What Is Dominic Chianese's Net Worth?
Dominic Chianese is an Italian-American actor, singer, and musician who has a net worth of $5 million. Dominic Chianese is most famous for playing Corrado "Junior" Soprano on the critically acclaimed HBO drama "The Sopranos" (1999–2007), which earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations. He is also known for the roles of Johnny Ola in the 1974 film "The Godfather Part II" and Leander Cephas Whitlock on HBO's Boardwalk Empire (2011–2013).
Dominic has more than 50 acting credits to his name, including the films "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975), "All the President's Men" (1976), "If Lucy Fell" (1996), "Cradle Will Rock" (1999), and "Mr. Popper's Penguins" (2011) and the television series "Ryan's Hope" (1981), "Damages" (2010), "The Good Wife" (2012–2015), and "The Village" (2019). He has also performed on Broadway, appearing in productions of "Oliver!" (1965), "Scratch" (1971), "The Water Engine" (1978), "Richard III" (1979), "Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1985), "The Rose Tattoo" (1995), and "A Wonderful Life" (2005). Chianese has released the albums "Hits" (2000) and "Ungrateful Heart" (2003), and in 2018, he published the book "Twelve Angels: The Women Who Taught Me How to Act, Live, and Love," which he co-wrote with Matthew Sargent.
Early Life
Dominic Chianese was born on February 24, 1931, in the Bronx, New York. His father worked as a bricklayer, and his paternal grandfather emigrated from Naples, Italy, to New York City in 1904. Dominic attended the Bronx High School of Science, graduating in 1948. After graduation, he worked with his father during the day and took classes at night. Chianese earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Theater Studies from Brooklyn College in 1961.
Career
Dominic spent a decade attending college and performing in off-Broadway productions, then he studied acting at Manhattan's HB Studio. He later took a job with the Drug Commission of New York State, working in a rehabilitation center as a recreational worker. Chianese made his onscreen acting debut in a 1964 episode of "East Side/West Side," and his first film was 1972's "Fuzz." In 1974, he played Johnny Ola in "The Godfather Part II" alongside Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, and Robert De Niro. The film won six of the 11 Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture, and it was preserved in the Library of Congress's National Film Registry in 1993 for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Dominic reunited with Pacino in 1975's "Dog Day Afternoon" and 1979's "…And Justice For All" as well as Al's directorial debut, the 1996 documentary "Looking for Richard." In 1976, he guest-starred on "Kojak" and played Eugenio R. Martínez in the film "All the President's Men." Chianese then appeared in the films "Fingers" (1978), "On the Yard" (1978), and "Firepower" (1979) and the TV movie "A Time for Miracles" (1980). In 1981, he starred as Alexei Vartova in 40 episodes of the ABC soap opera " Ryan's Hope" and appeared in the crime drama "Fort Apache, the Bronx." Dominic guest-starred on "Tales from the Darkside" (1986), "L.A. Law" (1989), "Law & Order" (1991; 1995; 1997), and "Cosby" (1997), and he portrayed Gabriel Capone in 1990's "The Lost Capone" and Joe Armone in 1996's "Gotti."
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In the '90s, Dominic appeared in the films "Q&A" (1990), "Out for Justice" (1991), "The Public Eye" (1992), "The Contenders" (1993), "The Night We Never Met" (1993), "Love Is All There Is" (1996), "The Mouse" (1996), "Night Falls on Manhattan" (1997), and "Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God… Be Back by Five" (1998). He also co-starred with Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Stiller, and Elle Macpherson in the 1996 romantic comedy "If Lucy Fell" and appeared in the 1999 Tim Robbins-directed historical drama "Cradle Will Rock" alongside Hank Azaria, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Bill Murray, Vanessa Redgrave, and Susan Sarandon. From 1999 to 2007, Chianese played Corrado 'Junior' Soprano on "The Sopranos," appearing in 55 of the show's 86 episodes. The series won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2007, and several publications have named it the greatest TV show of all time, including "TV Guide" and "Rolling Stone." In 2002, he co-starred with Richard Gere and Diane Lane in "Unfaithful," which grossed $119.1 million at the box office, and in 2004, he guest-starred on "Hope & Faith" and appeared in the films "When Will I Be Loved" and "King of the Corner" and the TV movie "Crimes of Fashion."
In 2007, Dominic played Lenny Sugarman in "The Last New Yorker" and Tommaso Pensara in "Adrift in Manhattan," and then he had a recurring role as Stuart Zedeck on the legal thriller "Damages" in 2010. In 2011, he co-starred with Jim Carrey in "Mr. Popper's Penguins," which brought in $187.4 million at the box office, and he began a 12-episode stint as Leander Cephas Whitlock on "Boardwalk Empire." From 2012 to 2015, Chianese played Judge Michael Marx in five episodes of "The Good Wife," and in 2013, he co-starred with Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones in "The Family." In 2017, he appeared in the film "Active Adults," and in 2019, he starred as Enzo on the NBC drama "The Village."
(Photo by David Pomponio/FilmMagic)
Personal Life
Dominic has been married three times. He wed his first wife, Vincenza Jean Vacchio, in 1958, and after they divorced, he married Merle Molofsky in 1961. He and Molofsky had three children: Dominic Jr., Sarah, and Rebbeca. Dominic Jr. is an actor who appeared in three 2007 episodes of "The Sopranos." Chianese has been married to his third wife, Jane Pittson, since 2008. In 2010, Dominic was presented with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which is awarded to "individuals who have made it their mission to share with those less fortunate their wealth of knowledge, indomitable courage, boundless compassion, unique talents and selfless generosity."
Awards and Nominations
Chianese received Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for "The Sopranos" in 2000 and 2001. His performance as Junior Soprano also earned him an Online Film & Television Association Award nomination for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2007 and a Golden Nymph nomination for Outstanding Actor – Drama Series at the 2008 Monte-Carlo TV Festival. Dominic shared six Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with his "The Sopranos" co-stars, winning in 2000. Chianese and his "Boardwalk Empire" castmates won in that category in 2012.
