Harvey Keitel

American actor

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Last Updated: May 9, 2025 • Article History

Quick Facts

Born:: May 13, 1939, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. (age 86)

Notable Works:: “Alien: Covenant”

Married To:: Daphna Kastner (2001–present)

Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In):: "La nuit de Varennes" (1982); "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996); "Life on Mars" (2008–2009); "Presence of Mind" (1999); "Mortal Thoughts" (1991); "The Congress" (2013); "Un complicato intrigo di donne, vicoli e delitti" (1985); "Due occhi diabolici" (1990); "Wrong Turn at Tahoe" (2009); "Amazing Stories" (1985); "Vipera" (2000); "By the Gun" (2014); "Cop Land" (1997); "The Ridiculous 6" (2015); "The Shadow Dancer" (2005); "The Duellists" (1977); "La mort en direct" (1980); "Taking Sides" (2001); "Bad Timing" (1980); "Arthur and the Invisibles" (2006); "The F.B.I." (1974); "To vlemma tou Odyssea" (1995); "Chosen" (2016); "Mother, Jugs & Speed" (1976); "Nowhere" (2002); "Imaginary Crimes" (1994); "El caballero del dragón" (1985); "The Piano" (1993); "The Last Godfather" (2010); "The Comedian" (2016); "Two Men in Town" (2014); "Caro Gorbaciov" (1988); "A Farewell to Fools" (2013); "Red Dragon" (2002); "Little Fockers" (2010); "Crime Spree" (2003); "Taxi Driver" (1976); "The Ministers" (2009); "The Young Americans" (1993); "The Men's Club" (1986); "Ginostra" (2002); "The Grey Zone" (2001); "Madame" (2017); "Three Seasons" (1999); "The Border" (1982); "Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson" (1976); "The Pick-up Artist" (1987); "Saturn 3" (1980); "Inside Amy Schumer" (2016); "U-571" (2000); "Esau" (2019); "Youth" (2015); "Rising Sun" (1993); "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" (2004); "Thelma & Louise" (1991); "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988); "Grandi Cacciatori" (1990); "The Play on One" (1988); "Nemo" (1984); "Isle of Dogs" (2018); "One Last Dance" (2006); "Great Performances" (1971); "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" (2007); "Off Beat" (1986); "Clockers" (1995); "Exposed" (1983); "Eagle's Wing" (1979); "A Beginner's Guide to Endings" (2010); "I Call First" (1967); "Mean Streets" (1973); "Fingers" (1978); "Wise Guys" (1986); "La sposa americana" (1986); "Paradise Inc." (2016); "El misterio Galíndez" (2003); "The Two Jakes" (1990); "National Treasure" (2004); "Reservoir Dogs" (1992); "Smoke" (1995); "The January Man" (1989); "Falling in Love" (1984); "The Path to 9/11" (2006); "Bad Lieutenant" (1992); "Kojak" (1973); "See You Soon" (2019); "Be Cool" (2005); "Sister Act" (1992); "Blue in the Face" (1995); "Lies We Tell" (2017); "Welcome to L.A." (1976); "Pulp Fiction" (1994); "My Sexiest Year" (2007); "The Ellen Burstyn Show" (1986); "Puerto Vallarta Squeeze" (2004); "Head Above Water" (1996); "L'inchiesta" (1987); "The Painted Bird" (2019); "Dreaming of Julia" (2003); "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1974); "Prince of Central Park" (2000); "Snake Eyes" (1993); "City of Industry" (1997); "The Irishman" (2019); "Point of No Return" (1993); "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014); "Blue Collar" (1978); "La batalla de los Tres Reyes" (1990); "Gandhi of the Month" (2014); "Copkiller (l'assassino dei poliziotti)" (1983); "Finding Graceland" (1998); "Il mercante di pietre" (2006); "Little Nicky" (2000); "Somebody to Love" (1994); "Une pierre dans la bouche" (1983); "Il mio West" (1998); "Holy Smoke" (1999); "That's the Way of the World" (1975); "Moonrise Kingdom" (2012); "Bugsy" (1991); "Nailed" (2001); "A Crime" (2006); "The Last Man" (2018); "Lulu on the Bridge" (1998); "Beeper" (2002); "Blindside" (1987); "Monkey Trouble" (1994); "Rio, Eu Te Amo" (2014); "N.Y.P.D." (1968); "First We Take Brooklyn" (2018); "FairyTale: A True Story" (1997); "Shadrach" (1998)

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Harvey Keitel (born May 13, 1939, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American film actor known for his swaggering tough-guy persona and wryly gruff delivery.

Keitel served in the U.S. Marine Corps and then studied at the Actors Studio. In 1968 he made his film debut in Who’s That Knocking at My Door? (also released as I Call First). It was the first feature film directed by Martin Scorsese, and the two men later worked together on a number of notable movies, including Mean Streets (1973), Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), and Taxi Driver (1976).

Known for his Brooklyn accent and the intensity of his performances, Keitel played supporting or starring roles in such films as Bugsy (1991), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Mickey Cohen; Thelma & Louise (1991), in a rare sympathetic role; Reservoir Dogs (1991), Quentin Tarantino’s violent film about a botched robbery; Bad Lieutenant (1992), an NC-17 crime drama about a corrupt police officer; and Jane Campion’s The Piano (1993).

USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood

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Keitel’s later films included Pulp Fiction (1994), which reunited him with Tarantino; Red Dragon (2002); and National Treasure (2004) and its sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007). He then appeared in the comedies Little Fockers (2010), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014); the latter two were directed by Wes Anderson. Keitel played a film agent in the futuristic thriller The Congress (2014); an actor in the collection of short films Rio, eu te amo (2014; Rio, I Love You); and an aging film director in the melancholically cynical Youth (2015).

Keitel’s movies from 2018 included Anderson’s stop-motion animated feature Isle of Dogs. Keitel later reteamed with Scorsese on the mob drama The Irishman (2019), which also starred Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Keitel’s subsequent movies included the historical drama Fatima (2020) and Lansky (2021), a biopic about the gangster Meyer Lansky.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by René Ostberg.