Винсент Галло: Актер, режиссер и многогранная личность

American film director, writer, model, motorcycle racer, painter, actor and musician

Vincent Gallo is an American actor, filmmaker, and musician. He has won several accolades, including a Volpi Cup for Best Actor, and has been nominated for numerous more, including the Palme d'Or, the Golden Lion, and the Bronze Horse. Following a childhood working for the local mafia, Gallo began his professional career as a Formula II motorcycle racer. He went on to become a successful painter and musician, working with Jean Michel Basquiat and Lukas Haas. Gallo later transitioned into the film and television industry, receiving small roles in works including The Equalizer (1985) and Goodfellas (1990). Gallo soon starred in films including Arizona Dream (1993), The House of the Spirits (1993), Palookaville (1995), The Funeral (1996), Stranded (2001), Tetro (2009), Metropia (2009), Essential Killing (2010), and The Legend of Kaspar Hauser (2012). As a filmmaker, he directed, wrote, and starred in three independent films: Buffalo '66 (1998), The Brown Bunny (2003), and Promises Written in Water (2010). Gallo has also directed and starred in numerous short films, including The Agent (2010), and several music videos, such as Going Inside and Cosmopolitan Bloodloss. In the early 2000s, Gallo also released several solo recordings on Warp Records, including the album When. As a model, he has been photographed for several fashion houses and brands including Calvin Klein, H&M, Supreme, and Yves Saint Laurent. Gallo's films have gained a cult following, Film critics have frequently praised Gallo's acting performances, but remain divided on his directorial work. Conversely, many filmmakers and actors have acclaimed both Gallo's directorial work and performances.

Vincent Gallo was born on April 11, 1961, in Buffalo, New York to Vincent Gallo Sr. and Janet Gallo. He is the second of three children, having an older brother, Charles, and a younger sister, Janine. Gallo was raised Catholic, and underwent his First Communion in 1969. Gallo's parents are Sicilian and worked as hairdressers, with his father having retired to be "a gambler." Gallo has described his parents as dishonest people, saying "If it was my birthday, I knew my mother took me to the K Mart and she stole my toy. She'd put it in the shopping cart and we'd walk out. I was raised with that." and from owning a guitar, leading Gallo to secretly hide the latter underneath his bed. Gallo has attributed his self described controlling and perfectionist nature as a filmmaker to his childhood experiences. After graduating from Sweet Home High School in 1978, Gallo left his home in Buffalo and ran away to New York City at the age of 16. He took up various jobs, including ones working in a hi fi guitar shop and as a restaurant dishwasher. Gallo went on to race motorbikes professionally, without training, in Formula II. Gallo performed at a professional level in Grand Prix racing, racing for Yamaha, He also went on to become a successful painter. In 1998, Gallo released his directorial debut film, Buffalo '66. The film received positive critical reception and was nominated for an award for "Best First Feature" at the Independent Spirit Awards. Gallo disputes Ricci's account, and in 2018, wrote "I still smile when I see a picture of her and when she insults me in the press it reminds me that we are connected in some way, and for that I am grateful. Christina Ricci was my friend during the filming of Buffalo 66 and working with her made sense and felt natural I insulted her jokingly one day to a friend and a sneaky gossip writer overheard me. Christina and I have not spoken since."

