More substantively, he played against his co-star with decorum and generosity, letting her generate the heat between them. To reduce the evidence of their gap, Pesci wore an elaborate toupee rigged to lift up the skin of his face. One reason was his age: Pesci, a late bloomer to the screen, was nearly 50 Marisa Tomei was 27. The first was, of course, My Cousin Vinny-a slow-burn success that made him lovable, but didn’t quite make him a romantic lead. That year he appeared in four films, taking top billing in two of them. In 1992, Joe Pesci was coming off a string of high-profile supporting roles-Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Tommy DeVito in GoodFellas (1990), Harry Lime in Home Alone (1990)-and it seemed about time for him to graduate to protagonist. A star might prove his mettle in any number of genres, only dabbling in romance but if we can’t at least imagine him as the center of somebody’s world, it’s hard to center him in the world of a movie. The simplest answer, I think, is romantic viability, which is something different than attractiveness. Range is a bonus, but it’s certainly not necessary. What exactly makes a leading man? Conventional good looks are a rule with plenty of exceptions relatability is key, but not so relatable that you’re consigned to bit parts.
