Chazz Palminteri, who starred in Bullets Over Broadway, The Usual Suspects and Mulholland Falls, is above all known for A Bronx Tale, an autobiographical one-man play based on his own rough childhood. He first staged it in 1989, playing 18 different characters, followed by a musical version and an award-winning film version directed by Robert De Niro.
Today Chazz, 72, tells Senior Planet why he’s finally bringing a film version of his play to the big screen.
Q: Why is now the right time to bring your play to a wider audience?
CHAZZ: I’ve been doing the play on and off for 36 years and I’ve performed it 1150 times. And everybody loves it more than the movie and the musical – but in a different way – because I am the guy. I am Cologero. So it’s different when I tell the story. And I’m at the age now where if I don’t put it on film, I never will. And I want the world to see how this incredible story started. Without sounding braggadocio, I’m the only person who ever wrote the one man show, starred in it; wrote the movie and screenplay, starred it; wrote the book of the musical, starred it, and now I wrote the movie of the one man show film and star in it. I wanted to complete the whole thing like a book end.
Q: When you first wrote A Bronx Tale was anybody in your old hood angry at you?
CHAZZ: When I first did it, I didn’t change the names. Somebody called and said: This person wants to speak to you. I knew right away who it was. And I called him, and he said: Look, we like you, you’re a kid from the neighborhood. But you’ve gotta change the names. And I said: Absolutely. I’ll take care of it right away. And I changed all the names.
Q: Do you ever return to the Bronx?
CHAZZ: Yes. It’s crazy. I can’t walk down the street there without people coming out of the homes and taking photos with me or the store owners giving me pastries and cakes and fish and soup and cold cuts. I love everybody – but I don’t go there when I’m on a diet!
Q: Were you traumatized by witnessing a gangland killing when you were nine years old?
CHAZZ: It’s a strange thing, and I don’t know if it makes me crazy or what. But it was fine. I just knew that I wasn’t supposed to rat on the guy. Instead, I just said: I’m going to take this and write about it. And it became a catharsis for me. Now, it’s almost like a dream. I just have this image of him shooting him, and the guy staring at me on the ground. And when he walked away, it felt like he was in slow motion. And I remember telling that to Robert De Niro on the set, and he put it in slow motion.
Q: When did you leave the Bronx?
CHAZZ: We moved out of the neighborhood in 1969. I loved it there, but after some violent things happened, my dad just said, ‘That’s it. We’re out of here’, and we moved to another part of the Bronx. But I’d still take the bus and hang out there.
Check out this sneak peek of Palminteri in the staged version of “A Bronx Tale.”
Q: You and Gianna Ranaudo have been married 32 years. How did you meet?
CHAZZ: I was leaving church, and we saw each other. We didn’t speak but there was a sparkle, and then three days later, my friend forced me to go to a night club, and as I was walking in the front door, she was coming out and we walked smack into each other – and that was it. We’ve been together ever since.
Q: What’s the secret to your long marriage?
CHAZZ: We used to laugh about that and say: Well, we never wanted to get a divorce at the same time! What is loving somebody when everything is perfect when you first meet? Loving somebody is loving them for all their imperfections and to compromise.
Q: Do you speak fluent Italian?
CHAZZ: My wife and children do, but I don’t. When I grew up, it was very different. My Sicilian grandfather said: Don’t teach Italian to the kids. We speak English because we’re Americans now. There was a stigma to it. They only spoke Italian when they didn’t want us to hear what was going on.
Q: And your son Dante and daughter Gabriella are both actors too?
CHAZZ: Yes. They’re both singer/actors and are in London right now doing a musical.
Q: How do you keep fit?
CHAZZ: I’m an absolute fitness fanatic. I work out six days a week, for about two hours every morning. On Monday I’ll do red light therapy for 20 minutes and then stretch for 15 minutes and then work out for an hour and 15 minutes with weights. The next day, I’ll do weights and cardio. Then on Wednesday. I’ll box for 12 rounds. Then I repeat those days. But – you can work out as much as you want, but if you don’t eat right, it doesn’t matter. I don’t eat a lot and I fast for 48 hours once a month. Look, you’ve got one body, this is it babe! My wife is 20 years younger than me so she doesn’t have to work as hard as I do at staying in shape.
Q: And that self discipline extends to other areas of your life?
CHAZZ: After I workout, I’ll write for three hours and read. It’s a boring life to be honest but that’s okay.
Q: Do you still own an Italian restaurant?
CHAZZ: Yes, I’ve got Chazz Palminteri’s on 46th Street, and another on 262 Main Street in White Plains, New York. I also have my own cigars. I’m an entrepreneur and have my own wine company, and Chazz wine.
You might not be able to change the start of your life, but you could definitely change the ending of your life, and that is just start from today.
Q: Do you go to Italy to explore your roots?
CHAZZ: Yes, my wife is first generation Italian and we have a house there. It’s such a great feeling being there. And the people love me back. My movies did very well in Italy.
Q: What is your mantra in life?
CHAZZ: I always had this feeling that there’s a guardian angel on my shoulder, where if I was going to go too far, it always pulled me back. Growing up, there were many times when I just said: This is wrong. And I think people, if they follow this, would be a lot happier. And that is: Every time you’re about to make a very important decision, you have to say to yourself, Does this bring me closer to my God or farther away? You don’t have to be religious. You could just say: Is this decision a good decision that’s going to bring me closer to my goal or no? And then if the answer comes out, no, then don’t do it!
Q: What’s your secret to aging with attitude?
CHAZZ: I remember when my son turned 25 and he goes, ‘Dad, I feel so old’. And I’m like, ‘Oh God, 25 – I’ve got ties older than you.’ So I think my attitude has always been: it’s never too late. You might not be able to change the start of your life, but you could definitely change the ending of your life, and that is just start from today. If people might say, ‘Oh, I’m too old to work out. I’m too old to exercise. I’m too old to fall in love.’ I say: No, you’re not! Look forward. Because if you don’t live your life through the rear view mirror, your life will be better. Look, we all make mistakes or regret some decisions we should have made sooner. But you know what? It’s okay. That’s part of who you are. You wouldn’t evolve to you are now unless you made those decisions. So, as a senior, I say: work out, enjoy life, meet new people – and show up. 85% of life and success is just showing up.
A BRONX TALE: ONE MAN SHOW will play in select theaters and be available through all major video on demand platforms, including Apple TV and Amazon, starting January 28th.
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Top Photo Courtesy of Tribeca Films
Gill Pringle began her career as a rock columnist for popular British newspapers, traveling the world with Madonna, U2 and Michael Jackson. Moving to Los Angeles 27 years ago, she interviews film and TV personalities for prestigious UK outlets, The Independent, The i-paper and The Sunday Times – and, of course, Senior Planet. A member of Critics Choice Association, BAFTA and AWFJ, she wrote the screenplay for 2016 Netflix family film, The 3 Tails Movie: A Mermaid Adventure. An award-winning writer, in 2021 she was honored by the Los Angeles Press Club with 1st prize at the NAEJ Awards.
