Charlie Picerni

Crew

Charlie Picerni

Born 1935-12-19 · Queens, New York, USA

Charlie Picerni was born in Corona Queens, New York. The fourth of five children to Italian parents. After high school, he worked different jobs, one being construction work on high-rise buildings in Manhattan. He married, at a young age, his childhood girlfriend, Marie. He had a son after one year of marriage and decided he didn't want to work in construction, anymore. So, he headed west to try his luck in the movie business! His brother, Paul Picerni, was an actor on a hit TV show at that time called "The Untouchables (1959)". Charlie worked as a stand-in, an extra and started doing stunt double work. Charlie immediately fell in love with this work and moved his family to California. Charlie excelled as a stuntman and then moved up to stunt-coordinating TV shows. He got his big break on "Starsky and Hutch (1975)", he was the stunt coordinator and Paul Michael Glaser's stunt double. Aaron Spelling and Duke Vincent saw what direction Charlie was heading in - Directing"! He started second unit-directing "Starsky and Hutch (1975)" and then moved up to directing episodes of "Starsky". He continued stunt-coordinating and second unit-directing such shows as "Kojak (1973)" and "Magnum, P.I. (1980)". He then started directing television for producers Aaron Spelling, Leonard Goldberg and Stephen J. Cannell, for such shows as "T.J. Hooker (1982)", "Matt Houston (1982)", "Vega$ (1978)", "Hardcastle and McCormick (1983)", "Hunter (1984)", "Stingray (1985)", "Finder of Lost Loves (1984)", "The A-Team (1983)", "J.J. Starbuck (1987)", "Spenser: For Hire (1985)", "Blue Thunder (1984)", "Gavilan (1982)" and HBO's "Tales from the Crypt (1989)". At that time, Charlie caught Warner Brothers producer Joel Silver's eye. Joel hired Charlie to stunt-coordinate "Die Hard (1988)". This led to second unit-directing and stunt-coordinating on the films, "Die Hard 2 (1990)", "Road House (1989)", "Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)" & "Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)", "Hudson Hawk (1991)", "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)", "The Last Boy Scout (1991)", "Demolition Man (1993)", "Ghost (1990)", "Ricochet (1991)", "Basic Instinct (1992)", "A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994)", "True Romance (1993)", "2 Days in the Valley (1996)", "15 Minutes (2001)" and many more. Charlie also, during this time, directed multiple episodes on a TV series, called "Seven Days (1998)", for Paramount studios. Charlie also worked as an actor in many TV and film projects throughout his career. Realizing he wanted to further his career as a director, he studied at the "Beverly Hills Playhouse" in the Master class for two years. In 2007, he directed, produced and co-wrote a feature film entitled "Three Days to Vegas (2007)", starring Peter Falk, Rip Torn and George Segal. In 2010, Charlie directed Ayn Rand's play, "Night of January 16th", at the Odyssey Theatre to rave reviews! While continuing to work in all avenues of the motion picture business, he is developing and writing his own project called "Spaghetti Park", which he will produce and direct. Charlie is a proud member of "The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences".

Acting credits

Die Hard poster
7.8

High above the city of L.A. a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages, and declared war. One man has manages to escape... An off-duty cop hiding somewhere inside. He's alone, tired... and the only chance anyone has got.

Die Hard

1988

True Lies poster
7.1

A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.

True Lies

1994

Tron poster
6.6

When brilliant video game maker Flynn hacks the mainframe of his ex-employer, he is beamed inside an astonishing digital world and becomes part of the very game he is designing. In his mission through cyberspace, Flynn matches wits with a maniacal Master Control Program and teams up with Tron, a security measure created to bring balance to the digital environment.

Tron

1982

Tora! Tora! Tora! poster
7.2

In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words used by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had surprised the Americans, covers the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged America into the Second World War.

Tora! Tora! Tora!

1970

Westworld poster
6.8

Delos is a futuristic amusement park that features themed worlds populated by human-like androids. After two patrons have a run-in with a menacing gunslinger in West World, the androids at Delos all begin to malfunction, causing havoc throughout the park.

