Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. (July 29, 1942 – July 8, 2022) was an American actor best known for his role as Peter Paul “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri in ‘The Sopranos’. He also made numerous appearances in the films of Woody Allen.
Paulie was one of my favourite characters in my favourite TV crime drama ever. Despite numerous appearances in films and other television productions, Tony Sirico will always be ‘Paulie’ for me. He has sadly died at the age of 79.
Pippa does not allow Likes and Comments on her blog. She posts rarely, but always has something to say when she does. So I have decided to reblog her short post from today, to make more people aware of her many talents.
“Acting for me was a salvation into which I fell, a piece of the family puzzle that was given to me, and I snapped it in place, and there was now a whole image, a fuller person, something where previously there had been nothing…. acting affords me the luxury of metaphysical time travel….of living within someone else’s skin…
Acting is the only way I know of in which we can live the fantasy of being invisible.”
Alec Guinness, in an interview with James Grissom, 1991
Thalia drops her mask for a moment and, believing she is unobserved off-stage, looks disillusioned and exhausted.
She wanted to practise her ancient art invisibly, not sell it in the modern industry. I know how she feels.
Thalia, sculpture by Giovanni Volpato. 1790s Bisque, Liebieghaus, Frankfurt. Image: Web Gallery of Art
Sad news today. One of my favourite modern American actors had died suddenly, at a relatively young age.
He was the star of ‘Goodfellas’, one of my favourite films, which featured in my all-time Top Ten.
Many of his other performances were memorable too, including ‘Sin City’, the underrated ‘Narc’, the marvellous ‘Copland’, and ‘Hannibal’. He was in ‘Field of Dreams’, ‘Unlawful Entry’, ‘Phoenix’, ‘Revolver’, and many more.
He was not a ‘thespian’, far from it. But his engaging smile, good looks in his youth, and tough-guy persona often lifted a film that he was in.
I will miss him. But we will always have ‘Goodfellas’.
RIP, Ray Liotta.
I have only just heard that Rutger Hauer has died, aged 75. That is a tragic loss to acting, and cinema.
I could write about all the film roles I have enjoyed seeing him in, but I have to pick my favourite, from my current top ten film of all time.
He embodied the essence of ‘Blade Runner’ (1987), as the replicant, Roy Batty. And he gave us one of the most iconic death scenes in the history of acting.
Rest in peace, Mr Hauer. You will be missed.
beetleypete 