Photo: Danny_Aiello_&_Teddy_Atlas.jpg: Mike L Photo's derivative work: Materialscientist (talk) / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on June 20, 1933 in Manhattan, New York, United States, Danny Aiello was a voice actor, character actor and film actor. Danny Aiello died on December 12, 2019 at the age of 86. Schooling on record includes James Monroe High School. Recorded honors include Theatre World Award (1976), Ellis Island Medal of Honor and New Jersey Hall of Fame (2019). Credited works include Do the Right Thing and Léon: The Professional.
My Take
Danny Aiello is one of those actors who made every single scene feel lived-in and real, even when the movie around him was falling apart. Growing up tough in the Bronx, he didn't stumble into acting until his forties, and somehow that late start gave him this incredible weight — you always believed him completely, whether he was playing a broken pizza shop owner in Do the Right Thing or the mob boss Tony in Léon: The Professional. His Oscar nomination for Do the Right Thing in 1989 was long overdue recognition for a guy who'd been quietly stealing scenes for years. He passed away in December 2019, and honestly the whole character-actor world got a little quieter. He's the kind of talent that reminds you Hollywood used to reward weathered, complicated faces over manufactured ones.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Danny Aiello
- Name (Japanese)
- ダニー・アイエロ
- Reading
- だにー・あいえろ
- Born
- June 20, 1933 – December 12, 2019
- Origin
- Manhattan, New York, United States
- Occupation
- voice actor / character actor / film actor / stage actor / television actor
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rooster
2. Background
- High school
- James Monroe High School
Awards & achievements
- 1976 Theatre World Award
- Ellis Island Medal of Honor
- 2019 New Jersey Hall of Fame
3. Works & records
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | Do the Right Thing |
| Notable work | Léon: The Professional |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://dannyaiello.com
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny%20Aiello
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%80%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AD
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q299314
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Danny Aiello born?
Danny Aiello was born on June 20, 1933.
When did Danny Aiello die?
Danny Aiello died on December 12, 2019, aged 86.
Where was Danny Aiello from?
Danny Aiello was from Manhattan, New York, United States.
What did Danny Aiello do?
Danny Aiello worked as voice actor, character actor, film actor, stage actor, television actor.
Which high school did Danny Aiello attend?
Danny Aiello attended James Monroe High School.
What was Danny Aiello known for?
Danny Aiello's notable works include Do the Right Thing, Léon: The Professional.
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