Frank Vincent: From Billy Batt's to Philly Leotardo

Frank Vincent, the silver-haired character actor best known for his portrayal of gangster Billy Batts in the Martin Scorcese classic Goodfellas, is a well-known character actor who brings an intense energy and style to his many storied roles. Having gained almost cult status in the movie Goodfellas, where his loud-mouthed and obnoxious character, Billy Batts, meets a violent and bloody end in a classic bar scene courtesy of co-actors Robert Deniro and Ray Liotta, who play rival gangsters in the movie.

The Billy Batts character, and the character's famous "go home and get your shine box" line, catapulted Frank Vincent from little-known actor to outrageously popular character actor almost overnight. Soon after the mega-hit Goodfellas, Frank had many high-profile roles in movies such as Casino, Jungle Fever, and the made-for-television movie Gotti. Specializing in characters who are cocky, arrogant, and comedically violent, Frank Vincent brings a palpable intensity and believability to his many roles which, in my eyes, makes his characters seem all the more realistic.

Adding to his already lengthy and deep acting credits, Frank Vincent was cast in the last three seasons of the HBO hit The Soprano's. Playing a foul-mouthed, arrogant, and ruthlessly funny crime capo named Phil Leotardo, Frank Vincent was able to show a younger generation of fans his acting ability. In watching his performances on the Soprano's, Frank Vincent was at his absolute best. The intensity, the overwhelming sense of foreboding and impending doom that his Phil Leotardo character conveyed was magnificent. He was what you would expect a crime captain to be: brutal, witty, remorseless, and in the end, dead! I remember watching a late-night television talk show in which Frank Vincent, just prior to the season finale of the Soprano' aired, was a guest on the show.

The host, who's father was a retired New York City Police Officer who happened to be in the studio that night, asked him what he thought of Frank's character on the Soprano's. The father, who as a veteran police officer worked organized crime cases and knew well the attitudes and nuisances of organized criminals, said that Frank Vincent's character, Phil Leotardo, was the most-believable "racket guy" on the whole show! And I would have to agree. His portrayals of his characters - most notably his gangster characters - are so intense and realistic that I cannot think of the name Frank Vincent without conjuring up images of Billy Batts and Phil Leotardo, two of his more ruthless and memorable performances to date.