# Danny Aiello, Actor in ‘Do the Right Thing,’ Dies at 86 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815 "2019-12-13T16:45:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/1 "2019-12-13T16:45:01Z")
**[Danny Aiello, Actor in ‘Do the Right Thing,’ Dies at 86](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/13/movies/danny-aiello-dead.html?emc=rss&partner=rss)** > [@](#): > > Danny Aiello, the burly New York-born film and stage actor who was 40 when he made his movie debut and 16 years later earned an Academy Award nomination for his role as a pizzeria owner in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” died on Thursday. He was 86. > … > > He never studied acting and was often described by critics as a natural — a description, he said in a 2015 NPR interview, that he considered “some sort of insult.” “To me,” he recalled, “it meant I was unlearned.” > > In a 1990 interview with The New York Times Magazine, he appeared to dismiss Method techniques and preparation. “You know what I do backstage?” he said. “One minute before I go on, I look up at heaven and say, ‘Mama, don’t let me make a fool of myself.’” > … I loved him in _Moonstruck_. RIP, Danny. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/2 "2019-12-13T17:01:40Z")
I best remember him [from _Leon_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qttxEQikeu0). ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/3 "2019-12-13T17:12:14Z")
[Swinging on a Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6WXVqg48Qs), Hudson Hawk. I loved that horrible film, and it wasn’t because of Willis. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/4 "2019-12-13T17:15:26Z")
He always seemed to be playing the same character, but then I realized he wasn’t really acting, _he was just that guy_. Nothing wrong with that; luckily, he happened to be a great character. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/5 "2019-12-13T17:20:23Z")
I know two sisters who are his cousins. I’ll have to send a couple of sympathy cards. RIP, Danny. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/6 "2019-12-13T17:45:24Z")
I met him at least 16 years ago at the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy. He seemed to be about ten feet tall. He towered over EVERYONE on the street. He had a large crowd around him who he was very gracious with and didn’t pound the crap out of them like I would have. He joked that he didn’t know how I breathed down there (I’m very short). RIP Mr. Aiello. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/7 "2019-12-13T18:33:24Z")
Once upon an Time in America. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/8 "2019-12-13T19:29:32Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I met him at least 16 years ago at the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy. He seemed to be about ten feet tall. He towered over EVERYONE on the street. He had a large crowd around him who he was very gracious with and didn’t pound the crap out of them like I would have. He joked that he didn’t know how I breathed down there (I’m very short). > > RIP Mr. Aiello. That’s the great thing about being a NYer. You run into actors all the time and it’s not a big deal. I was at a downtown bar after work ~2 decades ago, grabbing a bite at the bar after a late night of work. He and Joe Pesci came in, no entourage or anything and posted next to me. I just said it was a pleasure to meet them, calling them respectfully by their last names, mostly out of suprise. One of them got me a refill on my wine. And that was it. They attracted more attention as they were recognized, but even then, it wasn’t like everyone came fawning up to them (only the non-native NYers) 🆒 😃 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/9 "2019-12-13T19:33:39Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > [Swinging on a Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6WXVqg48Qs), Hudson Hawk. I loved that horrible film, and it wasn’t because of Willis. This was my first thought of him as well. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/10 "2019-12-13T19:37:25Z")
I think he was also the cop who threw a kid off a building in “Fort Apache: The Bronx.” ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/11 "2019-12-13T19:42:39Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > [Swinging on a Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6WXVqg48Qs), Hudson Hawk. I loved that horrible film, and it wasn’t because of Willis. > [@QuickSilver](#): > > This was my first thought of him as well. Same with me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/12 "2019-12-13T19:57:52Z")
Aw man, he was awesome in “Do The Right Thing” and “Moonstruck”. I know I saw him in other things but those are the two that stuck with me. And for some reason I thought he had died a few years ago… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/13 "2019-12-13T20:07:20Z")
He was [Mr. New York for a long time, if a film took place in NYC, he had a supporting role in it.](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000732/?nmdp=1&ref_=nm_flmg_shw_1#filmography) He was great in so many roles. By all reports he was a really nice guy too. Very helpful to younger actors. Probably helped he came into acting later than most. He was the Uncle of Michael Kay, Yankee longtime Broadcaster. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/14 "2019-12-13T22:24:18Z")
IMDb [link](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000732/). 86 years, that’s a pretty good run. Several things out this year. His first credits are _Bang the Drum Slowly_ and _The Godfather: Part II_. Not too bad of a start. Another nod to his role as Johnny Cammareri. But let’s not forget _2 Days in the Valley_ or _Léon: The Professional_. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/15 "2019-12-14T03:10:07Z")
RIP Mr. Aiello; you done good. Far too many good performances in far too many good roles to recount them all; the man was truly a master thespian. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/16 "2019-12-14T03:27:56Z")
He was great in everything I saw him in. I never pass up an opportunity to call out the criminally underappreciated _Dinner Rush_, where he plays a restaurateur whose days are passing by and who helps one of his employees out of a jam with help from a surprising John Corbett. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/17 "2019-12-14T03:51:07Z")
He was the chiropractor in **Jacob’s Ladder**. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/18 "2019-12-14T03:59:57Z")
Harlem Nights. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/19 "2019-12-14T04:10:45Z")
In so many films. Quite a few of Woody Allen’s, IIRC. RIP, Danny. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815/20 "2019-12-14T07:33:55Z")
did he do stunts as well because in a lot of movies there’s a “Danny Aiello III” listed under stunts and I wondered if they were the same person … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/danny-aiello-actor-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-86/844815.md?page=2)