Nicholas Anthony Vallelonga (born September 13, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for co-writing and producing the film '' Green Book'', for which he received two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...

and

Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

. He also won two

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

in the same categories, as well as the

PGA Award The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing television producers, film producers and New Media producers in the United States. The PGA's membership includes over 8,000 members of the producing establishment w ...

for Best Film. He has also directed the films ''In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King'', ''

Choker A choker is a close-fitting necklace worn around the neck, typically 14 inch to 16 inch in length. Chokers can be made of a variety of materials, including velvet, plastic, beads, latex, leather, metal, such as silver, gold, or platinum, etc. The ...

'' and ''

Stiletto A stiletto () is a knife or dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, primarily intended as a stabbing weapon.Limburg, Peter R., ''What's In The Names Of Antique Weapons'', Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, , (1973), pp. 77-78 The stile ...

'', and co-wrote the screenplay to '' Deadfall''.

Life and career

Vallelonga was born in 1959, the son of

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

and Dolores Vallelonga. He had a younger brother, Frank, who died in November 2022. He initially followed his father into acting, with minor roles in films including ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...

'', ''

Splash Splash or Splash! or The Splash may refer to: Common meanings * Splash (fluid mechanics), sudden disturbances on the surface of water Entertainment * ''Splash'' (film), a 1984 fantasy film starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah ** ''Splash, Too'' ...

'', ''

Goodfellas ''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' Wis ...

'', and ''

Prizzi's Honor ''Prizzi's Honor'' is a 1985 American black comedy crime film directed by John Huston, starring Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner as two highly-skilled mob assassins who, after falling in love, are hired to kill each other. The screenplay co-w ...

''. He made his screenwriting debut with '' Deadfall'', directed by

Christopher Coppola Christopher R. Coppola (born January 25, 1962) is an American film director and film producer, producer. Early life Coppola was born in Los Angeles County, California. His father, the late August Coppola, was a professor of literature, while hi ...

. While continuing his acting career, he continued to write and direct various independent films, such as ''A Brilliant Disguise'', ''The Corporate Ladder'', ''

'', ''

'', and ''Yellow Rock''. Vallelonga achieved prominence with '' Green Book'', which he co-wrote and produced. Based on the friendship of his father and

Don Shirley Donald Walbridge Shirley (January 29, 1927 – April 6, 2013) was an American classical and jazz pianist and composer. He recorded many albums for Cadence Records during the 1950s and 1960s, experimenting with jazz with a classical influenc ...

, ''Green Book'' was critically praised and received dozens of award nominations, although the film was not without controversy, as Shirley's family accused Vallelonga of falsifying information in the movie. In ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', Vallelonga disputed the allegations: "There's a lot of information he Shirley familydoesn't have, and they were hurt that I didn't speak to them. But to be quite honest with you, Don Shirley himself told me not to speak to anyone. And he only wanted certain parts of his life … So obviously, to say I didn't contact them, that was hard for me because I didn't want to betray what I promised him." In 2019, Vallelonga apologized for a 2015 tweet that agreed with

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

's claim that Muslims in

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.World Trade Center towers collapsed.

Filmography

As actor

*''

'' (1972) *''

'' (1984) *''

The Pope of Greenwich Village ''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' is a 1984 American crime black comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Geraldine Page, Kenneth McMillan and Burt Young. Page was nominated for the Academ ...

'' (1984) *''

'' (1985) *''

'' (1990) *''

Psycho Cop 2 ''Psycho Cop 2'' (also known as ''Psycho Cop Returns'') is a 1993 American slasher film directed by Adam Rifkin, and written by Dan Povenmire. It is the sequel to the 1989 film ''Psycho Cop''. Plot In a coffeehouse, Officer Joe Vickers, a ser ...

'' (1993) *'' Coyote Ugly'' (2000) *''

Machine A machine is a physical system using Power (physics), power to apply Force, forces and control Motion, movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to na ...

'' (2006) *''

Jersey Shore Shark Attack ''Jersey Shore Shark Attack'' is a 2012 television film that aired on Syfy on June 8, 2012 and was written by Michael Ciminera and Richard Gnolfo. It was built around the popularity of the well-known MTV program, '' Jersey Shore''. Plot The fi ...

'' (2012) *''

Vigilante Diaries ''Vigilante Diaries'' is a 2016 action film directed by Christian Sesma and starring Paul Sloan, Quinton Rampage Jackson, Michael Jai White, Jason Mewes, and Michael Madsen. It was based on a 2013 web series of the same name. Reviews were mostl ...

'' (2016) *'' Green Book'' (2018) *'' Paydirt'' (2020) *'' The Comeback Trail'' (2020) *'' Vanquish'' (2021) *''

The Birthday Cake ''The Birthday Cake'' is a 2021 American crime thriller film directed by Jimmy Giannopoulos, from a screenplay by Diomedes Raul Bermudez, Shiloh Fernandez and Giannopoulos. It is the feature directorial debut for Giannopoulos, who previously direc ...

'' (2021) *'' Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman'' (2021) *''

The Many Saints of Newark ''The Many Saints of Newark'' (marketed with the subtitle ''A Sopranos Story'') is a 2021 American crime drama film directed by Alan Taylor and written by David Chase and Lawrence Konner. A prequel to Chase's HBO crime drama series ''The So ...

'' (2021) *'' Every Last One of Them'' (2021) *'' Monstrous'' (2022)

As writer

*'' Deadfall'' (1993) *''A Brilliant Disguise'' (1994) *''In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King'' (1995) *''The Corporate Ladder'' (1997) *''

'' (2005) *'' Green Book'' (2018)

As director

*''A Brilliant Disguise'' (1994) *''In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King'' (1995) *''The Corporate Ladder'' (1997) *''Choker'' (2005) *''All In'' (2006) *''

'' (2008) *''Yellow Rock'' (2011)

As producer

*'' A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper'' (2007) *''Jerseyboy Hero'' (2011) *''Vigilante Diaries'' (2016) *''Green Book'' (2018) *''

Black Antenna ''Black Antenna'' is an American science-fiction film inspired by Alice in Chains' 2018 album ''Rainier Fog''. Written, produced and directed by Adam Mason, starring Paul Sloan, Viktoriya Dov, Darri Ingolfsson, Cait Mathis and Eric Michael Cole. ...

'' (2019) *''

Songs of Solomon ''Songs of Solomon'' () is a 2019 period biographical drama film directed by Arman Nshanian, depicting the life and music of Komitas Vardabet, who was an Armenian composer, ethnomusicologist and priest, who lived during the years of the Armenia ...

'' (2020)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vallelonga, Nick 1959 births Living people American film directors of Italian descent American male film actors American male television actors American writers of Italian descent People of Calabrian descent Male actors from New York City Writers from New York City Film directors from New York City 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award Golden Globe Award-winning producers