How Italian is Moonstruck?

 How Italian is Moonstruck?

It’s such a great movie. It’s my wife’s absolute favorite. She always says, “Everybody’s so Italian.”

Looking at the actors’ bios on IMdB really got me thinking though. Exactly how Italian is this thing? Hint: it’s not just Cher.

Let’s take a look at the main actors in the film, as well as the director, writer & producer. Here’s what we’ll do …

1. I’ll show you the character’s name and a still of them from the movie
2. You can guess whether they’re Italian or not (be sure to write down your answer)
3. Scroll down a bit
4. I’ll show you the actor’s name, as well as a standard photo
5. Under the photo, I’ll list the actor’s real ethnicity

Ready? Here we go …

1.  Loretta Castorini

2.  Rose Castorini

3.  Cosmo Castorini

4.  Old Man (presumably Loretta’s grandfather)

5.  Ronny Cammareri

6.  Johnny Cammareri

7.  Rita Cappomagi

8.  Raymond Capomaggi

9.  Director/Producer

10.  Writer

Write down your answers?  Okay, let's see how you did ...

1.  Loretta Castorini – Cher

Armenian. Cher was born Cheralynn Sarkasian, to an Armenian father and American mother. She also has a little Cherokee blood in her, something she always emphasized, especially early in her career.

2.  Rose Castorini – Olympia Dukakis

Greek.  Her parents were Greek immigrants. Michael Dukakis, governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate, is her cousin.

3.  Cosmo Castorini – Vincent Gardenia

Italian.  Born Vincenzo Scognamiglio in Naples, Italy. Immigrated to the US at age 2.

4.  Old Man – Feodor Chaliapin Jr.

Russian.  Born in Moscow. His wealthy, well-known family fled the Bolsheviks for Paris when Feodor was 19. He later immigrated to the US to pursue an acting career. His father, Feodor Chaliapin Sr., was a famous opera singer.

5.  Ronny Cammareri – Nicholas Cage

Italian.  Born Nicholas Coppola, and related to Francis Ford Coppola, as well as the rest of the Coppola family. He changed his name to Cage to avoid any appearance of nepotism.

He is actually only half Italian, through his father August, a comparative literature professor. His paternal great-grandparents immigrated to the US from Basilicata, in southern Italy. 

6.  Johnny Cammareri – Danny Aiello

Italian.  Though both his parents were of Italian ethnicity, his mother was actually an immigrant (from Naples).

7.  Rita Cappomagi – Julie Bovasso

Italian.  A serious theatrical actress, she also played in super Italian movies such as Wise Guys, Saturday Night Fever & Staying Alive (and playing John Travolta’s mom in the last two, no less).

8.  Raymond Capomaggi – Louis Guss

Jewish.  “Often cast as Italian,” according to Variety. Was also in The Godfather.

9.  Director/producer – Norman Jewison

English. Despite that surname. Born in Canada.

10.  Writer – John Patrick Shanley

Irish.  In proper form, he remembers being “thrown out of St. Helena's kindergarten, banned from St. Anthony's hot lunch program and expelled from Cardinal Spellman High School."

Final tally …  Moonstruck is approximately 1/3 Italian.  Sort of like a pizza roll, you know.