Tony Montana is an American actor and film director.

Career

Professional Wrestling

Montana began acting on television in 1988 with a four year stint portraying a villain wrestling manager on Chicago’s

SportsChannel SportsChannel is the collective name for a former group of regional sports networks in the United States that was owned by Cablevision, which from 1988 until the group's demise, operated it as a joint venture with NBC. Operating from March 1, ...

most notably managing WWE Hall of Fame Superstar

Abdullah the Butcher Lawrence Robert Shreve (born January 11, 1941), better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling matc ...

Montana restraining Abdullah The Butcher in 1988

Acting

Montana studied acting with Bill Hickey (protege' of Uta Hagen), Tracey Roberts (protege' of Elia Kazan), Joel Asher (protege' of Sanford Meisner), David LeGrant (protege' of Lee Strasberg), and Catherine Carlen (protege' of Stella Adler).

Film

In 1996, Montana began an eight year journey producing and directing '' Overnight'' which chronicled the rise and fall of

Troy Duffy Troy Duffy is an American filmmaker and musician. He has directed two films, ''The Boondock Saints'' and its sequel '' The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day''. Duffy was the subject of the 2003 documentary film '' Overnight''. Film career Duf ...

, director of ''

The Boondock Saints ''The Boondock Saints'' is a 1999 American vigilante action thriller film written and directed by Troy Duffy. The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus, who become vigilantes after ...

''. The film documents Duffy's clash with

Miramax Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a leadi ...

co-founder

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (; born March 19, 1952) is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. He and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films inclu ...

and subsequent

blacklisting Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, t ...

in Hollywood. Premiering at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, ''Overnight'' was theatrically released in North America, Australia, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Russia. The film received two thumbs up on '' At the Movies'' with

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

proclaiming it "the best documentary about Hollywood I have seen".

Screen International ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...

recommended ''Overnight'' as "a must-see for anyone in the film business and a necessary addition to any film school curriculum". In an editorial in the same issue titled "Let It Be A Warning To Us All", Mike Goodridge described Duffy's flameout as "the well-deserved fall of a 25 year-old man whose monumental ego is one of the most memorable movie monsters in years".

Roger Ebert

Montana was one of the first independent filmmakers the late film critic

tweeted about when social media site

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

first launched in 2006. After attending the 2008

Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films The Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films (a.k.a. Palm Springs International ShortFest) held annually in Palm Springs, California is the largest film festival for short films in the United States.

Personal life

In 2017, Montana accused actor

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...

of having

sexually assaulted Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

him in 2003. The story was reported by

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...

, the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''. Montana was extensively interviewed on camera for the November 10, 2017 edition of ''

ABC News Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News' late-night television news program broadcast on ABC in the United States with a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. Created by Roone Arledge, the progr ...

''. In the December 13, 2017 issue of ''

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), ...

'', Montana stood alongside other victims of sexual assault, including actresses Natasha Henstridge,

Leeann Tweeden Leeann Tweeden is an American radio broadcaster, model and sports commentator. She is co-host of ''Dr. Drew Midday Live'' on Radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles. Early life Tweeden was born in Manassas, Virginia, to Bill Tweeden, a retired Air For ...

and Erika Rosenbaum. In the article, titled "Justice League", Montana was optimistic about the #MeToo movement, saying, “Fortunately the tide is turning and the monsters are being vanquished. It is indeed a reckoning." Variety shoot

In a 2013 interview with '' Little White Lies'' magazine, Montana revealed he has had relationships with Academy Award winner

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...

, ''

Boxing Helena ''Boxing Helena'' is a 1993 American mystery thriller and body horror film directed by Jennifer Lynch and starring Sherilyn Fenn, Julian Sands, and Bill Paxton. Before its release, the film's production was hampered by legal battles with Madonn ...

'' director

Jennifer Lynch Jennifer Chambers Lynch (born April 7, 1968) is an American filmmaker. The daughter of filmmaker David Lynch, she made her directorial debut with the film '' Boxing Helena'' in 1993. Following a troubled production, the film was a critical and co ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

's clothing designer Leslie Hamel, and adult film star Bobbi Bliss. Montana with Leslie Hamel in 2008

In 1983, Montana earned his 5th degree black belt in Chinese Kenpo Karate.

Filmography

*''Hard Truths'' (2020) *''The Final Sin'' (2018) - Julien *''We Don't Exist'' (2016) *''Kay.Fabe'' (2011) - Himself *''Mr. Dupree'' (2011) - Himself *''Discover'' (2009) *''Rebuilt'' (2008) - Sam *''Best Friend'' (2005) *'' Overnight'' (2003) - Himself *''3AM Eternal'' (2001) - Tyler *''

'' (1999) - The Pants

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Montana, Tony Living people American filmmakers American documentary film directors Professional wrestling managers and valets American film producers Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) American male screenwriters American theatre directors American male actors