8. Joe Pesci - Goodfellas
Joe Pesci will always be remembered for his iconic scene stealing work in Scorsese's Goodfellas. Playing Tommy Devito, a mafia enforcer with a short fuse, Pesci gives a scorching, volatile and often hilarious performance that won him a well deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1991. Pecsi's Devito flies off the handle so often and so violently, that when Ray Liotta's Henry Hill compliments him on how funny he is while telling an anecdote, he seems to be angered at the comment, as if to say he is there to amuse everyone. In that now classic scene, you could cut the tension with a knife, which is finally let go when Pesci admits he was just having fun with everyone. It is this kind of tension that Pesci holds throughout the film amongst his cast mates. Pesci, always known for playing quick tempered characters, has never been better in this classic. It is now the one role that has followed him for almost 25 years, in both homage and parody, and is one of the handful of performances that quickly spring to mind when mentioning a Martin Scorsese film. Pesci has since gone into semi-retirement, appearing in only 2 films in the last 14 years.