Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino
Paul Sorvino
Born	Paul Anthony Sorvino April 13, 1939 (1939-04-13) (age 70) Brooklyn, New York City
Occupation	character actor
Years active	1970 – present
Spouse(s)	Lorraine Davis

Paul Anthony Sorvino (born April 13, 1939) is an American character actor. He is the father of actress Mira Sorvino.

Biography

Early life

Sorvino was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Italian American parents Marietta, a homemaker and piano teacher, and Ford Sorvino, a robe factory foreman.^[1] He attended Lafayette High School and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.^[2]

Career

He began his career as a copywriter in an advertising agency, where he worked with John Margeotes, founder of Margeotes, Fertitta, and Weiss. He took 18 years of voice lessons. While attending The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, he decided to go into the theatre. He made his Broadway debut in the 1964 musical Bajour, and six years later he appeared in his first film, Where's Poppa?

He received an avalanche of critical praise for his performance as Phil Romano in Jason Miller's 1972 Broadway play That Championship Season, a role he repeated in the 1982 TCS film version. In a 1974 ABC Movie of the Week, he played Harry Walter, a stout, real estate salesman, who is randomly picked up by a beautiful woman (JoAnna Cameron) and raped at gunpoint as a prank, and left to explain to his friend (Adam Arkin) and wife (Michael Learned) how "It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy", a movie considered risqué, even for the '70's. He also appeared in the 1976 Elliott Gould/Diane Keaton vehicle I Will, I Will...For Now. He has starred in the weekly series We'll Get By (1975, as George Platt), Bert D'Angelo/Superstar (1976, in the title role) and "The Oldest Rookie" (1987, as Detective Ike Porter). He appeared in Larry Cohen's 1985 science fiction horror film The Stuff as a reclusive militia leader, alongside his future Law & Order co-star Michael Moriarty. He helped found the American Stage Company, a group that launched several successful Off-Broadway shows, while living in Tenafly, New Jersey in 1986.^[3]

In 1991, he took over from George Dzundza on the popular series Law & Order, and in 1993 he subbed for the late Raymond Burr in a Perry Mason TV movie. He has also appeared as Bruce Willis' father in the weekly series Moonlighting, and the "Lamont" counterpart in the never-aired original pilot for Sanford and Son. Some of his most notable film roles were Paul Cicero in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990) and Henry Kissinger in Oliver Stone's Nixon (1995). He founded the Paul Sorvino Asthma Foundation, with the goal of building asthma centers for children and adults across the United States. In 1999, friend Jason Miller wrote the screenplay as he directed and again starred in (albeit playing a different role) a lower-budget TV version of That Championship Season.

From 2000 to 2002, he had a starring role as Frank DeLucca in the CBS television drama That's Life. He is filming The Trouble with Cali in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of Pennsylvania. He is directing and starring in the film which is partially funded by Lackawanna County, where the city of Scranton is the county seat. His daughter, Mira, also stars in the film. He co-ventured with Peter Margo, the founder of Palmer Video, to form CareFromAll.org to raise funds for his charity.

Personal life

Sorvino lives between Los Angeles and Gilbert, Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains. He is married to Lorraine Davis, a drama therapist for Alzheimer's patients and has three children: Mira, Michael, and Amanda.

On January 17, 2007, news reports detailed that he displayed a gun in front of his daughter Amanda's ex-boyfriend, Daniel Snee, after the man pounded on her hotel door and made threats. Amanda testified Snee threatened to kill her at a hotel January 3 in Stowe, Vermont; she said she locked herself in the bathroom and called both police and her father. Her 67-year-old father showed up before police, she testified. When police arrived, the young man was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, she said. As a deputy sheriff in Pennsylvania, Sorvino is legally able to carry a gun in different states. He did not point the gun at Snee, or threaten him.^[4]

In March 2008, Sorvino and his daughter Amanda lobbied with the Americans Against Horse Slaughter in Washington, DC for Congress and the Senate to Pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S311/HR503). The Sorvinos run a private horse rescue in Gilbert, Pennsylvania.^[5]

He is also an accomplished sculptor, specializing in cast bronze.In December 2008 his sculpture of his friend the late Jason Miller was unveiled in Scranton Pa. In addition, he guest stars on the most recent album of Neapolitan singer Eddy Napoli, "Napulitanata," performing a duet of the song "Luna Rossa." ^[6]

Controversy

This article or section may be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective. (July 2009)

In 2005, Sorvino was given $500,000 of taxpayer money to film a movie in Scranton, Pennsylvania by then Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert Cordaro. ^[7] The Trouble with Cali began filming in the January 2005 and ended in late February 2005. Sorvino claimed he would only need $250,000 to complete the project, but several months later asked for an additional $250,000 of tax payer funds. As of May 2009, the film has not been released, more than three years later, and Sorvino has not said when, or if, the film might be made available. ^[8]

