Joe Spinell (born Joseph J. Spagnuolo; October 28, 1936 – January 13, 1989) was an American character actor, who appeared in numerous films in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as various stage productions on and off Broadway. His notable roles included performances in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), Rocky (1976), William Friedkin's Cruising (1980), and the cult horror film Maniac (1980), which he also wrote.
I did live in California. I called it the Hollywood syndrome, make it, lose it, forget it -- I'm back home!
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There's more violence in television news than there is in the movies.
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[on Maniac (1980)] If you don't like horror films, don't come and see it.
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I don't even think of Maniac (1980) as a horror movie. The horrible thing is that people like this really exist.
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My whole life's like a book. I go shootin', ridin' and fishin'. Listen, I'm a roper, I'm a doper, I'm a lover, I'm a fighter, I'm a rodeo rider.
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Fact
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Also worked as a dialogue director during the making of the B movie cult classic Starcrash (1978). He dubbed his own voice using a different accent to hide his distinctive New York accent.
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In 1980, has appeared in three films revolving around serial killers terrorizing New York City: Cruising (1980), The First Deadly Sin (1980) and Maniac (1980). Spinell played the serial killer in the latter film.
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Has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Rocky (1976) and Taxi Driver (1976). Of those, only Taxi Driver was not a winner in the category.
$10 Million
