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Dominic Chianese, whose career in music, film, stage and television spans 5 decades, made his acting debut with "American Savoyards" in 1952 at the Jan Hus Off-Broadway theater, leading to his first professional U.S. tour in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" and "Patience." He went on to act in dramas and musicals at regional theaters, including Arena Stage, Center Stage, Yale Repertory, Long Wharf Theatre, Walnut St. Theater, and the NY Shakespeare Festival among others, from 1958 to 1998. Chianese's Broadway appearances include "Richard III," David Mamet's "Water Engine," Archibald MacLeish's "Scratch," Tennessee Williams' "The Rose Tattoo," and "Requiem for a Heavyweight" by Rod Serling. His most recent stints on the stage include the "Irresistible Rise of Arturo Ui," a drama that also starred Al Pacino, John Goodman, the late Tony Randall, Steve Buscemi, and Charles Durning; The Public Theatre's production of "Much Ado About Nothing" with Sam Watterston, Jimmy Smits & Kirsten Johnston under the direction of David Esbjornson and most recently in "Second Hand Memory" written and directed by Woody Allen.
Chianese began his film career in 1971 with the film "Fuzz," and soon after landed the role of Johnny Ola in the classic Coppola film, "The Godfather, Part II." This led to three more films with Sidney Lumet - "Dog Day Afternoon," "Q&A," and "Night Falls on Manhattan." Other noted films include: "And Justice For All," "All the President's Men," "Second Sight," "If Lucy Fell," "The Cradle Will Rock" and "Unfaithful." Most recently Dominic appeared in "When Will I Be Loved" co-starring Neve Campbell and directed by James Toback, and in the feature film "Kings of the Corner" starring Isabella Rossellini, Rita Moreno and Eli Wallach and directed by Peter Riegert. He will next be seen in the film "The Last New Yorker" co-starring Dick Latessa and directed by Harvey Wang. Chianese's television credits include: "Law & Order" (a recurring role), "Kojak," "East Side, West Side," "Beacon Hill," "Dark Shadows," and most recently "Hope & Faith."
Currently, Chianese is best know for playing Corrado "Uncle Junior" Soprano on the HBO hit series "The Sopranos" for which he was nominated for Emmy® Awards in 2000 and 2001.
Besides acting, he is also a singer/songwriter and has released two CD's, "Hits," a compilation of different music styles, and his most recently, "Ungrateful Heart," a collection of Italian Songs. He and his band, "The New York Sidewalkers," perform regularly in and around New York City.
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