I'm always cast in these strange men... that's not me, really.
I was certainly typecast for a while on television because I was always being cast as the 'compassionate mother' or whatever.
I seem to get cast as one of two extremes. Either I play the butch heavy or totally nice guys.
I've played some gangster roles, but that's obviously not me. When you're an Italian-American New York actor, it's just an easy way to get cast.
If your film and character are a hit, chances are you'll get typecast in that space.
I get asked all the time if I want to do more dramatic acting, and I really doubt that dramatic actors get asked if they want to do more comedies. I don't really know why that is.
For years, they cast me in these dumb straight roles of businessmen in three-piece suits.
Directors would tell me, 'We want you to play a character a little less complex than you are.' Yeah, sure. What they mean is, 'You're playing a dummy.'
