Francesco Paladino

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Francesco Paladino (born January 7, 1975) is an American performance artist, who keeps his work far enough under the radar, but is still able to generate media interest in his work.

First known as a theatre actor and shifting from indie-film and stand-up. His first self-produced play Love is Beautiful in 1995 at The UBU, off-Broadway New York, featured Francesco as a confused and poor Brooklyn boy looking to be loved. He later went on to grab roles in more commercial projects such as Howard Stern's Private Parts and The Peacemaker starring Nicole Kidman and George Clooney. He starred in the independent Spanish film noir, The Fifth Commandment, which received top honors at the International Spanish Film Festival.

Francesco Paladino's work as a performance artist can be seen across the United States. His show The Dogma Tour premiered at the Here Theatre, and received rave reviews. ("Paladino's work is charming, witty, and completely disturbing..." -Time Out New York)

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early Life

Francesco was born in Livingston, New Jersey. He is the younger of two children born to Italian immigrants. His mother Lucia originally from Central Italy, while his father Francesco Sr., originates from the southernmost part of Italy's Mediterranean. He was raised Catholic, but did whatever he could to avoid Sunday mass. His parents encouraged his love of performing with classes, auditions, and an occasional day off from school to further pursue his dream. His first major audition was for Robert De Niro's son, in A Bronx Tale.

After high school, he studied with the greatest Lee Strasberg protégés in New York City studio settings and privately. His work matured, as did his theatrical choices for class. During one session in class, his work was admired by a prominent New York casting agent, who arranged an audition with Clerks writer/director Kevin Smith. He auditioned for a role in Mall Rats, which was later given to Brandon Lee. His discouragement later brought him to perform in countless off-Broadway venues as a recognized performance artist. One of his most recent New York notable roles/performances was created by critically acclaimed erotic novelists Polly Frost, in Sex Scenes.