Paul Anthony Sorvino (April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was a European-American businessman, entrepreneur, actor, opera singer, writer, and sculptor. He often portrayed authority figures on both sides of the law and was known for his roles as Paulie Cicero (based on Paul Vario) in the 1990 gangster film Goodfellas, and NYPD Sergeant Phil Cerreta on the TV series Law & Order. He took on supporting roles in A Touch of Class, Reds, The Rocketeer, Nixon, and Romeo + Juliet. He was the father of actors Mira Sorvino and Michael Sorvino.

Filmography

• 2023Pursued — Grandpa
• 2022The Great American Heist — Cheech
• 2021The Birthday Cake — Uncle Carmine
• 2020Most Guys Are Losers — Grandpa Paul
• 2019Bad Impulse — Lou Branch
• 2019Beneath the Leaves — Captain Parker
• Godfather of Harlem — Frank Costello
• 2019Welcome to Acapulco — Senator Campbell
• 2018Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game — Phil
• 2018Acts of Desperation — Chief Lassiter
• 2018Papa — Danny
• Bad Blood — Nico Rizzuto Sr.
• 2017Lost Cat Corona — Uncle Sam
• 2017Price for Freedom — Shah of Iran
• 2017The Red Maple Leaf — Joseph Palermo
• 2017Undercover Grandpa — Giovanni
• 2016A Winter Rose — Skippy
• 2016Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival — God
• 2016As Long As We Both Shall Live — Jim
• 2016Chasing Gold — Frank
• Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders — Dr. Dominico Scarpa
• 2016Detours — Joe DiMaria
• 2016Executor — Father Antonio
• 2016Kidnapped in Romania — Alexandru Damian
• 2016Rules Don't Apply — Vernon Scott
• 2016The Bandit Hound — Chief Burton
• 2016The Bronx Bull — Giuseppe LaMotta
• 2016The Brooklyn Banker — Benny
• 2016The Hybrids Family — The Count
• 2015Careful What You Wish For — Sheriff Big Jack
• 2015Cold Deck — Chips
• Grandfathered — Jack Martino
• 2015No Deposit — Alfie
• 2015Sicilian Vampire — Jimmy Scambino
• 2014A Place for Heroes — Vincent
• Cosmos — Augustin Mouchot (voice)
• 20134Closed — Bud
• 2013How Sweet It Is — Big Mike
• 2013Immigrant — Yeshiva Principal
• 2013Last I Heard — Joe Scoleri
• The Goldbergs — Ben 'Pop Pop' Goldberg
• 2012Divorce Invitation — Daniel Miller
• Elementary — Robert Pardillo
• 2012For the Love of Money — Red Parker
• 2012Imaginary Friend — Jonathan
• 2012Jersey Shore Shark Attack — Mayor Palantine
• 2012The Devil's Carnival — God
• 2012The Trouble with Cali — Ivan, Director
• 2011God Don't Make the Laws — Lewis
• 2011Kill the Irishman — Tony Salerno
• 2009Doc West — Roy Basehart
• 2009Doc West II : Triggerman — Sheriff Roy Basehart
• 2009Santa Baby 2 — Santa Claus
• 2009The Wild Stallion — Nolan
• 2008Carnera: The Walking Mountain — Ledudal
• 2008Last Hour — Maitre Steinfeld
• 2008Repo! The Genetic Opera — Rotti Largo
• 2007Greetings from the Shore — Catch Turner
• L'onore e il rispetto — Beniamino
• 2006Mr. Fix It — Wally
• 2005Gangland: Bullets over Hollywood
• The Apprentice: Martha Stewart
• 2004Goodnight, Joseph Parker — Charlie
• Jack & Bobby
• 2004Mr. 3000 — Gus Panas
• 2003Mafia Doctor — Nicola Dellarusso
• 2003Mambo Italiano — Gino Barberini
• 2003The Cooler — Buddy Stafford
• 2002Ciao America — Antonio Primavera
• 2002Hey Arnold! The Movie — Scheck (voice)
• 2002Plan B — Joe Maloni
• Still Standing — Al Miller
• 2001Longshot — Laszlo Pryce
• 2001Perfume — Lorenzo Mancini
• 2001See Spot Run — Sonny Talia
• 2001Streghe verso nord — Gallio
• 2001The Amati Girls — Joe
• 2000Cheaters — Constantine Kiamos
• That's Life — Frank DeLucca
• 2000The Thin Blue Lie — Frank Rizzo
• 1999Harlem Aria — Fabiano Grazzi
• 1999That Championship Season — Coach, Director
• 1998Bulworth — Graham Crockett
• 1998Dead Broke — Harvey
• 1998Houdini — Blackburn
• 1998Knock Off — Harry Johanson
• 1998Men with Guns — Horace Burke
• The Big House
• 1997American Perfekt — Frank
• 1997Dog Watch — Delgoti
• 1997Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way — Joe Torre
