Federico Castelluccio
Federico Castelluccio | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Castelluccio in 2011 | |
| Born | April 29, 1964 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | School of Visual Arts (BFA) |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1986–present |
Federico Castelluccio (/fɛdəˈriːkoʊ kæstɛˈluːtʃoʊ/; Italian pronunciation: [fedeˈriːko kastelˈluttʃo]; born April 29, 1964)[1] is an Italian-born American actor. He is best known for his role as Furio Giunta on the HBO series The Sopranos.
Early life
[edit]Born in Naples, Italy, Castelluccio moved with his family to Paterson, New Jersey, when he was three years old. In 1982, Castelluccio was awarded a full scholarship to the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he earned a BFA in painting and media arts.[2] Prior to winning the scholarship, he received an opportunity to create a painting for actor George Burns.[3]
Career
[edit]Castelluccio began his career as an actor in 1986. Some of his film credits include Made with Jon Favreau, Fire with Paul Campbell and 18 Shades of Dust with Danny Aiello. In television, his credits include NYPD Blue and his best known role, in the HBO hit series The Sopranos, as the Neapolitan enforcer Furio Giunta.
He also appeared in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints which debuted in 2006 at the Sundance Film Festival and received two awards, one for best dramatic directing and another for best dramatic ensemble, headed by Robert Downey Jr., Chazz Palminteri, and Rosario Dawson.
Other film projects include the biographical El Cantante; Aftermath, a crime thriller; and The Obscure Brother, filmed in southern Italy, a short film that he executive produced and acted in; 2003's La Araña; the 2008 comedy Capers; Lucky Days; and the 2009 Forget Me Not. In television, Castelluccio played the lead role in Dragon Dynasty, a telefilm that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. He also appeared in the episode of Kenny Vs. Spenny titled "Who Can Produce The Best Commercial".
In 2014, Castelluccio acted in Don Capria's short film Eulogy, acting alongside Michael Kaves.[4] With the rest of the cast, they won Best Ensemble at the Queens World Film Festival.[5]
In 2016, Castelluccio directed the feature film The Brooklyn Banker. In 2017, Castelluccio directed the TV pilot Outcall.
During the fourth season of Celebrity Apprentice, Castelluccio was asked by Donald Trump to judge which celebrity designed the best hat. Castelluccio eventually chose La Toya Jackson. She was awarded $25,000 for her charity, the AIDS Project Los Angeles.[6]
Painting discovery
[edit]
Castelluccio discovered a 17th-century painting by Italian baroque painter Guercino at a Frankfurt gallery and subsequently purchased it at auction in 2014 after it had been incorrectly identified as an 18th-century painting. He purchased the painting for approximately $68,000. After restoration, insurance, shipping, and other expenses, his total costs came to $140,000.[7] The work's actual value was subsequently placed at approximately $10 million.[8]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Grind | Bar Patron | |
| 1999 | 18 Shades of Dust | Bouncer #1 | |
| 2001 | Made | Doorman | |
| 2002 | Fire | Jack | Video |
| 2003 | La Araña | Bobby | Short |
| 2004 | Return of Fire | Jack | Video |
| Volare | Paolo Bongiovanni | Short | |
| 2005 | In Hot Water | Father Sal Manella | Short |
| 2006 | A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints | Antonio's Father | |
| Dragon Dynasty | Marco | TV movie | |
| El cantante | Jerry Massucci | ||
| 2007 | The Obscure Brother | Father | Short |
| The Hit | Sal | Short | |
| 2008 | Lucky Days | Vincent | |
| Proud Iza | Samuel Stein | Short | |
| The Bronx Balletomane | Joey | Short | |
| The Brooklyn Heist | R. Fadagucci | ||
| Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace | Louie the Bartender | ||
| 2009 | The Pink Panther 2 | Turin Guide | |
