Ed McDonald's Accidental Role in Goodfellas Revealed

Former federal prosecutor Ed McDonald shared his unexpected experience of playing himself in Martin Scorsese's classic mob film *Goodfellas*. The movie, based on Nick Pileggi's book Wiseguy, tells the story of Henry Hill. McDonald was approached by Pileggi, who was covering organized crime and public corruption for New York magazine, to help with research for the witness protection scene involving Henry and Karen Hill.

Pileggi connected McDonald with Scorsese's team, but what began as a set-research visit turned into an accidental audition after McDonald joked about portraying himself. At Warner Bros. offices on 51st Street, Scorsese scrapped the script and had McDonald improvise with actors standing in for Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco.

McDonald also shared how his real courtroom experience helped break the ice with Scorsese before he landed the role. He mentioned that *Mean Streets* and *The Godfather* were likely influences on Scorsese's direction of Goodfellas.