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Robert Pastorelli

 
Actor: Robert Pastorelli
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  • Born: Jun 21, 1954 in New Brunswick, New Jersey
  • Died: Mar 08, 2004 in Los Angeles, California
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '80s-'90s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Crime
  • Career Highlights: A Simple Wish, Eraser, Cracker
  • First Major Screen Credit: The Paint Job (1993)

Biography

A burly, but handsome, supporting player whose gruff exterior lent itself to tough characters with an underlying sentimentality, actor Robert Pastorelli overcame personal hardships to become a prominent fixture in both films and television. A New Jersey native and former boxer, his most challenging bout was a harrowing struggle with drug addiction. He later pursued a career in the New York theater, and initial stage roles in Rebel Without a Cause and Death of a Salesman led to an interest in films. He headed for Hollywood in 1982, and was a natural as rough-and-tumble characters on such popular TV shows as Cagney and Lacey, Hill Street Blues, and Newhart. In 1984, he made his movie debut with a small role in the made-for-TV feature I Married a Centerfold. Roles in Outrageous Fortune and Beverly Hills Cop II (both 1987) followed, and, in 1988, Pastorelli began a seven-year stint as Candice Bergen's housepainter on the popular sitcom Murphy Brown (for which he would earn an Emmy nomination). Two years later, he was cast in his most substantial big-screen role to date when he appeared as Kevin Costner's disheveled traveling companion in the epic Western Dances With Wolves, a performance which got Pastorelli more screen work in the '90s, including roles in such releases as Sister Act 2 (1993), Eraser (1996), and Michael (1996). In 1997 Pastorelli essayed a rare lead by taking the lead in the shortlived stateside adaptation of the popular UK mystery series Cracker. In later years, Pastorelli was increasingly active on the small screen with roles in such made-for-TV features as The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (2001), South Pacific (2001), and Women vs. Men (2002). He made a return to feature territory in 2004 with a supporting role in the eagerly anticipated Get Shorty sequel, Be Cool. Though Pastorelli's career had been experiencing a bit of a surge thanks to such projects as Be Cool, fans were dismayed when the actor was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home of a suspected drug overdose. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Robert Pastorelli
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Robert Pastorelli
Born Robert Joseph Pastorelli
June 21, 1954(1954-06-21)
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Died March 8, 2004 (aged 49)
Hollywood Hills, California
Years active 1982–2005
Domestic partner(s) Charemon Jonovich (?-1999) (her death)
Jalee Carder

Robert Joseph Pastorelli (June 21, 1954 – March 8, 2004) was an American actor. He had many roles on TV, in movies, and on the stage, but is probably best known for the seven years he played the portly painter Eldin Bernecky on the television series Murphy Brown. His last role was as an oddball hit man in Be Cool, reuniting him with Michael star John Travolta.

Contents

Early life

Pastorelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the son of Dotty, an artist, and Ledo Pastorelli, an insurance salesman.[1] Pastorelli had Italian heritage. His sister, Gwen Pastorelli, is an opera singer and a real estate agent. He was a 1972 graduate of Edison High School in Edison, New Jersey. A near-fatal car crash on his 19th birthday cost him his dream of boxing professionally. [2]

Death

Pastorelli was found dead in his home at Hollywood Hills in 2004; a syringe, a spoon and a plastic bag with white powder were discovered near his body.[3] His death occurred at the time the authorities were reopening the investigation into the March 1999 shooting death of his then-girlfriend, 25-year-old Charemon Jonovich, at their home.[4] Pastorelli, who knew of the investigation, had been considered a person of interest.[3] The case, initially ruled an accident or undetermined, was closed after his death. The Coroners Office, after Pastorelli's death, changed the death certificate of Charemon Jonovich to homicide. The coroner's office later reported that he died of "acute cocaine-morphine (heroin) toxicity". His interment was located at Saint Catherine's Cemetery in Sea Girt, New Jersey.

Personal life

Pastorelli had two daughters. One was Gianna Li Pastorelli (born February 6, 1998), with Charemon Jonovich. His second daughter is Giannina Marie Pastorelli (born March 6, 2000) with long-time girlfriend Jalee Carder, a former fashion designer and co-owner of Stone Marten.[5] He was known to a close circle of friends as Tally-ho.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ Robert Pastorelli Biography (1954-2004)
  2. ^ NY Times Obit
  3. ^ a b Fox News Report
  4. ^ Infoplease
  5. ^ IMDB Bio

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Robert Pastorelli".  Read more