| Forget Me Not | Samaratian | Short | |
| 2010 | Bicycle Lessons | Himself (voice) | Short |
| Lily of the Feast | Santo Bastucci | Short | |
| For Customers Only | Mr. Sierra | Short | |
| 2011 | Keep Your Enemies Closer | Agent Lepari | Short |
| The Decoy Bride | Marco | ||
| The Orphan Killer | Dr. Morris | ||
| 2012 | The Trouble with Cali | Chassidic Bouncer | |
| Pollination | Father | Short | |
| Brutal | Kastriot Morina | ||
| Delivering the Goods | Enzo | ||
| 2013 | Stanley's Adventures | - | Short |
| Aftermath | Darrell | ||
| Checkmate, Keep Your Enemies Closer | Agent Lepari | Short | |
| House of Shadows | Father Nicola de Mundo | ||
| 2014 | Euology | Martin | Short |
| 2015 | Dutch Book | Mel | |
| Leaves of the Tree | Doctor Ferramanti | ||
| Fall 4 You | Nicky | Short | |
| 2016 | Outcall | Jerry | |
| The Brooklyn Banker | Zucci | ||
| 2018 | Toy Gun | Sante Cassoria | |
| Sarah Q | Barry Homburg | ||
| 2019 | Exit 0 | Detective Mueller | |
| 2020 | 5th Borough | Agent Miguel Alvarez | |
| 2021 | The War of the Worlds 2021 | New Yorker | Short |
| The Stakeout | Detective Mancini | Short | |
| 2023 | The Families Feud | Rider of the Valkyries | |
| 2024 | Cabrini | Senator Bodio |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-96 | Another World | Maltese Guard | Regular Cast |
| 2000-02 | The Sopranos | Furio Giunta | Recurring Cast: Season 2, Main Cast: Season 3-4 |
| 2003 | NYPD Blue | Brian Vaughn | Episode: "It's to Die For" |
| 2004 | The Bronx Bunny Show | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.9" |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Frank Chess | Episode: "Contract" |
| 2009 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.3" |
| 2011 | The Apprentice | Himself/Guest Judge | Episode: "The Art of the Deal" |
Music Video
[edit]| Year | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Rockstar" | Nickelback |
Accolades
[edit]- 2015 - Best Ensemble - shared with the rest of the cast of Eulogy - Queens World Film Festival
References
[edit]- ^ "For the Cast, a Touch of Authenticity". The New York Times. March 4, 2001. Retrieved December 4, 2007.
The 36-year-old actor ... was born in Naples and came to Paterson when he was almost 4.
- ^ "«I Sopranos? No agli stereotipi ma non facciamone un dramma» - Federico Castelluccio, il Furio Giunta della celebre serie tv, a Toronto per incontrare gli zii" Archived November 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Corriere Canadese, May 11, 2005. Accessed December 4, 2007. "Nel 1982, Castelluccio vince una borsa di studio alla School of Visual Arts di New York, dove si laurea in pittura."
- ^ "The Sopranos: Cast & Crew". HBO. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
- ^ Greene, Jonathan (June 1, 2015). "Sopranos star Federico Castelluccio to attend Paterson Film Festival". Paterson Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "EULOGY by Don Capria - Short Narrative Film @ Queens World Film Festival". www.queensworldfilmfestival.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
- ^ "'Celebrity Apprentice' recap: Richard Hatch fired for not raising money". Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ "'Sopranos' Actor Discovers $10 Million Guercino". artnet news. September 30, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ "'Sopranos' star Federico Castelluccio: How I found a $10M Guercino". West46th Mag. October 12, 2015. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
External links
[edit]
- Federico Castelluccio at IMDb
- Federico Castelluccio official site (archived version, now links to a domain-parking list)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- American male television actors
- Male actors from New York City
- Living people
- Male actors from Paterson, New Jersey
- School of Visual Arts alumni
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- 1964 births
- Italian emigrants to the United States
- American art collectors
- Male actors from Naples