**Harvey Keitel** (born in New York in 1939) is an American actor renowned for his intensity and his ability to portray complex and often tormented characters.

He emerged as a key figure of New Hollywood, particularly through his collaborations with Martin Scorsese. Films such as *Mean Streets* (1973) and *Taxi Driver* (1976) defined him as a performer of raw and vulnerable roles.

After a less prolific period, he experienced a resurgence in the 1990s, becoming a recurring face in Quentin Tarantino's films. *Reservoir Dogs* (1992) and *Pulp Fiction* (1994) cemented his status as an independent cinema icon.

Keitel demonstrated his versatility in works such as Jane Campion's *The Piano* (1993), which earned him an Academy Award nomination, and Abel Ferrara's extremely raw *Bad Lieutenant* (1992), which embodies his most visceral style. He is celebrated for his anti-heroes, often morally ambiguous, but always endowed with a profound humanity.