Joe Dallesandro American actor Date of Birth: 31.12.1948 Country: USA

1. Biography of Joe Dallesandro
2. Early Career
3. Breakthrough and Success
4. Later Career

Biography of Joe Dallesandro

Joe Dallesandro is an American actor and one of the main stars and sex symbols of Andy Warhol's film projects. He was born in Pensacola, Florida, to Italian-American sailor Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro II and his wife Thelma Testman when his mother was just 16 years old. By the age of 5, Dallesandro's mother was sent to prison for car theft, and his parents divorced shortly after. His father, who was living in New York at the time, took custody of Joe and his brother Bobby. However, the family arrangement did not last long, and the boys eventually ended up in a foster home before being adopted by a couple from Brooklyn. Despite the separation, Dallesandro's father maintained some contact with his children, visiting them about once a month. Joe attended a Catholic school for a while, but he was later expelled for attacking the principal who had insulted his father.

Early Career

As a teenager, Dallesandro supported himself through prostitution and posing nude. He began appearing in short films and even starred in a gay pornographic film. He gained some recognition by posing for Bob Mizer's "Athletic Model Guild" magazine. In 1967, Dallesandro met Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey while they were shooting the film "Four Stars." Impressed by his talent, Warhol and Morrissey invited him to work with them, which marked the beginning of Dallesandro's career in the underground cinema.

Breakthrough and Success

In 1968, Dallesandro gained widespread attention for his role in Warhol and Morrissey's film "Flesh," where he played a hustler who sells his body to raise money for his girlfriend's abortion. "Flesh" became a hit, and Dallesandro emerged as one of Warhol's most prominent protégés. In 1971, he appeared on the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine, photographed by renowned photographers such as Francesco Scavullo, Jack Robinson, and Richard Avedon. Throughout the 1970s, Dallesandro continued to star in several cult films, including "Lonesome Cowboys," "Trash," and "Heat."

Later Career

After working on Warhol's films "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein" and "Andy Warhol's Dracula" in Europe, Dallesandro decided not to return to the United States and instead pursued his acting career in France and Italy. In the 1980s, he eventually moved back to the United States and appeared in successful films such as Francis Ford Coppola's "The Cotton Club," where he portrayed a memorable gangster character. Later, Dallesandro met manager and lawyer Stann Findelle, who helped revitalize his career. He continued to act in various projects, with his most recent role being in 2008.

Overall, Joe Dallesandro is known for his significant contributions to underground cinema and his status as a sex symbol within the gay community. His collaborations with Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey solidified his place in the history of 20th-century cinema.