Westworld

1973

Batman poster
6.4

The Dynamic Duo faces four super-villains who plan to hold the world for ransom with the help of a secret invention that instantly dehydrates people.

Batman

1966

Earthquake poster
6.2

Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.

Earthquake

1974

The Boston Strangler poster
6.6

Boston is being terrorized by a series of seemingly random murders of women. Based on the true story, the film follows the investigators path through several leads before introducing the Strangler as a character. It is seen almost exclusively from the point of view of the investigators who have very few clues to build a case upon.

The Boston Strangler

1968

Demonic poster
5.3

A police officer and a psychologist investigate the deaths of five people who were killed while trying to summon ghosts.

Demonic

2015

Rapid Fire poster
6.4

College student Jake Lo is pursued by smugglers, mobsters and crooked federal agents after he witnesses a murder by a Mafia kingpin.

Rapid Fire

1992

Fuzz poster
5.5

Police in Boston search for a mad bomber trying to extort money from the city.

Fuzz

1972

The Don Is Dead poster
5.9

After his mistress is murdered, a Mafia leader goes after the killer with a bloody vengeance. Soon after the hunt begins, a gang war ensues.

The Don Is Dead

1973

Man on a String poster
7.0

A government agent, out to destroy a crime ring, finds himself in the middle of a mob war.

Man on a String

1972

Two of a Kind poster
5.8

God has had enough of the bad behavior and attitude of humankind, and has decided to start it all over. It is up to a struggling inventor and a bank teller, both with very amateur criminal minds, to save the world by falling in love.

Two of a Kind

1983

Shamus poster
6.1

Millions in diamonds are stolen from a New York City safe, and later the burglar is killed. Shamus is paid $10,000 by the owner to find the diamonds or the killer.

Shamus

1973

On a Mission from God: The Story of the Blues Brothers poster
NR

A documentary that explores the turbulent, high-budget production of the 1980 musical-comedy classic The Blues Brothers, examining its chaotic shoot, legendary musical guest appearances, and lasting cultural legacy.

On a Mission from God: The Story of the Blues Brothers

2025

Evil Roy Slade poster
6.3

Orphaned and left in the desert as an infant, Evil Roy Slade grew up alone—save for his teddy bear—and mean. As an adult, he is notorious for being the "meanest villain in the West"—so he's thrown for quite a loop when he falls for sweet schoolteacher Betsy Potter. There's also Nelson L. Stool, a railroad tycoon, who, along with his dimwitted nephew Clifford (Henry Gibson), is trying to get revenge on Evil Roy Slade for robbing him.

Evil Roy Slade

1972

Murder Me, Murder You poster
7.3

Private eye Mike Hammer probes his long-lost love's death while seeking their daughter.

Murder Me, Murder You

1983

The Mad Bomber poster
5.2

Los Angeles detectives Minelli and Blake must track down a serial rapist who may know the identity of a mentally disturbed bomber.

The Mad Bomber

1973

Star Spangled Girl poster
5.6

A pair of 60's hippies fall in love with the girl next door, who is exactly the kind of square that they are fighting against.

Star Spangled Girl

1971

Hot Summer Week poster
4.3

Two girls pick up a crazed hitchhiker who may or may not be the serial killer murdering hippies in the area.

Hot Summer Week

1972

Stunts Unlimited poster
6.0

A group of Hollywood stunt performers are recruited by former U.S. Intelligence agent Dirk Macauley to retrieve a stolen laser gun from a notorious arms dealer in this pilot to a proposed TV series.

Stunts Unlimited

1980

The Baltimore Bullet poster
5.7

A tale of two hustlers trying to set up a big game.

The Baltimore Bullet

1980

Rivkin: Bounty Hunter poster
9.0

A New York-based bounty hunter who makes a living chasing and capturing bail jumpers matches wits with a heavily-armed drug dealer in this pilot to a prospective series.

Rivkin: Bounty Hunter

1981

Behind the camera