Outside of The Godfather franchise, perhaps no Hollywood film about the Mafia is as beloved as Goodfelllas. Among its seven Academy Award nominations were Best Picture, Best Director (for Martin Scorsese), and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi, who wrote the book upon which the screenplay was based). Of course, the film’s ensemble cast was a big part of its success, and it was led by screen legend Robert De Niro. De Niro played Jimmy Conway, a real person whose story was told at length in Pileggi’s book; at the time of the movie’s release, Pileggi talked about how De Niro sought him out as preparation for the role. (Click on the media bar below to hear Nicholas Pileggi)
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