built on unconditional love. Jake berates Joey to make himself feel better, and Joey helps Jake train to be a better fighter in the ring. Joey is the one person who can be totally honest with Jake, even if it means serving a knocking blow to his ego.
Tommy DeVito (Goodfellas)
The fire and ferocity of Pesci’s turn as Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas easily withstand the test of time as one of the actor’s most iconic roles of all.
What the diminutive DeVito lacks in physical size he more than makes up for with grit, guts, and intimidation. The hyper-violent and uncontrollable Italian mobster pays the ultimate price after being made by the higher-ups. Pesci’s exchange with Ray Liotta, in which he frighteningly muses “I’m funny how. I mean funny like I’m a clown” is among the most iconic lines in cinematic history.
Vinny Gambini (My Cousin Vinny)
Because he finally got to play the lead role for a change, Vinny Gambini has to be the number one most iconic role Pesci has played in his career thus far.
Seriously, who can forget the raucous, foul-mouthed New York hustler turned amateur lawyer sent to the American south to defend his cousin in a mistaken murder case? No one! Showcasing his hot-temper and witty sense of humor in equal measure, the movie proves what a tremendous actor Pesci is. He can be mean and unlikable just as easily has he can be soft and loveable, and with Vinny, he strikes the perfect balance between the two.
