Joe Spinell was a popular and prolific character actor who it turns out was just as much of a colorful character in real life as he was on screen. Spinell was always at the movies as a kid, worked as a cab driver, and acted in stage plays that were put on for prisoners prior to making his film debut as a hit-man in "The Godfather." After that Spinell went on to appear in such 70's classics as "Rocky" and "Taxi Driver," plus lived one hell of a crazy lifestyle before dying quite suddenly at age 52. Robert Forster, Richard Lynch, Jason Miller, director William Lustig, producer Sonny Grosso, sister Grace Raimo, and close friend Luke Walter all not only relate some choice stories about Spinell's wild exploits, but also point out that Spinell was an actor who was game for anything with a natural and internalized way of doing his craft and, most importantly, was the kind of bighearted fellow who if he liked you was your buddy for life. Among the subjects covered herein are how Spinell was almost in "Jaws," the way he helped Sly Stallone out early in his career, Spinell getting arrested during the making of "The Ninth Configuration," his ill-fated marriage with porn actress Jean Jennings, the making of the movies "Maniac" and "The Last Horror Film" (these were rare showcases for Spinell as a lead instead of supporting actor), Spinell's problems with drugs and alcohol, and his increasingly self-destructive behavior in the wake of the death of his beloved mother who he lived with in an apartment in Queens, New York. Essential viewing for Spinell fans.
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