On December 1, Palminteri will be performing “A Bronx Tale” at The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island. “The fans can expect the original show that I did 30 years that started the movie and the musical,” he said.
“This show at The Paramount is the last show that I am doing this year,” he said. “It’s a very unique show.” “Alfred Hitchcock used to say that there are three things that you could do to an audience, and if you do two out of three, you have a smash. Hitchcock said that you can make them laugh, you can make them cry and you can scare them. Well, in A Bronx Tale, we do all three. We make you laugh, we make you cry and we scare you.”
“A Bronx Tale is a great holiday gift for young people, even as young as 11 years old. They can understand that every choice they make will shape their lives forever. It’s an inspiring play and if you love the movie and the musical, you will love the one-man show even more. It’s a great show, especially around Christmastime,” he elaborated.
On his plans for the future, he said, “I am excited since things are going good. I am writing two new shows: one play and one musical. I also did the TV show Godfather of Harlem that just got picked up for the second year.”
When asked about his playwriting inspirations, he said, “A real writer just has to sit down and write. I am one of those writers that thinks of the story first. If I know how it starts and how it ends, I work on it in my head for six months, and then I start writing it. It can change but I have to know where I am going before I start. That’s a strange thing. Some writers are like that. If I know the ending of the piece that I am writing, I see it all in my head.”
“It’s a funny thing. I write knowing where I am going,” he added.
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “I am okay with it.” “A lot of people are seeing movies. Television shows and movies are getting streamed. With streaming, more people are getting to see your work these days, so I am okay with that,” he said.
Regarding the key to longevity in the acting and entertainment business, he said, “I think it involves discipline, perseverance, and working hard. Also, always trying to do good work and having money put away. I have been able to do that so I am happy about that.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Palminteri said, “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.”
In his respected career in the entertainment industry, he earned an Academy Award nomination in 1995 for “Best Supporting Actor” for his acting work as Cheech in Bullets Over Broadway. “As a young boy, you are standing in front of a mirror and you are thinking about getting nominated for an Oscar, and finally, the day came and it did,” he said. “It was very exciting. I was happy, and I was happy for my parents. It was a great day, and even though I didn’t win, it was a great moment for me,” he added.
“They say that ‘it’s great to be nominated for an Oscar’ and it’s the truth. Think about it. It’s harder to be nominated than it is to win. For the nomination, you are fighting against 3,000 films and winning, you are competing against five,” he explained.
For young and aspiring actors and playwrights, he said, “Persevere and keep doing what you are doing. Try to do good work. I always tell people: ‘if you’re really good at what you do, and you are well-liked, then you will work forever.’ You have to be both of those things.”
If he weren’t in acting and entertainment, he noted that he would be a “psychiatrist” as his alternate career choice. “I love human behavior and I love talking about why humans do the things that they do,” he said.
The Academy Award nominee defined the word success as “doing what I love to do for a living.” “As long as I can do what I am doing and make a living out of it, I’m successful,” he said. “I am on vacation my whole life.”
To learn more about his upcoming one-man show at The Paramount, check out the venue’s official homepage.
For more information on Academy Award-nominated actor Chazz Palminteri, check out his official website and his Facebook page.