The current County Commissioners, Mike Washo and Corey O'Brien, have repeatedly asked to speak with Sorvino about the film - when it will be released, and how they can get a return on their half million dollar investment. They have also asked for a detailed budget that explains where the $500,000 went. ^[9] Sorvino refuses to make himself available to explain the status of the film. A partial budget was sent to the Commissioners by mail which showed that the bulk of the money was spent on catering and other non-essential items, and it is important to note that not all of the $500,000 was accounted for. ^[10] Sorvino was then quoted in The Scranton Times saying that films take time, and he could probably complete the movie if he were given another $250,000.

Commissioner Cordaro did not require a completion bond when he handed over the half million dollars, so it is unlikely the current Commissioners will be able to recoup the money. There has been [public outrage] over the matter in Scranton, as the city and the county are in financial debt, and many local filmmakers were not given the time of day by the Commissioners. One Scranton based director put it simply: "Paul Sorvino has killed film in Northeastern Pennsylvania." As for Sorvino, he recently sold his Pennsylvania summer home. ^[11]

Filmography

• Where's Poppa? (1970) - Owner of 'Gus & Grace's Home'
• Cry Uncle! (1971) - Coughing Cop
• Made for Each Other (1971) - Gig's Father
• The Panic in Needle Park (1971) - Samuels
• A Touch of Class (1973) - Walter Menkes
• The Day of the Dolphin (1973) - Curtis Mahoney
• The Gambler (1974) - Hips
• It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy (1974) - Harry Walter
• Angel and Big Joe (1975) - Big Joe
• Oh, God! (1977) - Reverend Willie Williams
• Bloodbrothers (1978) - Louis Chubby De Coco
• Slow Dancing in the Big City (1978) - Lou Friedlander
• The Brink's Job (1978) - Jazz Maffie
• Lost and Found (1979) - Reilly
• Cruising (1980) - Capt. Edelsen
• Reds (1981) - Louis Fraina
• I, the Jury (1982) - Detective Pat Chambers
• That Championship Season (1982) - Phil Romano
• Off the Wall (1983) - Warden Nicholas F. Castle
• Surviving (1985) (TV) - Harvey
• Wes Craven's Chiller (1985) - Reverend Penny
• The Stuff (1985) - Col. Spears
• A Fine Mess (1986) - Tony Pazzo
• Dick Tracy (1990) - Lips Manlis
• Goodfellas (1990) - Paul Cicero
• The Rocketeer (1991) - Eddie Valentine
• The Last Mile (1992) (TV) - The Tenor
• Law & Order (TV series) (1991-1992) - Sgt. Phil Cerreta
• The Firm (1993) - Tommie Morolto
• Cover Me (1995) - J.J. Davis
• Nixon (1995) - Henry Kissinger
• Love Is All There Is (1996) - Piero Malacici
• Romeo + Juliet (1996) - Fulgencio Capulet
• American Perfekt (1997) - Sheriff Frank Noonan
• Money Talks (1997) - Guy Cipriani
• Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way (1997) - Joe Torre
• Most Wanted (1997) - CIA Deputy Director Kenny Rackmill
• Bulworth (1998) - Graham Crockett
• Knock Off (1998) - Harry Johanson
• That Championship Season (1999) (TV) - Coach (also Director)
• Longshot (2000) - Laszlo Pryce
• Cheaters (2000) (TV) - Constantine Kiamos
• The Amati Girls (2000) - Joe
• That's Life (TV series) (2000-2002) - Frank DeLucca
• Perfume (2001) - Lorenzo Mancini
• See Spot Run (2001) - Sonny
• Streghe verso nord (2001) - Gallio
• Hey Arnold!: The Movie (2002) - Scheck (voice only)
• The Cooler (2003) - Buddy Stafford
• Mafia Doctor (2003) - Nicola
• Mambo Italiano (2003) - Gino Barberini
• Mr. 3000 (2004) - Gus Panas
• Goodnight, Joseph Parker (2004) - Charlie
• Mr. Fix It (2006) - Wally
• Greetings From The Shore (2007) - Catch Turner
• Last Hour (2008) - Maitre Steinfeld
• Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) - Rotti Largo
• The Wild Stallion (2009) - TBA
• The Trouble with Cali (2009) - Ivan
• The Irishman (2010) - TBA

References

External links

• Paul Sorvino at the Internet Movie Database
• The Paul Sorvino Asthma Foundation and it's fundraising website, CareFromAll.org

• Paul Sorvino at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)