• 1997Money Talks — Guy Cipriani
• 1997Most Wanted — CIA Deputy Director Kenny Rackmill
• 1996Escape Clause — Lt. Gil Farrand
• 1996Love Is All There Is — Piero Malacici
• 1996Romeo + Juliet — Fulgencio Capulet
• 1995Cover Me — J.J. Davis
• 1995Nixon — Henry Kissinger
• 1994Backstreet Justice — Captain Phil Giarusso
• Duckman — Variecom CEO (voice)
• 1994Parallel Lives — Ed Starling
• 1994Without Consent — Dr. Winslow
• 1993Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives — Anthony Caruso
• 1993The Firm — Tommy Morolto (uncredited)
• 1992The Last Mile — The Tenor
• 1991Age Isn't Everything — Max
• 1991Don't Touch My Daughter — Lt. Willman
• 1991The Rocketeer — Eddie Valentine
• 1990Dick Tracy — Lips Manlis
• 1990GoodFellas — Paul Cicero
• Law & Order — Phil Cerreta
• 1987Almost Partners — Jack Wilder
• Star Trek: The Next Generation — Dr. Nikolai Rozhenko
• The Oldest Rookie — Ike Porter
• 1986A Fine Mess — Tony Pazzo
• 1986Betrayed by Innocence — Mike Vogel
• 1986Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter — Gino
• 1986Very Close Quarters — Kiril
• 1985Chiller — Reverend Penny
• Moonlighting — David Addison Sr.
• 1985Surviving — Harvey
• 1985The Stuff — Colonel Malcolm Grommett Spears
• Murder, She Wrote — Al Sidell
• 1984My Mother's Secret Life — Max
• 1984With Intent to Kill — Doyle Reinecker
• Chiefs — Sheriff Skeeter Willis
• 1983Off the Wall — Warden Nicholas F. Castle
• 1982A Question of Honor — Carlo Danzie
• 1982I, the Jury — Detective Pat Chambers
• 1982Melanie — Walter
• 1982That Championship Season — Phil Romano
• 1981Reds — Louis Fraina
• 1980Cruising — Capt. Edelson
• 1979Dummy — Lowell Myers
• 1979Lost and Found — Reilly
• 1978Bloodbrothers — Chubby De Coco
• 1978Slow Dancing In The Big City — Lou Friedlander
• 1978The Brink's Job — Jazz Maffie
• 1977Oh, God! — Reverend Willie Williams
• Seventh Avenue — Dave Shaw
• Bert D'Angelo Superstar
• 1976I Will, I Will...For Now — Lou Springer
• 1975Angel and Big Joe
• We'll Get By — George Platt
• 1974It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy — Harry Walters
• 1974King Lear — Gloucester
• 1974Shoot It Black, Shoot It Blue — Ring
• 1974Tell Me Where It Hurts — Joe
• 1974The Gambler — Hips
• 1973A Touch of Class — Walter Menkes
• 1973The Day of the Dolphin — Curtis Mahoney
• 1972Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues — Taxi Driver
• The Streets of San Francisco — Sergeant Bert D'Angelo
• 1971Cry Uncle! — Coughing Cop
• Great Performances — Gloucester
• 1971Made For Each Other — Gig's Father
• 1971The Panic in Needle Park — Samuels
• 1970Where’s Poppa? — Owner of Gus & Grace's Home
• 1965Skyscraper

Appearances as themselves (28)

• 2026As Far Back As I Can Remember... The Story of Goodfellas — Self (archive footage)
• 2022American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective — Self
• 2020GoodFellas: Behind Closed Doors — Self
• Josh Gates Tonight — Self
• Emigratis — Self
• Celebrity Family Feud — Self
• 2015Enzian: When the Lights Go Up — Self (archive footage)
• 2011Miller's Tale — Self
• 2011Night Club — Himself
• 2007Exorcising 'Cruising' — Self (archive footage)
• 2007The History of 'Cruising' — Self (archive footage)
• 2006Witness to 'Reds' — Self
• 2004Getting Made: The Making of 'GoodFellas' — Self
• The Tony Danza Show — Self - Guest
• 2004The Workaday Gangster — Self
• 2001Playboy Mansion Parties Uncensored — Self
• The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn — Self - Guest
• The Daily Show — Self - Guest
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
• 1990Night of 100 Stars III — Self
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self - Guest
• 1985Turk 182! — Himself
• Late Night with David Letterman — Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self
• Tony Awards — Self - Nominee, Self - Presenter
• The Oscars — Self
• Amanda Undercover — Self