Harvey Keitel

Actor

Harvey Keitel is an iconic American actor known for his intense and rugged screen presence. Born on May 13, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, Keitel began his acting career in the 1960s and became a frequent collaborator with renowned directors such as Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. Keitel's breakthrough role came in Scorsese's "Mean Streets" (1973), in which he starred alongside Robert De Niro. He continued to work with Scorsese in "Taxi Driver" (1976) and "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988). Keitel's collaboration with Tarantino further solidified his place in film history, with standout performances in "Reservoir Dogs" (1992) and "Pulp Fiction" (1994). In the animated science fiction drama THE CONGRESS (2013), directed by Ari Folman, Keitel voices the character Al. The film combines documentary motifs with imaginative animation and explores themes of identity, digital representation, and a passion for cinema. In the French war farce BON VOYAGE! (original title: A Farewell to Fools, 2013, directed by Bogdan Dreyer), Keitel plays the character of Pastor Johannis. The film tells an absurd story from World War II about a Romanian village whose inhabitants want to sacrifice a village idiot to ensure their own survival. Keitel's stoic performance is essential to the satirical narrative. Other notable films in his career include "Bugsy" (1991), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and "The Piano" (1993), which earned him a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Keitel's diverse body of work spans genres and decades, making him a revered figure in the industry.