Chazz Palminteri celebrated his 74th birthday on May 15 and likely marked the milestone alongside his two children, Dante and Gabriella, whom he shares with his wife, Gianna Ranaudo.
Despite being known to millions for his standout roles in A Bronx Tale and The Usual Suspects, Chazz Palminteri considers his most important role to be that of a devoted father to his children.
"Fatherhood has changed me. It’s made me more responsible," he told OK! Magazine in January 2009. "It’s not just me I have to worry about. It's not just me and my wife – it’s these kids that walk around and look at you and go, 'Daddy, what’s up? What’s going on dad? Are you going to pay for my college? Can I have a car? Can I have this? Can I have that?' You can’t let them down."
© Getty ImagesBoth Dante and Gabriella have followed in their father’s acting footsteps, and it seems their passion for the craft was evident from an early age. "My kids love sports, but they also love show business," Chazz shared. "My son likes to play guitar and piano. He’s like a rock star. He also loves acting. So does my daughter – she loves singing and acting. I have two kids here who want to be in the business. That's OK – I’ll help them as much as I can, and then it’s up to them to decide whether they want to do it."
To celebrate the actor's milestone birthday, HELLO! are taking a closer look at his family life and the careers of his two children.
Dante Lorenzo Palminteri
Chazz and Gianna welcomed their son in October 1995 in New York. The 30-year-old has carved out his own career in the industry, appearing in the likes of Law & Order as Leo McAdams.
"Raised between the East & West coasts, American singer-songwriter & actor Dante Palminteri matured his musical styling at an early age, inspired by John Mayer’s poetic mastery of the human psyche & Ed Sheeran’s genre-defying melodies," reads his website.
© Getty Images for Flickers' RIIFF"An early sufferer of anxiety & dyslexia, Dante found solace in the last place one would expect: written word. Dreaming up lyrics on teen heartbreak & defying the status quo, he pursued a career in songwriting, eventually strumming his way into Berklee College of Music."
Dante is most known for his roles in Bleed for This, Bad News on the Doorstep and That's Amore!. Chazz's son is also a great fan of his hit movie A Bronx Tale and its Broadway adaptation. "My son saw my show for the first time and at the end of it he was like amazed," the Academy Award nominee told Spectrum News. "He was hugging me and kissing me. And he is 12 years old and he said, ‘Dad, I promise you I won’t waste my talent.'"
Gabriella Palminteri
Gabriella was born in December 2001 and began acting on stage at a young age. She continued to pursue the craft throughout middle school and high school, before she graduated from The University of Michigan with a BFA in Musical Theatre.
"I got my start at 8 years old, working at the Weschester Broadway Dinner Theatre right in my hometown. It was there that my love for the stage began. Since then I have pursued musical theatre at the University level, and I’ve spent two summers training in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where I extensively studied Shakespeare!" reads her website.
© Getty Images for Tribeca Festiva"I am also a playwright, and recently just wrote and directed my one act play, entitled “Thank you, Ali Brunswick” at the University of Michigan. Theatre is my absolute passion in this life, whether I’m performing it or creating it I just love this art form with my entire soul. Up next for me, I am performing at the Encore Theatre in Dexter Michigan during August and September, in a new musical entitled NEW WORLD COMIN."
As for her film career, Gabriella has starred in The Legend of Juan Jose Mundo.
