ComingSoon.net is counting down our ten favorite films starring Joe Pesci, a one-of-a-kind icon of the 80s and 90s. Check out our choices in the gallery below!
Often seen filling bit parts and supporting roles throughout the filmographies of the 20th century’s greatest filmmakers, Joe Pesci is a recognizable face with an equally noticeable voice. From Shane Black’s series of action-comedies to Martin Scorsese’s many mob movies to a holiday classic from the early 90s, Pesci has immersed himself in film history simply by being himself—always tough, always volatile, he’s a thoroughly original performer.
Still, throughout the years, Joe Pesci has always seemed to gravitate toward the films of Martin Scorsese (although he was never confined to them, often breaking out to other roles on the side). As a result, his filmography is filled with all-time classics comparable to some of our time’s biggest A-listers. Let’s take a look at his greatest roles so far.
Joe Pesci films
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Goodfellas (1990)
Not only one of Martin Scorsese’s absolute bests, Goodfellas gives Pesci his best role to date. He has as much room as he needs to shine, to impress, and to bring in laughs—it’s an all-timer, with many of Pesci’s best moments remaining in the viewer’s mind for years to come.
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Raging Bull (1980)
Like Goodfellas, Scorsese knows how to treat one of his best character actors. Pesci gets third billing in this boxing film from 1980, showing up in the credits after Cathy Moriarty and Robert De Niro himself.
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Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
With a cast comprised of De Niro and Pesci, among others, you’d think Once Upon a Time in America was a Scorsese film. It’s actually a Sergio Leone film, the same guy responsible for such iconic films as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars. Naturally, this one ranks pretty high when looking at Pesci’s best.
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Casino (1995)
Incessantly debated over, Casino is a movie fans of Scorsese can’t help but compare to Goodfellas. Some side with Casino while others side with Goodfellas when determining which is better, but one thing’s for sure: Pesci is impossible not to love in both.
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JFK (1991)
An untraditional biopic about the assassination of president John F. Kennedy, JFK sees Kevin Costner playing an investigator who looks into the countless conspiracy theories surrounding that fateful November day in 1963. Pesci plays David Ferrie, a pilot accused of being a part of the plan to kill the president.
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A Bronx Tale (1993)
A crime drama directed by and starring Robert De Niro, it only makes sense for A Bronx Tale to throw Pesci a bone in the form of a supporting role. De Niro and Pesci have always been seen on-screen together, so it’s fitting to see him here as Carmine.
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My Cousin Vinny (1992)
After so many years as a side performer, it’s nice to see Pesci get top billing every once in a while. My Cousin Vinny is Pesci’s time to shine, putting him up against Marisa Tomei and Ralph Macchio as one of two New Yorkers accused of murder while passing through rural Alabama.
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Home Alone (1990)
The aforementioned holiday classic, Home Alone allows Pesci to ham it up as a cartoonishly villainous henchman trying to rob a house, only to be continually foiled by a young boy who got left behind from his family’s vacation. Pesci has always been a hoot, but Home Alone is a good enough argument for anyone who says otherwise.
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Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
What do you do when your first action-comedy nails it in every sense of the word? You add some bigger laughs and bigger action for the sequel, of course. Naturally, as a movie released in 1989, adding Joe Pesci is the easiest way to do so.
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With Honors (1994)
Brendan Frasier is one of the most underrated actors of the past few decades. With Honors gives him (and Pesci) plenty of opportunity to prove this as the former plays a grad student with a great thesis paper and the latter plays a homeless man who holes the paper hostage.
