Chuck Low, who played Morris (Morrie) Kessler in “Goodfellas” alongside Robert De Niro, died September 18 at a New Jersey nursing home, the New York Times reports. He was 89.
Low, a New York City native, became friends with De Niro during the 1970s when he worked as a real estate developer in NYC’s Tribeca neighborhood and De Niro was one of his tenants. Their friendship resulted in Low’s first screen appearance in “The King of Comedy,” playing a man in a Chinese restaurant who mocks De Niro’s character.
He went on to play other roles including Shlomo Teittleman in “The Sopranos.” His other credits included “The Mission,” “Once Upon A Time in America” and others, but he is best remembered for his role as Morrie in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas.” Low shared several scenes with De Niro, including one where he’s choked by De Niro’s character with a phone cord. You can watch the clip below.
Before he segued to acting, Low spent 30 years as a U.S. Army Reserve and eight years in the National Guard.