ACTOR · BORN 1959
Vincent D'Onofrio
- Born
- 30 June 1959
20 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
All facts (20)
- #001
Vincent D'Onofrio gained 70 pounds (30 kilograms) for his role in Full Metal Jacket (1987), a world record.
- #002
During the filming of Full Metal Jacket (1987), Stanley Kubrick told D'Onofrio, "I want you to be big — Lon Chaney big."
- #003
Vincent D'Onofrio is one of the founders of the River Run Film Festival (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), along with his sister Elizabeth D'Onofrio and their father Gene D'Onofrio.
- #004
His daughter is Leila George, born March 20, 1992. Her mother is actress Greta Scacchi.
- #005
Although D'Onofrio played his character's enemy in Full Metal Jacket (1987), in real life he was greatly respected by the late R. Lee Ermey, who played Sergeant Hartman. Ermey said D'Onofrio's performance as Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence was the best performance in the entire film.
- #006
Vincent D'Onofrio gained 45 pounds (20 kilograms) for his role in The Salton Sea (2002).
- #007
When Renée Zellweger won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Cold Mountain (2003), she thanked him in her Oscar speech.
- #008
Unhappy with his Orson Welles impression, director Tim Burton had D'Onofrio's voice dubbed in Ed Wood (1994). The near-perfect Orson Welles imitation was provided by voice actor Maurice LaMarche.
- #009
Vincent D'Onofrio is Sean Penn's former father-in-law.
- #010
His surname is pronounced Don-off-ree-o.
- #011
Vincent D'Onofrio played the character "Bill Newman" in both JFK (1991) and Malcolm X (1992).
- #012
Vincent D'Onofrio is one of the few actors to have worked with both Stanley Kubrick and Robert Altman, along with Matthew Modine, Sydney Pollack and Malcolm McDowell.
- #013
Vincent D'Onofrio portrayed Orson Welles in two different, unrelated productions: Ed Wood (1994) and Five Minutes, Mr. Welles (2005).
- #014
His sons are Elias Gene D'Onofrio, born in December 1999, and Luka D'Onofrio, born February 14, 2008. Their mother is Carin van der Donk.
- #015
Vincent's sister, actress Elizabeth D'Onofrio, teaches acting classes in Asheville, North Carolina.
- #016
Vincent D'Onofrio dyed his hair blonde for his role in the 1987 film Adventures in Babysitting.
- #017
Coincidentally, while playing Robert Goren, a character based on Sherlock Holmes, in the series Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001), Vincent D'Onofrio portrayed Moriarty in the TV film Sherlock (2002).
- #018
Vincent D'Onofrio was considered for the role of Knuckles in the 1991 film Suburban Commando.
- #019
Hawk D'Onofrio is Vincent D'Onofrio's uncle. Hawk is the son of Vincent's older sister, Elizabeth D'Onofrio.
- #020
Vincent D'Onofrio was the first choice for the role of Martin Brundle in The Fly II (1989) and was nearly cast, but his screen tests did not go well. He was born in the year Return of the Fly (1959) was released and shares his first name with Vincent Price, who appeared in The Fly (1958).
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