‘Do The Right Thing’ Actor Danny Aiello Dies At 86
Danny Aiello, the New York actor whose notoriety peaked following his role in Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing, has died.
Jennifer De Chiara, a literary agent, confirmed the star died on Thursday, December 13. He was 86 years old.. Though details about his death have not yet been provided, De Chiara spoke out regarding her “dear friend’s” death in an exclusive statement to RadarOnline.com.
"Yes; I can confirm that Danny passed away last night. He was my client and dear friend," she said. "Danny overcame tremendous odds to become one of our greatest actors. He was a warm, compassionate, funny, and special person. The world loved Danny Aiello, and he loved them right back."
Aiello was born in Manhattan on June 20, 1933. At just 9 years old he started his first job as a wage earner, and later worked as a delivery boy for the local mob. After dropping out of high school, he joined the Army and was based in Germany during the Korean War.
The New Yorker also worked at an aircraft plant in New Jersey, and at the Greyhound station in New York City, as a baggage handler. He later became a public address announcer and after that, a union official. A wildcat strike eventually cost him that job.
While playing baseball at the Broadway Show League, an amateur softball group, he met Budd Friedman, who offered him a job as a bouncer at his club, the Improv. During his tenure, he often filled in as M.C. and sang background for big acts like Bette Midler. One day, playwright Louis La Russo asked him to join his play "Lamppost Reunion," and at 37 years old, his acting career began.
Aiello made a brief appearance in the 1972 film The Godfather, but a year later, at 40 years old, he made his big Hollywood debut starring alongside a young Robert De Niro in the film Bang the Drum Slowly.
The actor continued to gain prominence throughout the years, appearing in seven Broadway films, including Hurlyburly, The House of Blues Leaves andGemini, the last of which earned him an Ohio Award.
His work on the big screen include roles in Fort Apache: The Bronx (1981), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Moonstruck (1987), and most notably, in the 1989 film Do The Right Thing, which later earned him an Academy Award nomination.
Aiello's last project was the 2019 drama Making a Deal With the Devil.