Tony Sirico was an American actor who gained international renown for his performance as Peter Paul Gualtieri, also known as “Paulie Walnuts,” in the HBO series “The Sopranos.”
Tony was a character who appeared in 86 different episodes of The Sopranos during the show’s run. In addition, he appeared in several films directed by Woody Allen, including “Bullets Over Broadway,” “Mighty Aphrodite,” “Deconstructing Harry,” and “Café Society,” amongst others, playing a variety of characters in each of those movies. Some of the other films for which Sirico has gained credit include “The Pick-up Artist,” “Goodfellas,” and “Innocent Blood.”
Tony Sirico Early Life Of Crime
On July 29, 1942, Tony Sirico was born Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. in New York City as the son of Italian immigrants. There’s a priest in his family named Robert. Sirico was raised in the Brooklyn boroughs of East Flatbush and Bensonhurst.
Throughout his youth, he was involved in a slew of criminal activities that led to 28 arrests, including robbery, assault, and disorderly conduct. While serving time for coercion, extortion, and illegal weapons possession in 1971, Sirico was also sentenced to four years in prison. At Sing Sing, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison. Sirico’s interest in acting was piqued while he was imprisoned by a band of ex-convict actors.
Tv Career
Tony Sirico made his debut on American television for the very first time in an episode of the crime drama “Kojak” in the year 1977. It wasn’t until 1982 that he made his way back to the small screen, and it was for an appearance on an episode of “Police Squad!” After taking yet another extended absence, Sirico appeared in the television films “In the Shadow of a Killer” and “Perfect Witness.” He continued to act in television films into the late 1990s, making appearances in the shows “Gotti,” “Witness to the Mob,” and “Vig.”
The Sopranos
In 1999, in the HBO crime series “The Sopranos,” Sirico was cast in the role of Tony Soprano, which is credited with garnering him the majority of his notoriety and popularity. One of the most important goons that served the protagonist Tony Soprano, who’d been portrayed by James Gandolfini, was Paul Gualtieri, also known as “Paulie Walnuts.” Paul Gualtieri was also known as “Paulie Walnuts.” This actor played the part of Paul Gualtieri in the movie.
Sirico had planned on auditioning for the character of Uncle Junior; however, when Dominic Chianese was selected for the role of Uncle Junior, Sirico was offered the role of Gualtieri instead.
Originally, Sirico had booked an audition for the role of Uncle Junior. Until the program was discontinued in 2007, he continued to make appearances on it. During that time, he and the rest of the cast were nominated for and won Actors Awards for Exceptional Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
When Tony went to his audition, he was 55 years old, and at that time, he still was living with his mother and slept on the couch in the house that they both occupied together.
After The Sopranos
After the conclusion of “The Sopranos,” Sirico appeared in the television special “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa,” playing the role of a gangster. His subsequent appearances were on episodes of the television shows “Chuck” and “Medium.” In the television movie “Jersey Shore Shark Attack,” which was released in 2012, Sirico played the role of Captain Sale.
After that, he played Tony Tagliano in episodes of the crime series “Lilyhammer,” and he later appeared in the Nickelodeon television film “Nicky Deuce” alongside his “Sopranos” co-stars James Gandolfini and Michael Imperioli.
In addition to his many other prominent appearances, Sirico provided the voice for Vinny on the cartoon comedy “Family Guy.” Vinny was the replacement dog for Brian. In the animated series “American Dad!,” he also provided the voice of a gangster.
Film Career
He made his acting debut in 1974 as an extra in the crime drama “Crazy Joe.” In the years that followed, he became known as a top choice for gangster parts. For years, Sirico played mob bosses in films like Fingers, The One-Man Jury, Defiance, Love and Money, The Pick-up Artist, Hello Again, Goodfellas, Innocent Blood, The Search for One-Eyed Jimmy, Cop Land, Mob Queen, Mickey Blue Eyes, and Turn of Faith. Sirico is best known for his role as “The Pick-up Artist.”
Along with Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry,” “Bullets Over Broadway,” and many others, Sirico has also acted in the films “Mighty Aphrodite,” “Everyone Says I Love You,” and “Deconstructing Harry II.”
On the big screen, Sirico has also acted in such films as the rom-com So Fine, the drama “Exposed,” the romantic thriller “Catchfire,” and the comedic drama “29th Street.” In 1995’s “Dead Presidents,” he had a notable appearance as a police officer. Friends and Romans” and Zarra’s Law followed in 2014, with Sirico starring in both. “Sarah Q,” co-starring Vincent Pastore and Federico Castelluccio, as well as “Respect the Jux” and “Super Athlete” are among his other recent projects.
Tony Sirico Net Worth’s
On HBO’s “The Sopranos,” Tony Sirico was best recognized for his role as Peter Paul Gualtieri, or “Paulie Walnuts.” As of July 20, 2022, Tony Sirico’s net worth was $8 million. 86 episodes of The Sopranos included Tony as a guest star.
“Bullets Over Broadway,” “Deconstructing Harry,” and Café Society” are just a few of Woody Allen’s films in which he has appeared. His other cinematic credits include “The Pick-up Artist,” “Goodfellas,” and “Innocent Blood.”
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