Harvey Keitel — biography, films, roles and trivia

Biography

Harvey Johannes Keitel (born May 13, 1939) is an American actor known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with director Martin Scorsese, starring in six of his films: Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967), Mean Streets (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and The Irishman (2019).

Keitel received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for his portrayal of Mickey Cohen in Bugsy (1991). He won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Piano (1993). Other films include Blue Collar (1978), Thelma & Louise (1991), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Bad Lieutenant (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Holy Smoke! (1998), Cop Land (1997), and Youth (2015).

He has acted in the Wes Anderson films Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and Isle of Dogs (2018). He played FBI Agent Peter Sadusky in both National Treasure (2004), and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2006) and reprised his role in the Disney+ series National Treasure: Edge of History (2022). From 1995 to 2017, he was a co-president of the Actors Studio, alongside Al Pacino and Ellen Burstyn.

Filmography

2

1976 Taxi Driver Sport

2026 Kill Code Eion

Interesting facts

5

1
At 16, he decided to join the Marine Corps, service in which led him to Lebanon. After returning, he began working as a court reporter.
2
Later, Keitel enrolled simultaneously at New York University and the Actors Studio, where his mentors were Stella Adler, Frank Corsaro, and Lee Strasberg.
3
His parents, Polish Jews, ran a soft drink stand on Brighton Beach.
4
Later, Keitel enrolled simultaneously at New York University and the Actors Studio, where his mentors were Stella Adler, Frank Corsaro, and Lee Strasberg.
5
At the age of 16 he decided to join the Marine Corps, service in which led him to Lebanon. After returning, Kaitel began working as a court reporter.