Vincent Pastore Biography
Born: July 14, 1946
Date of Birth: July 14, 1946
If you need a stereotypical Italian mobster named Tony, then Vincent Pastore is your man. He's known best for his mean looking mafia characters in films like The Jerky Boys, Mickey Blue Eyes and the mega-popular series The Sopranos playing 'Big Pussy' Bompensiero.
Oddly enough, acting wasn't something this New Rochelle, New York native even considered until later on in life. The second of three children in a blue-collar family, Pastore started acting at Pace University in 1967, only to drop out after three years. Distracted by his love for the nightlife, he turned to owning and managing his own nightclub for 20 years.
In the mid-80s, he met and befriended two actors, Kevin and Matt Dillon, who persuaded him to take up the art. After meeting Kevin's manager, he was soon pursuing the business in earnest, taking acting lessons and turning up in community theatre productions. He thought he had it made when his second film, True Love (1989), won the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize. But in the next few years he was only able to garner small roles in a mixture of big budget and indie films.
The tide would finally turn to Pastore's favor when HBO cast him in a new series called The Sopranos, focusing on the personal lives of the Italian mob. Playing the pivotal role of 'Big Pussy' Bompensiero, Pastore soon became a well-recognized face, if not household name, across the North America.
Since the nation-wide exposure, Pastore has landed larger and starring roles in films like Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), The Hurricane (1999), Made (2001), Corky Romano (2001), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) and Serving Sara(2002).
Divorced, Pastore has a daughter.