Harvey Keitel

By: Ariel Scheib

Harvey Johannes Keitel was born on May 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York. His parents Nikonar Keitel and Maritska LeCose were Jewish immigrants from Poland and Romania. At only the age of 16, Keitel joined the U.S. Marine Corps, which landed him in Lebanon. Following his Marine duty, Keitel eventually began his acting career. Keitel first began his career as an actor in a few off-Broadway productions. It was during this time that Keitel befriended a struggling film producer, Martin Scorsese. Since then both men have worked together on numerous films. As a result of a few rough patches during the 1960s, by the end of the 1970s, Keitel was starring predominately in European films. Throughout the 1980s, Keitel began starring in many stage and screen performances, usually in the role of a thug. In 1992, Keitel starred in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs as Mr. White relaunching his career in the film industry. Keitel has attempted to select roles in which to highlight his acting range, such as his role in Jane Campion’s The Piano. Keitel also operates his own film production company, The Goatsingers, with partner Peggy Gormley.

Harvey Keitel has been married twice, first to Lorraine Bracco from 1982 to 1993. Then on October 7, 2001, Keitel married Israeli actress Daphna Kastner in Jerusalem, Israel. Keitel has one child with each woman.

Filmography:

• Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967)
• Mean Streets (1973)
• Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
• Taxi Driver (1976)
• Mother, Jugs and Speed (1976)
• Blue Collar (1978)
• The Duellists (1978)
• Fingers (1978)
• Bad Timing (1980)
• Deathwatch (1981)
• Corrupt (1981)
• The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
• Thelma and Louise (1991)
• Bugsy (1991)
• Bad Lieutenant (1992)
• Reservoir Dogs (1992)
• Sister Act (1992)
• The Piano (1993)
• Young Americans (1993)
• Imaginary Crimes (1994)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• Smoke (1995)
• Blue in the Face (1995)
• From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
• Cop Land (1997)
• Lulu on the Bridge (1998)
• The Prince of Central Park (1999)
• Three Seasons (1999)
• Holy Smoke! (1999)
• U-571 (2000)
• Little Nicky (2000)
• Red Dragon (2002)
• Crime Spree (2003)
• Dreaming of Julia (2003)
• National Treasure (2004)
• The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004)
• Be Cool (2005)

Sources: Wikipedia: Harvey Keitel; Internet Movie Database: Biography of Harvey Keitel