In 2001, Gallo again collaborated with Denis, and appeared in her film Trouble Every Day. In 2003, Gallo starred in and directed the film The Brown Bunny, which chronicles a motorcycle racer's cross country road trip and co starred Chloë Sevigny. The film, which contained a scene of Sevigny performing unsimulated oral sex upon Gallo, received an overwhelmingly negative critical response to its Cannes premiere and became a media scandal, in part due to Gallo's use of a still image from a sex scene on a promotional billboard. In part, the critical response discussed whether Sevigny had been pressured into performing a sex act by Gallo. Andrea LeVasseur of Allmovie said that The Brown Bunny "premiered to much derision at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival." Gallo retorted by calling Ebert a "fat pig with the physique of a slave trader" and put a hex on Ebert, wishing him colon cancer. In 2003, several media sources later reported that Gallo apologized to Ebert, but Gallo disputed this, saying "I never apologized for anything in my life The only thing I am sorry about is putting a curse on Roger Ebert's colon. If a fat pig like Roger Ebert doesn't like my movie then I'm sorry for him." In 2004, Gallo and Ebert appeared to have reconciled, and Ebert ended up giving a thumbs up to a re edited version of The Brown Bunny. However, in a 2018 article, written after Ebert's death, Gallo accused Ebert's review of the re edited version as being "far fetched and an outright lie." In 2008, Gallo was cast as the titular character in Francis Ford Coppola's drama film Tetro (2009).

In 2010, Gallo won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 67th Venice International Film Festival for his non speaking role in Essential Killing. Gallo did not attend the ceremony to accept his award in person, leaving the duty to the film's director Jerzy Skolimowski, who tried to get the actor to reveal himself, leading the audience in a chant of his name. Gallo was not in attendance. At the festival, Gallo's third feature film, Promises Written in Water, debuted. It was also screened once at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. The film received polarized and mostly negative reviews from critics, though several positive reviews cited it as one of the year's greatest films. The film was nominated for the Golden Lion. Gallo has stated that he has no plans to ever distribute the film and allow it to be seen again, as "I do not want my new works to be generated in a market or audience of any kind." He also added that allowing the film only ever being shown at two screenings was part of a deal he made with Delfine Bafort, who starred in the film. Gallo explained in a 2011 interview that the film would be "allowed to rest in peace, and stored without being exposed to the dark energies from the public." As of 2024, Promises Written in Water is not available to watch, and has not been screened since 2010. During the Venice festival, Gallo also released a short film, titled The Agent, which was nominated for Best Short Film. The Agent starred Sage Stallone, and has also only ever been screened twice, with Gallo having no plans to re release it to the public. Later that year, he appeared in Julie Delpy's 2 Days in New York, in a cameo role as himself. In the film, Gallo appears as a Mephistopheles like version of himself, who purchases the protagonist's (Delpy) soul, after she puts it up for auction. Delpy wrote the role with Gallo specifically in mind, who agreed to the part after reading the screenplay. In 2013, Gallo's website listed that he had directed, written, produced, and acted in his fourth feature film, April. It states that the film is 88 minutes long, stars Gallo as the lead character Seth Goldstone, and co stars pornographic actor Jamie Gillis. The film has never been released, leading to speculation about the nature of the project. That year, Gallo also co starred with Kōichi Satō and Yoo Ji tae in Junji Sakamoto's film, Human Trust.

In 2022, Gallo appeared in D. J. Caruso's film Shut In. Released by The Daily Wire, Shut In marked Gallo's first acting role since 2013. The Policeman has completed filming and is now in post production.

Gallo played electric bass and sang in the mid 1970s in several adolescent garage bands such as Blue Mood; a progressive rock cover band named Zephyr (not to be confused with the late 1960s band of the same name, or the 1980s Johnny Goudie fronted band of the same name) which did one performance at Lincoln Park, Tonawanda, New York in 1978; The Good (with Bernie Kugel and Larry Galanowitz); The Detours; and the Plastics. At the age of 16, Gallo moved to New York City and was a later member of the band Gray, with visual artist Jean Michel Basquiat. Gray played at clubs such as Max's Kansas City, CBGB's, Hurrahs, and the Mudd Club. A few of Gray's recordings appear on the soundtrack for the film Downtown 81. In 1984, Gallo (using the name "Prince Vince") also appeared as a dancer on an unsold TV pilot for a hip hop dance show called Graffiti Rock. Gallo played in a band called Bohack, which recorded an album entitled It Took Several Wives. On August 3, 2013, Vincent Gallo headlined the 3rd Annual San Frandelic Summer Fest in San Francisco. Gallo directed music videos for the songs "Going Inside" by John Frusciante, and "Anemone" by L'Arc en Ciel. He also starred in the music videos for "Bitter" by Lit, "Cosmopolitan Bloodloss" by Glassjaw, and "Grounded" by My Vitriol.

