Though he started acting at age 30, and he didn't make his feature film debut until 1985, Iannicelli has racked up quite the impressive resume in film and television in the decades since.
Working with the likes of Robert De Niro in 2017's Wizard of Lies, Bill Murray in 2014's St. Vincent and Joaquin Phoenix in 2019's Joker, the 77-year-old has plenty of stories to share about his long career in the industry. Zach Catanzareti spoke with Iannicelli on May 22, 2020 to talk about his early days in New York, his rise to feature film and some of his more notable roles. Here is Part I of our conversation.
CLICK HERE for Part II
CLICK HERE to listen to the full interview on Soundcloud
Zach Catanzareti: Starting from the beginning, you grew up in Brooklyn, NY. You were born in 1942. What was your childhood like? Did you have any siblings, what did your parents do?
Ray Iannicelli: Yeah, there were five kids. I had three sisters and a brother. Two of us are left -- my younger sister and myself. I grew up in the segment of Brooklyn called Bensonhurst, which used to be a lot of Italian Americans but it's mostly Asian now. I grew up in sort of a typical home at the time. My grandfather lived on the third floor of the small apartment, my aunt and uncle lived in the middle floor and we lived on the main floor. It was a busy house [laughs].
It's interesting because growing up then -- because I was born in the 40's -- the neighborhood was a very European culture. It wasn't a typical American culture. We ate different foods, we addressed people by their -- my neighbor was Mr. or Mrs. It was a whole different thing. Southern Italians, we ate a lot of fish, a lot of snails [laughs]. Not your typical American.
It was a nice childhood. I went to a Catholic school, my mother was a school teacher. She taught in a public school. My father was an office manager at the stock brokerage. He was the first of his family to be born here. His oldest siblings were born in Italy.
My mother was of Irish descent from upstate New York and she married my father very young and moved to Brooklyn. I consider myself biologically or by nature half Italian and half Irish. But by nurture, I'm probably 90 percent Italian.
Growing up during those times, throughout the 40's and into the 50's, film and television was going through a remarkable shift. It was being shown in living rooms more regularly, drive-in movies, more tv shows. Do you recall witnessing this time in history?
I wasn't in the industry yet, but times were certainly changing. Also, culturally. We weren't the first ones in our block to have a television and it was a big deal. We'd go watch the Lone Ranger on a black-and-white television the size of a computer screen.
It was changing. It was right after World War II, the culture was changing, people had a little more money. It was a different -- I didn't have anybody in the industry. I didn't have a cousin or uncle who was an actor or director, I was the first to go into the entertainment business.
She played [John] Travolta's mother in Saturday Night Fever. She also was in Moonlight with Cher. She was a tough lady, a tough broad from Brooklyn. So, we got on pretty good.
So, I took lessons. She had classes, 10-15 students in each class. I started doing plays and that's where I started gaining my experience. In the village, I used to say that for 10 years, my career never got north of 14th Street. Sometimes, there would be eight people on stage and four people in the audience. But it was a great learning experience.
Things were a lot cheaper than, too. I had a one-bedroom apartment for $90. I could afford to bounce around a bit. That was a different time. It was easier for artists to make a living in the city.
Do you think you could have made it today?
I have no idea. I don’t know. You know young people, they live three or four in an apartment now. They share expenses, they share rent. But it's a much more expensive way of life.
I never had a second plan. I did a lot of different jobs. Mostly, I sold pianos. I never really had a back-up plan really. I just did it and took it as I came. I did a lot of plays. It was great training. If it gave you anything, it gave you confidence. That's about it.
You mentioned the Army. How many years were you on duty? I know you did electrical repairs.
Oh Jesus, how did you find that out? I went to school when I was in the Army outside of Baltimore and became an electrical system repairman on tank engines. So, working on the engines on tanks. Thank god we weren't in a war because I don't think I was a very good mechanic [laughs]. I guess if you have to learn real quick, you'll learn.
Altogether, I was active duty for 18 months. In the Army, I never left the country. I would do the Army bases around the country.
When you did come back, you became a piano salesman. It seems like an interesting job to have. Why did you get into that?
I got into the office -- I answered an ad in a newspaper. It was under the New York Times employment section. So, I went to the company and they were looking for help. Let me try selling, and I did. It worked out well, it was fun. That was on West 42nd Street.
I met a lot of people from different walks of life. Got to meet some girls, that was fun [laughs] some women. In fact, that's where I met my wife, she came in to buy a piano.
Oh really?
How do you like them apples? We're still together, I don't know how that happened. We haven't killed each other. Especially during this shutdown, the pandemic. My god. We've been fortunate enough to be able to travel, relatively a lot.
