Multitalented and two-time Emmy-nominated actor Dominic Chianese was born on February 24, 1931. A native of the Bronx, he graduated with a speech and theater degree in night school while working as a bricklayer with his father. After proliferating in local theatre and Broadway for more than a decade, he was cast on the acclaimed TV series East Side West, Side. His first film role was Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather II. Chianese’s best role, however, remains to be as Uncle Junior on the critically acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos.
After doing college and off-Broadway productions, Chianese decided to attend his first professional acting class at HB Studios Manhattan, where he became under the tutelage of renowned teacher Walt Witcover. After some time, he started leaning towards drama and musical theater. In 1965, he bagged his first Broadway show with Oliver! In between plays, he played rhythm guitar and sang in taverns and restaurants. Over the years, he has performed at regional theaters, such as Arena Stage, Center Stage, Yale Repertory, Long Wharf Theater, and the New York Shakespeare Festival.
Chianese broke into the small screen with a role in the acclaimed series East Side, West Side. He was then cast by legendary director Francis Ford Coppola in The Godfather, Part II, opening windows of opportunities for then 43-year-old Chianese. Notably, he appeared with no less than four films with friend Al Pacino, including Dog Day Afternoon in 1975, And Justice for All in 1979 and Looking for Richard in 1996. His other notable film credits include Night Falls on Manhattan, All the President’s Men, If Lucy Fell, and Unfaithful. In 2000, he released a CD where he sang American and Italian songs. He had another CD entitled Ungrateful Heart, a collection of Italian songs. His band The New York Sidewalkers performs regularly around New York City.