- After winning the Oscar for his role as Tommy DeVito in the movie Goodfellas (1990), his entire acceptance speech was "It's my privilege. Thank you." When asked why he didn't say more, he said "I really didn't think I was going to win.".
- According to Maxim magazine, he wrote and directed the "You think I'm funny?" scene from Goodfellas (1990) at director Martin Scorsese's request.
- Is known to have a very foul mouth, both on and off screen. On the set of Home Alone (1990), Chris Columbus placed a Curse Jar for the adult actors to place change in whenever they cursed. Supposedly, Joe Pesci filled this up in a single day.
- Director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro tracked down Joe Pesci after seeing him in The Death Collector (1976) because they felt he was perfect for the role of Joey LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980). Before they persuaded him to take the role, Joe Pesci had been on the verge of giving up his faltering acting career.
- He sued the producers of Gotti (2018), claiming they had promised him a major role in the film for which he had packed on extra pounds, and then changed their minds, offering him a minor character. (July 2011)
- His acceptance speech at the Academy Awards is the second shortest in history at just six words and three seconds. The shortest is Alfred Hitchcock who said five words ''Thank you. Thank you indeed.'' when receiving his Irving Thalberg Memorial Award.
- Despite being known for playing short-tempered and violent characters, his co-stars have always spoken fondly of him and described him as soft-spoken and humble.
- Chris Columbus cast Joe Pesci in Home Alone (1990) because he was one of his heroes but he didn't think he would get him for such a broadly comedic role.
- Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro are best friends. They appeared together in seven films: Raging Bull (1980), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Goodfellas (1990), A Bronx Tale (1993), Casino (1995), The Good Shepherd (2006) and The Irishman (2019).
- Childhood friends with Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. Introduced them to Bob Gaudio. Valli, DeVito, Massi and Gaudio became the rock group The Four Seasons.
- His rib was accidentally broken by Robert De Niro in a sparring scene in Raging Bull (1980). This shot appears in the film: Robert De Niro hits Joe Pesci in the side, he groaned, and there is a quick cut to another angle. The very same rib was broken again in Casino (1995) when a heavy who was holding him down, used him as a hassock to get up after a take.
- Attended and graduated from Belleville High School in Belleville, New Jersey.
- Is a producer of the multi-Tony-winning stage musical "Jersey Boys", about the formation of the famous group The Four Seasons, and his real-life role in the formation of the group was portrayed in the original Broadway production of the show by Michael Longoria.
- Joe Pesci's performance as Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas (1990) is ranked #96 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
- Reprised his character from My Cousin Vinny (1992) for his album "Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You" (1998). The single "Yo Cousin Vinny" was a success in some European countries.
- Was in a relationship with Leighanne Littrell, wife of Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell, from 1995-1997.
- Has a house in Lavalette, New Jersey. In the 1980s, he established a reputation as a community Little League baseball coach.
- The word pesci in Italian means "fish" (plural).
- Was the original choice to play Herman "Fergee" Ferguson in Judge Dredd (1995), which he turned down. The role was given to Rob Schneider, instead.
- His portrayal of Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas (1990) has been the subject of several parodies. The character Pesto in the Animaniacs sketch "Goodfeathers", has DeVito's short temper and tendency to misinterpret a compliment. On "The Joe Pesci Show" on Saturday Night Live, Joe Pesci (played by Jim Breuer) is shown to have that same tendency, only to have the real Joe Pesci show up, deny that he is like that in real life, only to lose his temper and beat up Jim Brewer a la Tommy DeVito. And in the film Jersey Boys (2014), his character (played by Joseph Russo), even quotes Joe Pesci's famous "funny how?" line from the film. That is even more fitting in this film, as it charts his relationship with the real Tommy DeVito.
- The Good Shepherd (2006) was the first movie he had made in eight years.
- Has appeared with Frank Vincent in five films: The Death Collector (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Dear Mr. Wonderful (1982), Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995).
- Started out with Joey Dee and The Starliters, working his way around as a waiter and singing and playing guitar in local nightclubs.
- In the mid-1960s, he recorded an album under the stage name Joe Ritchie titled "Little Joe Sure Can Sing", which flopped.
- All 3 of his Oscar nominated roles were in Martin Scorsese films.
- Close friends with George Carlin, and mentioned by Carlin in his bit "There is No God".
- He was nominated for a 2013 New Jersey Hall of Fame for Arts and Entertainment.
- Joe Pesci was 21-years-old when he married his first wife in 1964.
- Had a daughter (born around 1967) from his first marriage.
- Was considered for the role of Owen Lift in Throw Momma from the Train (1987), which went to Danny DeVito.
- Has one daughter with Claudia Haro: Tiffany Pesci.
- Ended his 9-month engagement to Angie Everhart. The couple had been together for eight years. (April 2008)
- After securing Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern for Home Alone (1990), Chris Columbus felt confident enough to cast actors who were his heroes growing up, like Catherine O'Hara after seeing her work on SCTV (1976) as well as John Heard, Tim Curry and Rob Schneider on Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) because they were all open to the films.
- Without counting his appearance as an extra at 18 in Hey, Let's Twist! (1961), he made his first film role at 32 in the independent and semi-forgotten film The Death Collector (1976). Years later, after watch him in that film, Robert De Niro told Martin Scorsese to give him the role of Joey in Raging Bull (1980), which supposed his second movie and his big break, when he was 36.
- In 1992, he reprised the only two film roles that he played at least twice; Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) (a role which he would also play again in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)) and Harry Lime in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992).
- In 2003-04 co-owned a racehorse, also named Pesci.
- He was nominated for the 2015 New Jersey Hall of Fame for his services in the Performance Arts.
- He has appeared in four films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), JFK (1991) and The Irishman (2019).
- The character Louie on The Simpsons (1989) was modeled after him.
- He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) and Home Alone (1990).
- Sang as Joe Doggs with jazz organ player Joey DeFrancesco. They recorded an album on Concord Records titled "Joey DeFrancesco featuring Joe Doggs, Falling in Love Again" (2003).
- Avoided Macaulay Culkin on the set of Home Alone (1990) in order for the young actor to think Joe Pesci was really mean so their scenes would be more believable. Despite this he praised Macaulay Culkin's acting in interviews saying he was very impressed with his performance as Kevin McCalister.
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