Al Palagonia is an actor who has enjoyed a successful career in Hollywood. Early on, Palagonia made his mark in film, landing roles in a variety of notable projects. Among his first appearances was the dramatic comedy Girl 6 (1996), where he starred alongside Theresa Randle. That was followed by the adventurous drama He Got Game (1998), featuring Denzel Washington, and the intense Summer of Sam (1999), co-starring John Leguizamo.
As his career progressed, Al Palagonia took on more diverse roles, including in the Damon Wayans-directed dramedy Bamboozled (2000). He continued to build his filmography with standout performances in 25th Hour (2002), starring Edward Norton, and the popular heist film Inside Man (2006), once again working with Denzel Washington. Another key moment in Al Palagonia’s career came with his role in the war drama Miracle at St. Anna (2008), where he acted alongside Derek Luke.
In the later years of his career, Al Palagonia appeared in Red Hook Summer (2012), a comedic drama directed by Clarke Peters. More recently, he worked on the critically acclaimed Blue Jasmine (2013), starring Cate Blanchett, and also appeared in Oldboy (2013). Al Palagonia continued to stay active in the industry with a role in Chi-raq (2015), directed by Spike Lee.
One of Al Palagonia’s most recent projects was the thriller Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2015), in which he starred with Stephen T. Williams. Through the years, Al Palagonia has remained a consistent presence in both independent and mainstream cinema, contributing memorable performances across multiple genres.
So, when we take a look at Al Palagonia’s filmography, it’s kind of interesting—his highest rated movie ends up being Summer of Sam (1999), which, believe it or not, also happens to be his lowest rated film. Yeah, that’s right—Al Palagonia has this unique case where Summer of Sam (1999) stands out both as the top and bottom in terms of ratings. I know, it sounds a bit confusing, but that’s how it is. Al Palagonia really seems to have a complex relationship with this particular release. Whether that says more about audience reception or critical opinion isn’t totally clear, but one thing’s for sure—Al Palagonia’s connection to Summer of Sam (1999) is definitely noteworthy.