Dominic Chianese

Dominic Chianese
Chianese in 2011
Born	(1931-02-24) February 24, 1931 (age 90) New York City, U.S.
Education	Bronx High School of Science
Occupation	Actor, singer, musician
Years active	1952–present

Dominic Chianese (Italian pronunciation: [kjaˈneːze; -eːse]; born February 24, 1931) is an American actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his roles as Corrado "Junior" Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos (1999–2007), Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II (1974), and Leander in Boardwalk Empire (2011–2013).

Early life[]

Chianese was born in the Bronx, New York. His father was a bricklayer.^[1] His paternal grandfather immigrated to the United States from Naples in 1904, and settled in the Bronx. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1948.^[2][3]

Career[]

After a decade of attending college and appearing in off-Broadway theatre, Chianese attended his first professional acting class at HB Studio in Manhattan, with renowned teacher Walt Witcover. Drama and musical theater became Chianese's passion. His first Broadway show was Oliver! in 1965. He has continued to perform in Broadway theatre, Off Broadway, and regional theatre. To supplement income in the dry periods, he played rhythm guitar and sang in taverns and restaurants, and also served as the master of ceremonies at the open microphone night at Gerdes Folk City in Greenwich Village.^[4] Chianese's first television credit occurred when George C. Scott recommended him for a role in the acclaimed series East Side/West Side. In 1974, Francis Ford Coppola cast Chianese as Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II, which sparked a film career, culminating in several films (and plays) with Al Pacino.

Before being cast in The Godfather Part II, Chianese worked for the Drug Commission of New York State as a recreational worker in a rehabilitation center. He taught guitar to women who were serving time for drug-related crimes.

In 2010, Chianese received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his humanitarian efforts.

Chianese has appeared in four movies with Al Pacino:

• The Godfather Part II (1974) – as Johnny Ola
• Dog Day Afternoon (1975) – as Sonny's Father
• ...And Justice For All (1979) – as Carl Travers
• Looking for Richard (1996) – as Himself

Chianese is an accomplished tenor^[5] and musician, having released a CD titled Hits in 2000, on which he sings American and Italian songs. He performed Salvatore Cardillo's sentimental classic "Core 'ngrato" ("Ungrateful Heart"), on the third-season finale of The Sopranos (episode 3.13, "Army of One"). In 2003, Chianese, along with AOL Music, released a second CD titled Ungrateful Heart, which features 16 classic Neapolitan songs. In the 2000s he played in a mandolin quartet weekly at the Hotel Edison, New York City.^[6]

Chianese appeared as a guest actor on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire for three seasons as Leander Whitlock, a retired lawyer and power broker.

In December 2018, Chianese and co-author Matthew Sargent published a biography of Chianese, titled Twelve Angels: The Women Who Taught Me How to Act, Live, and Love.^[7]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Television[]

References[]

External links[]

• Dominic Chianese at IMDb
• Dominic Chianese at the Internet Broadway Database
• A conversation with Dominic Chianese, The Sopranos' Uncle Junior in Lavery, David; Howard, Douglas L.; Levinson, Paul (eds.) (July 29, 2011). The Essential Sopranos Reader. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 339–362. ISBN 978-0-8131-3012-5.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
• Dominic Chianese - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org