Joe Piscopo Biography

Actor. Born Joseph Charles John Piscopo on June 17, 1951 in Passaic, New Jersey. Piscopo began his career in entertainment as a stand-up comic and in 1980 was invited to join the cast of Saturday Night Live. His hire was part of an all-cast replacement, and he and Eddie Murphy dominated the show for the next few years. It was there that Piscopo made a name for himself, most notably for his impressions of celebrities like Frank Sinatra and for his hit single “The Honeymooners Rap.” Piscopo stayed with SNL until 1984.

Joe Piscopo failed to find the same level of success after leaving Saturday Night Live. In the 1980s, he became known for his outrageous Miller Lite commercials, which he produced and starred in. During the 1990s, he was involved in a scandal regarding his use of steroids, though he repeatedly denied the allegations. He appeared on Broadway in Grease and made television guest appearances on such shows as Law & Order. He also had bit parts in such feature films as Johnny Dangerously, Sidekicks and Bartleby.

Joe Piscopo married Nancy Jones in 1973; the couple has a son. He married his son’s nanny, Kimberly Driscoll, in 1997, and they have three children. She filed for divorce in 2006. Piscopo has been the subject of widespread allegations of child abuse, though he denies any wrongdoing.

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