Actors are usually what an audience notices first; they set the tone of the film and help establish whether an audience will enjoy the movie, or get up and walk out. Acting however, is not an exact science.
“Different actors use different methods, demand different things from directors, get to the emotional core of their characters in different ways. Performances are as unique as the people who give them. Yet the best actors invite us into films, allow us to accompany them on their journey, while, like any good magician, never letting us see how they perform their tricks” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011, 3.1).
There are many different kinds of actors in the film industry, and what they bring to the screen can be widely different. In this blog, I will discuss and classify three of the actors from the film GoodFellas. Classifying an actor in to a single category (i.e., impersonator, interpreter, personality, star, wildcard, character) can be a daunting task given that actors may be experts in more than one specific area. The film was released in 1990 and received critical acclaim. Roger Ebert wrote “No finer film has ever been made about organized crime– not even The Godfather.”
Ray Liotta plays the central role of Henry Hill; “a small-time Mafioso” (Finke, 1990). The film tells a story of Hill from his childhood years through his big break in to the Mafia world. Mr. Liotta would fall in to the category of an impersonator; an actor that copies the mannerisms, dialect, and behavior of a character, rather than create one. This, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. There are times when impersonation is vital to the success of the role being played, which I believe Ray does with his character of Henry Hill. When Liotta was interviewed and asked about the process of getting this role, he said “It has nothing to do with you personally… I just couldn’t wait to work with people who wanted to play as deeply as I did. Because I really believe it’s a game, but I believe that what makes someone stand out is they commit themselves deeper and fuller than maybe other actors do” (Finke, 1990) Liotta relied on research to successfully portray Henry Hill. He listened to tapes that the FBI had recorded to practice speaking the way Hill actually did and spoke with Nicholas Pileggi, author of the book Wiseguy and co-writer of the screenplay for GoodFellas (ShortList). Ray Liotta mimics the overall style of the film, which Martin Scorsese says comes from Jules and Jim: extensive narration, quick edits, freeze frames and multiple locale switches (Clark, 1990).
Joe Pesci plays the supporting role of Tommy DeVito; a trigger happy armed robber with an attitude (Biography, 2014). Joe Pesci would fall in to the category of a personality actor; an actor that sometimes makes it difficult for the audience to distinguish between the character being portrayed and the actor himself (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011, 3.4). While he has starred in films in different genres, such as My Cousin Vinny (Comedy) or Lethal Weapon (Action), he is most notably known for his roles as a tough, volatile, psychopathic mobster. George Carlin even talked about him in one of his performances, saying that he prays to Joe Pesci because “he looks like a guy who can get things done” (Carlin, 2009). In the scene where DeVito shoots Spider (Michael Imperioli), Pesci says he found the scene especially difficult to carry out because he had trouble justifying the action. He eventually forced himself to feel the way Tommy did and carried out the scene (Linfield, 1990).
Robert De Niro plays the role of Jimmy “The Gent” Conway; an associate of the Lucchese crime family that fancies hijacking trucks. De Niro is a legendary actor that has starred in over 90 films since beginning his career in 1963. For this reason, I believe he falls in to the category of a character; an actor that can “fit invisibly into a wide variety of disparate characters, adapting to the needs of each script and director they work with” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011, 3.4). He employs whatever radical approach necessary to produce an unparalleled performance of not only himself, but whomever he is working with. Jerry Lewis, who co-starred with De Niro in The King of Comedy, was required to blow up at De Niro in one scene. De Niro began the scene by yelling anti-Semitic epithets and claiming that Jews have “turned this world in to garbage for 5,000 years”; this was all in an attempt to get Lewis to deliver a supreme scene. Jerry Lewis said that the tactic worked “I forgot the cameras were there. At the end, Marty couldn’t just say ‘cut’. I was going for Bobby’s throat.” (People, 1983).
I would argue that Robert De Niro is probably one of, if not the most exceptional actors of all time. Pauline Kael, an American film critic once wrote “This kid doesn’t just act– he takes off into the vapors” in her review of the film Mean Streets. With each role, he becomes a completely different person; appearing different not only physically and vocally, but mentally (Scott, 2012). Like a chameleon, so is the varied genres that De Niro has starred in; crime/vigilante (Taxi Driver, 1976), comedy (Meet the Parents, 2000), thriller (Cape Fear, 1991) and mobster (Raging Bull, 1980; GoodFellas, 1990; Casino, 1995). De Niro is very deliberate, meticulous and calculating with each character being portrayed.
References:
50 Genius Facts about GoodFellas. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/50-useless- but-genius-facts-about-goodfellas
Carlin, G. (2009, February 12). George Carlin on Religion and God. Retrieved June 12, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPOfurmrjxo
Clark, M. (1990, September 16). GoodFellas step from his childhood. USA Today.
Ebert, R. (1990, September 2). GoodFellas. Chicago Sun-Times.
Finke, N. (1990, September 16). Not Your Typical Wise Guy: Why Ray Liotta had a tough time getting a deal he didn’t want to refuse- a leading role in Martin Scorsese’s Mafia movie, ‘Goodfellas’. The New York Times.
Goodykoontz, B. & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Joseph Pesci. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/joe-pesci-9542518.
Jerome, J. (1983, February 7). After Open-Heart Surgery, King of Comedy Jerry Lewis Bounces Back with a Bride-to-Be. People, 19, 44.
Linfield, S. (1990, September 6). GoodFellas Looks at the Banality of Mob Life. The New York Times
Raymond Allen Liotta. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/ray-liotta-9542538
Robert De Niro Jr. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/robert-de-niro-9271729
Scott, A. O. (2012, November 13). Robert De Niro: In Conversation. The New York Times.