In 1990, Gallo modeled for Calvin Klein. and was also photographed for Supreme. In 2009, Gallo appeared as a model in H&M Spring Collection alongside Eva Herzigova. He later did a fashion campaign and photo shoot with G Star Raw jeans in Fall 2011. In 2017, Gallo modeled glasses for Persol in their Spring/Summer campaign. From 2017 through 2018, Gallo also appeared as a model, photographed in black and white, in the Saint Laurent SS18 campaign.

Gallo lives in Arizona, owning a $3.25 million mansion in Tucson. Gallo is a teetotaler. He is a collector of vinyl records and pre war sound equipment. During his childhood, Gallo was close friends with author William S. Burroughs, and lived in Burroughs' house for six months. Gallo also knew poet John Giorno, who lived with Burroughs at the time. Throughout their lives, Burroughs and Gallo exchanged postcards, letters, and mixtapes. In 1984, Gallo was married to a woman for just 10 weeks, before their relationship ended. musician John Frusciante, and actress Milla Jovovich. On May 24, 2001, Gallo successfully sued actor John Ventimiglia for assault and battery. The New York Supreme Court decided the case in Gallo's favor in Gallo v. Ventimiglia (2001). Gallo has garnered fame for making incendiary and provocative comments. When once asked by an interviewer if he was Jewish, Gallo replied, "No, I do not have the Jew gene." His website has been labeled as satirical by media outlets such as The Daily Wire, Gallo has stated in interviews that his website and provocative statements are satire, and has mocked critics who have interpreted them as serious.

Gallo is a lifelong Republican and a conservative. He holds anti abortion, anti drug, and anti pornography views. He also spoke at the Women's National Republican Club, where he expressed his support for President George W. Bush, saying that "you know the United States has a great President when the French hate him!" In 2018, Gallo expressed his support for President Donald Trump, writing that he is "extremely proud [Trump] is the American President." In 2022, he also praised then Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema as an "open minded and thoughtful" politician, who "adds productive ideological diversity and balance to our beautiful country";

In 1998, Gallo listed Pier Paolo Pasolini as his favorite director, and Mauro Bolognini's Il bell'Antonio (1960) as his favorite film. In 2009, Gallo instead listed Francis Ford Coppola's The Rain People (1969) as his favorite film. He has cited Warren Beatty as one of his favorite actors,

In a 1998 interview with Elvis Mitchell, Gallo explained that his taste in films is "hokey". He has listed The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976), All Fall Down (1962), Lilith (1964), Mickey One (1965), The Ravine (1969), The Only Game in Town (1970), The Panic in Needle Park (1971), The Gambler (1974), The Death of Richie (1977), The Beyond (1981), and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) among his favorite films. Gallo has also expressed a preference for mixing his films with a mono audio track, as opposed to surround sound. Although a member, Gallo has expressed disdain for the Screen Actors Guild, calling them "a self serving union that has never had the best intentions of its membership in mind". Gallo has cited King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King as his favorite album. He used the album's track Moonchild during a dance sequence in his film Buffalo '66. He has also called the Ramones the greatest band of all time.

