6

A GOODFELLAS FEAST

I am Paul. Paul Oatmeal.

PAUL: My acting career began in a kindergarten play when I was five years old. I remember my lines to this day: “I am Paul. Paul oatmeal. True of heart and true of soul, put me in your breakfast bowl.”

DEE DEE: The role was a perfect combination of two of his favorite things: acting and food! Clearly a star was born on that school stage.

PAUL: At school, I was always the class actor. The desire to be on stage pervaded every moment of my life. I worked in a movie theater near home just so that I could see movies without paying admission.

After appearing in just under 200 films, I still believe that the collaborative process known as moviemaking is today’s premier art form.

DEE DEE: When Paul and I had just begun to date, he invited me to see a theater production of King Lear, which he was directing and starring in. I was with a friend who was not into Shakespeare. We stayed for a few minutes and then left to get Champagne. I made sure I was back in time to stand in the lobby to wait for him. I would never do that now. I am impressed by everything he does so well.

PAUL: I have always loved the stage. There is something about a live performance that is incomparable. I had a once-in-a-lifetime role in Jason Miller’s That Championship Season at the Public Theater in 1972. That play made my career, especially after numerous rave reviews and one extraordinary review in the Sunday edition of the New York Times.

DEE DEE: I was thrilled to be at the 25th anniversary event for Goodfellas that closed the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015. Following a screening of Martin Scorsese’s classic film, Jon Stewart hosted a panel with Paul, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, and Nicholas Pileggi, who wrote the book and screenplay.

Paul is best known for his iconic role as Paul Cicero, an intimidating capo who could have someone killed just by nodding his head. That evening, Paul told Jon Stewart how close he came to abandoning the movie.

PAUL: Just days before Scorsese was ready to start filming, I was having second thoughts about playing Big Paulie. I, who love opera, poetry, and cooking, was having a hard time putting myself into this lethal guy’s shoes. I called my manager and said, “Get me out of this—I can’t do it.”

My mind changed soon after, as I was fixing my tie in front of the mirror. Looking at my reflection, I saw that guy. Just like that, I saw myself as the criminal Cicero. To be honest, it stunned me out. But that’s what acting is all about.

DEE DEE: Since we met, we have appeared in a number of films together. Paul says I’m a natural. I’ve always had a foot in politics and a foot in entertainment. I’m having a wonderful time. Making a movie is always a great party!

The menu for this chapter consists of a feast fit for “the Boss.” The meal is over the top with a selection of classic Italian food that would satisfy even the most demanding Mafia don.