I'm just going down my IMDb as a reminder. I just did a couple stints on the Stephen Colbert Show that aren't listed. That was fun. I’m also in the process of shooting a second episode of a series we're trying to sell. We did one episode and finished the acting part yesterday. The second episode takes place all on Zoom because of the pandemic. I play the father, we're in the basement. We're all isolated.
Sandra James, who plays my wife, we've known each other for 25 years. She was in the Joker, she plays the woman who's on the TV talk show. Joaquin Phoenix comes out and kisses her, which was improvisational. That was not in the script. He's a wonderful actor, an incredible actor. Wow. He's in a zone man, when he is working, he is in a zone.
I'm going to ask about him. I have a few earlier roles I wanted to ask about. I wanted to start with Prizzi's Honor [1985], your first role.
That was my very first. I did student films, little films before that, but that was my first studio movie. Which a wonderful experience. Wonderful, oh my god. I was on set two weeks, had my own trailer. Things have changed [laughs].
Working for [director] John Huston, working with [Jack] Nicholson, who was very gracious. Very easy to talk to, interested in doing the work. And getting to work with John Huston, that was a thrill. I think I walked on water for about three months after that.
It was cool, I was so nervous. Oh my god.
What was your role like?
I was playing a wedding photographer, I was at the church during the wedding. I think I had a mustache then. It was a big scene, it took a while to shoot, a number of days. A lot of people involved, a lot of movement.
It was such a wonderful experience. As I said, working with Nicholson and Huston. I learned to relax on set, so on and so forth.
You said you got to speak with Jack?
I forget what we talked about. I mean, I didn't socialize with him. We didn't go out to dinner afterwards, didn't go over his house. But on set, because we had a scene. So, they yell cut and for five minutes you're sitting there and you talk.
He was very accessible and very kind to the extras. He would often ask 'How are you all doing?' Because there was like 100 extras in the church. He acknowledged them, which is a kind thing to do. Makes it a more interesting and productive working atmosphere, everyone is on the same page, nobody is better than anyone else.
Any time I’ve worked on a movie set and any of the bigger actors turned to us -- I've only done background work. But any time they turn to us and say, 'You guys are doing a great job', that is something you never forget.
No, absolutely. Being kind, being human. I didn't start acting -- I think my first lesson I was 30 years old. So, I didn’t start until late relatively speaking.
Through this times, the 90's and 2000s as you progressed, how were you balancing your roles with regular life? Did you have a day job outside of acting?
Yeah, I had a day job, sure. At first, I was selling pianos. Then, I couldn’t do that because I would accept a job out of town. Eventually, I had to let that go. Then, I did some jobs to maintain myself. I painted apartments, sold things at a flea market. It's funny because I used to buy these pots and pans in south Jersey, I would go to these flea markets twice a week. We would walk away from each market and I would have $300 in my pocket. That helped sustain me.
I did these odd jobs. You always have to have money coming in. My wife had a regular job, so that helps. Somehow, you work it out. I guess that's what happens today, you work it out.
As you got older and got more experience, did you feel there was a certain role you fit best? Comedic role, more dramatic, maybe more subtle performances.
I hadn't done that much comedy. I have a sense of humor about me, so I wish I could have done more comedy. But mostly it's been drama. It's just the way it goes. I'm not a major star, so I can't pick and choose. There are very few roles I've turned down, I just want to work so whatever comes by, comes by. You get into a rhythm and a mode, that's how the casting people see you.
As a matter of fact, I auditioned for a film six months ago, eight months. They asked me to improv, it was a comedy. I started and asked them, 'Should I keep going?' and he said, 'Yeah, yeah keep going.'
I finished it, they were happy with what I did. They didn't cast me, but they were happy. But the casting director said to me, "Ray! I didn't know you were so funny. I didn't know you could improv.' The guy has known me for 15-20 years. So, that's the way it is, you know.
Especially for the movies I've been in. Joker, I played a clown. But that's a dramatic movie. Did you see it?
Oh yeah, I have quite a few questions about Joker.
[Phoenix] is amazing right? Isn't he?
Incredible. But before I get to that, there were a few more that caught my eye. The first was from 1998, a movie called Rounders with Matt Damon and Edward Norton.
That's an old favorite now, they say. I was at one of the scenes and I sat next to John Malkovich. I think he was living in France at the time, he was talking about France a lot when we were off camera. He seemed to be a very nice guy, very introverted, very civil. Again, easy to work with. We started talking, did our scene.
He seems to be a very bright guy, too. I don't know if it's from the movies he's been in, he's always a bright guy.
CLICK HERE for Part II
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