Gallo's acting performances have received generally positive reviews from film critics. Nathan Rabin of The A. V. Club praised Gallo's performance in Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby as "ever eccentric" and "profound". Film critic Roger Ebert frequently praised Gallo's performances, including those in The Brown Bunny (2004), Tetro (2009), Essential Killing (2010), and 2 Days in New York (2012). Gallo's performance in Shut In (2022) was singled out and praised by Cath Clarke of The Guardian and John Semley of The New Republic, who gave the film itself negative reviews. Gallo's directional work has received more polarized reception from critics. Buffalo '66 (1998) received generally positive reviews from critics, and was praised by Ebert, Elvis Mitchell, and Andrew Johnston. Conversely, The Brown Bunny (2004) received mixed reviews. Ebert described the initial 119 minute festival cut of the film as the worst film in the history of Cannes, though later praised the 93 minute cut of the film, awarding it 3/4 stars. Manohla Dargis gave the film a mixed review, describing it as "Neither an atrocity nor a revelation". Promises Written in Water (2010) received mostly negative reviews, including from Leslie Felperin of Variety, Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter, and Xan Brooks of The Guardian. It received a mixed review from Scott Tobias of The A. V. Club, and a positive one from Truls Lie of Modern Times Review. In 2010, Empire listed Buffalo '66 (1998) as the 36th greatest independent film ever made, calling it a "mini masterpiece". French cinema magazine Les Cahiers du Cinéma voted The Brown Bunny (2004) one of the ten best films of the year; while The Daily Telegraph listed it as one of the 100 "defining" films of the decade. Gallo's directorial work has been acclaimed by many filmmakers and actors. The Brown Bunny (2004) has been praised by individuals including Jean Luc Godard, John Waters, Werner Herzog, Sean Penn, Josh Safdie, Claire Denis, and David Lowery. Actor Robert Pattinson has also cited Gallo's performance in Arizona Dream as an early influence on his career. Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola stated that he was warned against working with Gallo, with many in the film industry describing Gallo as "a nightmare." Nonetheless, Coppola chose to cast Gallo in Tetro, and said that he found Gallo "was very intelligent and a pleasure to work with." Filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski praised Gallo's performances and described him as a method actor, but stated that he was difficult to direct and prone to anger. Filmmaker Josh Safdie has also said that Gallo is "a genius. One of the smartest people I’ve ever met and known – funniest too"; Additionally, actor Kevin Corrigan has described Gallo as "really funny", while actresses Chloë Sevigny, and Courteney Cox have both spoken positively about their experiences working alongside Gallo. Actor Alden Ehrenreich has also praised Gallo as "fascinating". Conversely, actress Christina Ricci described her experience with Gallo as "working with a crazy lunatic man", and vowed to never work with him again. while The Independent has written that "Gallo may have an ego the size of a hot air balloon, but even an hour in his company is wildly entertaining." and said that Gallo "has a reputation as not only one of the most paranoid, controlling men in movies, but also one of the funniest." The Austin Chronicle has written that Gallo is "Equally detested and adored". In 2011, GQ included Gallo on their list of The 25 Most Stylish Directors of All Time. Among the general public, Gallo possesses a cult following, mostly relating to his films Buffalo '66 and The Brown Bunny. prior to its closure in 2021.

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref. 1998 Deauville Film Festival Grand Special PrizeBuffalo '66 1998Gijón International Film Festival Special Prize of the Young Jury Grand Prix Asturias 1998 Gotham Awards Open Palm Award 1998 National Board of Review Special recognition 1998 New York Film Critics Circle Best First Film 1998 Stockholm International Film Festival Bronze Horse: Best Film 1998 Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Competition 1999 British Independent Film Awards Best Foreign Independent Film English Language 1999 Golden Trailer Awards Best Art and Commerce 1999 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature 1999 International Film Festival Rotterdam Moviezone Award 2002 Fantafestival Best Actor Stranded 2003 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'OrThe Brown Bunny 2003 Thessaloniki International Film Festival Golden Alexander 2003 Vienna International Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize 2003 Village Voice Film Poll Best Undistributed Film 2004 Cahiers du Cinéma Top Ten Film Award 2010 Mar del Plata International Film Festival Best ActorEssential Killing 2010Venice Film Festival Best Actor Golden Lion Promises Written in Water Best Short Film The Agent 2011 Polish Film Award Best Actor Essential Killing