Joe Pesci didn’t make it out to the Academy Awards tonight (as evidenced by a photo of him being shown when the nominees for Best Supporting Actor were displayed), but at the very least his energy was represented at the show courtesy of an on-stage story shared by his Irishman co-star Ray Romano.
The Everybody Loves Raymond star took to the stage at the Dolby Theater alongside Sandra Oh to present the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and in a fantastic moment broke from the script to share a story about his experience working with Joe Pesci on the set of the recent Martin Scorsese film. You can watch the censored broadcast version by clicking play on the video below:
After telling a joke about actually being Charlize Theron under heavy make-up, Ray Romano decided to take his moment at the Academy Awards to tell the audience in attendance and at home an R-rated story about his own experience with artists on the set of The Irishman. He recounted watching the filmmakers do their work with awe… and then getting the boot from his co-star whose space he was apparently occupying. He said (with the help of a bit of amateur lip-reading):
All joking aside, I do want to say I saw how talented hair and makeup people are. On The Irishman, they would transform us every day. I would just sit there and be amazed. And then Pesci would come in and say, 'Get the fuck out of my chair.'
Joe Pesci might not have won Best Supporting Actor tonight, losing out to Brad Pitt's performance in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but at least he’s at the center of the best story told on stage thus far.
In The Irishman, Ray Romano has a small role as Bill Bufalino, who is the cousin of Joe Pesci's Russell Bufalino. He doesn't have a lot of screen time in the grand scheme of things, but he does have a key role to play, as he is the one who connects Russell with Robert De Niro's Frank Sheeran (not counting their random encounter at a gas station that served as their first meeting). It’s also definitely a more dramatic role than we’re used to seeing Romano play, but he’s now able to make us laugh with stories from behind the scenes.
The Academy Awards this evening have been full of memorable moments, and the night is far from over, as there are still winners in multiple key categories – including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture – that are waiting to be announced. Stay tuned with us here on CinemaBlend throughout the night, as we’ll continue to bring you stories about the highlights and opinions about the winners and losers!
