Coming next month is Chazz Palminteri in filmdom’s mighty fine drama “Mighty Fine.”
“I play a Jewish man in the schmatta business who loses his family, business and moves to New Orleans,” he said.
So, not his usual shoot-em-’up-knock-’em-down “A Bronx Tale” gangster stuff?
“No. This one’s different. Great guy who’s bipolar. Rage issues. Mental issues. Finally regains his health satisfaction.”
And how does one learn to play such a role?
“I had a wonderful ‘Ozzie and Harriet’ type family. But my grandfather had a terrible temper. Scary. I saw results of his rage issues. See, no shrink or medication for that in the old days. I also had a friend who suffered with it. Debbie Goodstein, who wrote and directed this, her first movie, based some on her own father.
“In one scene kids jump in the pool naked, and my character, thinking this is disrespectful, freaks out. Upset, he starts screaming, grabs his hunting rifle and shouts, ‘I’ll count to 10 then start shooting.’ This takes lots of emotion for an actor.
“Seeing the dailies, I view myself as another person. Something inside me says, ‘What’s he doing? . . . Why’s he doing these things? . . . He can’t do that . . . Cut that scene . . .’ ”
Meantime, when Chazz gets old and silver-haired, his kids can keep him. Both are in show business. Gabriella is an actress/singer. Son Dante, a guitar-playing lead singer with his band Kaymus.
And on the side, between movies, Chazz hustles food. In Baltimore.
“That city needed a great Italian restaurant. Friends wanted to open one, so I suggested a fresh pasta and pizza place, which we called A Bronx Tale. We’re opening another in Vegas. Next maybe New York.”
Yeah, good idea. We’re almost considered a major city nowadays.
EASTER’s coming. The Hollywood set’s bringing out a line of Mickey Rourke “Scratch ’n’ Sniff” greeting cards.
DIANA Nyad’s 70-hour, 103-mile nonstop Cuba to Key West swim was twice aborted. Unexpected winds forced her to be pulled from the sea. Then climate changes produced jellyfish colonies, which stung and poisoned her.
She told me: “I’ll try once more. St. Martin’s the right water temperature. I’m training there regularly. I first stayed in that water eight hours. Then nine. Now 12. Each time longer.”
At Un Deux Trois, nibbling only salad and four calamari: “Worst is salt water on your lips. Despite protective grease, they crack and swell.”
Worst? What about sharks?
“I had those, too, but in boats alongside with 55 — doctors, handlers, press, specialists feeding me through tubes — they were able to repel them. Food, airfare, housing that whole crew is costly. I need to raise $300,000 for this next trip.”
Why another trip? She’s 62. And, having lost so much weight, now has to build herself back up. Why not just collect stamps for a hobby?
“Look, people my age think it’s all over for them. I can’t allow myself to fall into disuse. I must try. But only this one last time. After this, I’m done.
“Cuba, sensitive about people wanting to leave there, prefer I swim to Cuba not from there, but that doesn’t work with the current.”
Poo on sharks and jellyfish. Nyad’s future outing will take on New York’s critics. She’s readying a one-woman show.
LET it be known: 100 years ago a man’s life expectancy was 47. Only 14 percent of homes had a bathtub. It was 8,000 cars, 144 miles of paved road, city speed limits 10 mph. Eggs — 14 cents a dozen. Average hourly wage — 22 cents. Vegas’ population topped out at 30. Your local friendly drugstore sold marijuana over the counter.
MAYORAL hopeful Scott Stringer showing photos of his baby at a party . . . Janet McTeer, Best Supporting nominee for “Albert Nobbs”: “No surprise I didn’t win. I always knew it had to be Octavia for ‘The Help.’ There was no doubt.”. . . Mariska Hargitay keeps a big pink bunny suit in her closet. “It was grandma’s. She gave it to me, and I won’t throw it out. I’ll wear it Easter and wiggle the ears.”
ON one in décolleté at a 10 a.m. event, TV’s “It’s a Brad Brad World” Brad Goreski: “Nice afternoon outfit would be better. Not everyone has to be over the top. Maybe she feels freedom to wear cocktail clothes because it’s a fashion show.” . . . Nicole Kidman: “I want a male role. I’d love to play a boy once.” The gender change goes to her childhood because “my father wanted sons but got daughters.”
DUDE entering AMC Loews Lincoln Square movie theater on 68th and B’way while hollering into his phone: “Trust me, the last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt you . . . but it’s still on my list.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.