Goodfellas Actor Sues Simpsons For $250m

Goodfellas actor Frank Sivero is suing the creators of The Simpsons for $250m (£156m) for copying the character he played in the 1990 film.

Sivero alleges that Simpsons producer James L Brooks was “highly aware of who Sivero was, the fact that he created the role of Frankie Carbone, and that The Simpsons character Louie would be based on this character".

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor, 62, alleges that in 1989 he lived next door to the writers of The Simpsons and that they knew he was working on his mobster for Martin Scorsese's film.

The animated mafioso character first appeared in Fox's long-running show in October 1991. Louie has since featured in more than a dozen episodes, including one last season.

The lawsuit states that "Louie's appearance and mannerisms are strongly evocative of character actor Frank Sivero".

Louie is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, who also voices Homer Simpson.

Sivero's lawyers are demanding $50m in damages for loss of likeness, another $50m (£31m) in actual loss for "improper appropriation of Plaintiff’s confidential idea", $50m more in exemplary damages and $100m (£62m) for "improper interference".

The actor wants a portion of The Simpsons' profits because of a loss of "prospective economic advantage" and industry "type-casting".

He also claims Brooks promised him a film of his own and involvement in The Simpsons in the 1990s.

There has been no response to the lawsuit from Fox so far.

Sivero, who is also in The Godfather Part II, previously sued a restaurant for naming a sandwich after his Goodfellas character.

Scorsese's film also stars Robert de Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci.