Harvey Keitel (/kaɪˈtɛl/ky-TEL; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor and producer. Known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters,[1][2] he rose to prominence during theNew Hollywood movement.
Harvey Keitel was born in theBrooklyn borough of New York City on May 13, 1939,[4][5] the son of Jewish immigrants Miriam (née Klein; 1911–1987) and Harry Keitel (1904–2000). His mother was Romanian and his father was Polish.[6] His parents owned and ran aluncheonette, and his father also worked as a hat maker. He grew up with his older sister Renee[7] and older brother Jerry[8] in Brooklyn'sBrighton Beach neighborhood.[9] He attendedAbraham Lincoln High School and enlisted in theMarines at the age of 17. After his discharge, he worked as acourt stenographer for around 10 to 12 years before beginning his acting career.[9]
Keitel studied under bothStella Adler andLee Strasberg and at theHB Studio,[10] eventually landing roles in someOff-Broadway productions.[9] During this time, Keitel auditioned for filmmakerMartin Scorsese and gained a starring role as "J.R.", in Scorsese's first feature film,Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967).[9] Since then, Scorsese and Keitel have worked together on several projects.[9] Keitel had the starring role in Scorsese'sMean Streets (1973), which also proved to beRobert De Niro's breakthrough film. Keitel re-teamed with Scorsese forAlice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), in which he had a villainous supporting role, and appeared with Robert De Niro again in Scorsese'sTaxi Driver (1976), playing the role ofJodie Foster's character's pimp.[9] Between those, he portrayedBugsy Siegel in the 1974 TV movieVirginia Hill starringDyan Cannon.
In 1977 and 1978, Keitel starred in the directorial debuts ofPaul Schrader (Blue Collar, co-starringRichard Pryor andYaphet Kotto),Ridley Scott (The Duellists, co-starringKeith Carradine), andJames Toback (Fingers, in which Keitel played a street hood with aspirations of being a pianist – a role Toback wrote for Robert De Niro to play). He was originally cast as Captain Willard inFrancis Ford Coppola'sApocalypse Now (1979). Keitel was involved with the first week of principal photography in the Philippines. Coppola was not happy with Keitel's take on Willard, stating that the actor "found it difficult to play him as a passive onlooker".[11] After viewing the first week's footage, Coppola replaced Keitel with a casting session favorite,Martin Sheen.
Keitel starred inQuentin Tarantino'sReservoir Dogs (which he co-produced) in 1992,[9] where his performance as "Mr. White" took his career to a different level. Since then, Keitel has chosen his roles with care, seeking to change his image and show a broader acting range.[9] One of those roles was the title character inBad Lieutenant, about a self-loathing, drug-addicted police lieutenant trying to redeem himself.[9] He co-starred in theJane Campion filmThe Piano in 1993,[9] and played Winston "The Wolf" Wolf in Quentin Tarantino'sPulp Fiction, an apparent reprise of his Victor the Cleaner character from 1993'sPoint of No Return. Keitel starred as a police detective inSpike Lee'sClockers (an adaptation ofRichard Price's novel, co-produced by Martin Scorsese). In 1996, Keitel had a major role in Quentin Tarantino andRobert Rodriguez's filmFrom Dusk till Dawn, and in 1997, he starred in the crime dramaCop Land, which also starredSylvester Stallone,Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro.
From 1982 to 1993, Keitel was in a relationship with American actressLorraine Bracco,[22] which ended acrimoniously and triggered a prolonged custody battle over their daughter Stella (born 1985).[23] He dated American potter Lisa Marie Karmazin from 2000 to 2001,[24] after they met in Israel.[25] They have a son named Hudson (born 2001), with whom Keitel does not have any relationship.[26] Karmazin took Keitel to court for child support,[27][28][29] and he settled in 2004.[30]
