Where’s Joe Pesci? That was the question everyone spent most of the 2000’s asking themselves, with the star opting to retire early following his final turn as Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 4. Only returning to the screen for a brief cameo in pal Robert De Niro’s The Good Shepherd, Pesci mostly stuck to his guns, other than a brief re-emergence in 2010 to star opposite Helen Mirren in Love Ranch.
Of course, Pesci did re-emerge one last time for none other than Martin Scorsese in The Irishman, resulting in a much deserved best-supporting actor Oscar nomination at the Oscars. He did it “for Marty.” Even still, Pesci didn’t campaign for himself or even show up at the Oscars. He seems perfectly content with a low-key life outside of the limelight. But why opt for retirement when his talent is clearly still in full force?
In this episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity, we dig into the life of perhaps the most enigmatic movie star of our time. From his humble origins as a character actor to his eventual breakthrough in Raging Bull, to his unlikely superstardom following an Oscar win for Goodfellas (for which he gave the shortest acceptance speech on record), Home Alone, My Cousin Vinny, and his run as Leo Getz in the Lethal Weapon franchise, we dig deep into his career. For instance, did you know he cut an album in the nineties AS My Cousin Vinny? And most importantly, will Pesci ever come back to acting full-time?
WTF Happened to this Celebrity is narrated, produced and co-written by Taylor James Johnson. Brad Hamerly is the co-writer and researcher, and Berge Garabedian is the executive producer. Check out other episodes below!
What’s your favorite Joe Pesci role?