Talk:Maria Pitillo

1965 or 1966?
Was Maria born in 1965 or 1966? The dates differ from site to site. Hotwine8 (talk) 23:24, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Did she really marry a seventeen year old;or should that be 1966, instead of 1995? Sochwa (talk) 18:10, 9 October 2012 (UTC)
 * She really married a seventeen year old; 1995 is correct
 * The correct birth date is Jan 08 1966.
 * She has been married since 2002 David R Fortney. I have documented proof.Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 21:06, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Classmates.com lists her as Class of 1980-84, which would make her 47 (birth year 1966) today. 'Godzilla' interview stated she was 33 at time of article, which makes her 48 (birth year 1965) years old.  There is doubt that the Classmates profile was created by Pitillo herself. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 21:06, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Classmates.com has a 1980 photo of Pitillo and her Freshman Track Team. That would make her birth year of 1966 more likely.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 19:03, 28 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Screen World 2000 lists her birth date as Jan 08, 1965. 75.34.24.101 (talk) 16:12, 3 March 2014 (UTC)
 * I gave Classmates.com another try. The two accounts in Maria Pitillo's name have been removed.  Her older sister Lisa's name was removed as well. If memory serves me correctly, moving Maria's birth date up one year puts her very close in age (less than a year) to Lisa. Also, there is a 38 year old Maria Pitillo floating about, however, references come back to the Maria Pitillo who is the subject of this article.  75.34.24.101 (talk) 16:39, 3 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Changed birth year to 1965. That seems to be the consensus. 75.34.24.101 (talk) 14:52, 4 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Spokeo, the people search site, states that she was born in 1966. Screen World is the reference book that many media outlets use for celebrity info, and it says 1965. I think that Screen World is wrong, however, it is the source of record.  We may never know for sure.  75.34.24.101 (talk) 14:35, 9 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Pitillo knows about the age discrepancy AND the Wikipedia request for a photo. She refuses to clarify or participate in this project. 75.34.21.94 (talk) 16:03, 7 May 2014 (UTC)
 * Acquired a copy of her resume from 2006. I hoped that it would clarify her birth date, but it did not. The resume did confirm that Pitillo trained with William Esper and Harold Guskin in New York City, and received voice training with vocalist Robbie McCauley. It was something that I was not 100% sure of until today. Press kit for The Lost Capone inferred that Pitillo sang two songs in the movie, but did not specifically state so. It does sound like her voice singing Bye Bye Blackbird. WriterWithNoName (talk) 23:18, 9 December 2014 (UTC)

WTF
Woa! If you gonna do one article about somebody, at leas make it with some information and not only with the name of that person. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.139.47.92 (talk) 03:45, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

I'd actually like to get in touch with her. Ask her about the LaDucas. She's my grandmother's sisters grand daughter JamieLaduca (talk) 02:54, 18 November 2016 (UTC)


 * Do you know who Bridget is? She's another cousin. She's besties with Maria.  I can put you in contact with her if you can come up with a name. WriterWithNoName (talk) 03:11, 18 November 2016 (UTC)


 * Can you help with the birth year discrepancy? WriterWithNoName (talk) 03:12, 18 November 2016 (UTC)


 * Visit https://www.facebook.com/thelittleacorn/ Use the message feature and ask that they forward the message to Pitillo on behalf Bridget Kelly. Kelly is a cousin on the Masterson side of the family. She is best friends with Pitillo. Make your case with her, and maybe Pitillo will get in touch. WriterWithNoName (talk) 12:56, 19 November 2016 (UTC)

how about something less degrading in her bio?
Clearly shes does a lot of work but her main information makes her look like a terrible actor which is unfair to her. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ronnie42 (talk • contribs) 18:12, 7 February 2012 (UTC)

I created a bio and it was reduced almost back to what has been online for the last ten years.
I have worked on a bio from old newspaper interviews and press materials.

She is NOT married to a John Wilson. I traced that rumor back to an IMDB.com post that has since been removed. She is been married since 2002 to another man who is today 51 years old. For reasons of privacy, I won't post it at this time. I had made contact with her on linkedin using her current married name, but she wasn't willing to collaborate on a biography.

sorry about all the edits, I am tired and my writing is poor tonight.

Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 07:06, 8 August 2013 (UTC)
 * As far as the spousal issue there would appear to be no current contentions. There is no current reference to a "John Wilson" on the page.  As far as the length of the article, the material added was generally unencyclopedic, unreferenced, and of an inappropriately casual nature, and much of that material was removed.  The article as it currently exists appears to be at least factual, properly referenced, and commensurate with the notability of the subject.  Understand that attempting to source Ms. Pitillo directly for this article would likely violate neutrality and the 'no original research' guidelines.  Please familiarize yourself with Biographies_of_living_persons before editing further. 70.182.195.99 (talk) 20:38, 19 August 2013 (UTC)

Trust me, I am done.

Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 12:21, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

As you can see, I am back to editing this entry. I intend to take a piecemeal approach in the hope that my additions are not cropped out all at once. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 16:32, 16 November 2013 (UTC)

Marriage (and personal details)

 * As of June 2013, Maria Pitillo was still married to David R Fortney, whom she married in roughly 2002-2003. They live in Ross, CA. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:12, 12 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Calistoga home is weekend residence or home of Pitillo's mother. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:12, 12 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Has a daughter Eva Jean, who is around ten years old. (May 2013). Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 17:59, 11 August 2013 (UTC)
 * I think her daughter was born in 2006. 75.34.23.210 (talk) 20:05, 5 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Appears to no longer be partners with husband in business venture. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:12, 12 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Pitillo may be operating an interior design business in San Francisco Bay Area. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 20:58, 11 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Was married before coming to CA in 1990. Details anyone?  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 18:57, 16 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Unfounded rumor persists that she married a seventeen year old in 2012. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 18:40, 25 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Trivial fact. Pitillo's husband known to use first and middle name interchangeably. Known as David Roger Fortney.  Real name most likely Roger David...  75.34.23.210 (talk) 00:29, 9 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Pitillo involved in business venture The Little Acorn with cousin Bridget Kelly. Together they sell high end baby furnishings to upscale clients across the USA.  75.34.23.210 (talk) 00:33, 9 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Fortney is CEO of Ice Box Foods. Pitillo WAS corporate officer, but is no longer listed as such. Ice Box Foods is an importer of various grocery products from Southeast Asia, and Australia. 75.34.23.210 (talk) 00:40, 9 February 2014 (UTC)


 * There is a brother Roger, so Pitillo's husbands first name is in fact David. 75.34.24.101 (talk) 14:36, 9 March 2014 (UTC)


 * Maria Pitillo's father, Ronald, passed away on Maria's 40th birthday. January 08, 2005.  75.34.21.94 (talk) 18:23, 3 May 2014 (UTC)

Nearly Yours (1997)

 * Nearly Yours was a Dreamworks project that NBC wanted a stake in.  The original deal involving Parker Posey fell through, and NBC offered up director James Burrows and Pitillo in order to make a deal.  Dreamworks balked, and the concept was shelved until 1999 when the rights expired.  A new incarnation of Nearly Yours was developed, but it did not get through the development process.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 16:31, 17 November 2013 (UTC)


 * UPDATE: This doesn't really count as a project, as Pitillo's name was simply mentioned as an alternate to Posey. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 21:06, 18 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Actually this is becoming more important. Warren Littlefield took a personal interest in Pitillo's career. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 00:44, 3 December 2013 (UTC)


 * NBC ordered a Put Pilot and there was a deal for 13 episodes. Sometimes the mundane turns fascinating.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 00:50, 3 December 2013 (UTC)


 * The above line is incorrect. The NBC/Dreamworks spat blew up in March of 1997.  When talks with Dreamworks broke down, the company pulled three projects that it was working on with NBC. Nearly Yours was not the one that was under contract. Assuming that Pitillo came under contract on or before January 1, 1997. NBC sat on her for a full year.  This explains the gap in her resume for that time frame. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 02:11, 4 December 2013 (UTC)

House Rules (1998)

 * Wikipedia crashed while I was working on this segment, and the link that I had found which clarified Warren Littlefield's role in Pitillo's career was lost. I have yet to relocate it.  It might be a stretch to say that there is something more here, as Littlefield is known to have been aggressively involved in NBC projects before he left NBC in 1999.  Indicators point to his taking a personal interest in Pitillo and was heavily involved in finding a project for her.  It was Littlefield who pitched the idea of House Rules. This same link describes the production staff only having two weeks to write a pilot script. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 00:44, 3 December 2013 (UTC)


 * After Partners (1995-96) Pitillo was poised to become a hot commodity. Her "development" deal  with NBC seems to have hurt her career, and a great deal of momentum was lost. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 13:51, 14 December 2013 (UTC)


 * I found my first reference to House Rules on 4/29/1997. Other articles suggest the show was cobbled together at the last minute.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 00:45, 26 December 2013 (UTC)


 * Variety announces Mid-season replacements on July 21, 1997, and House Rules is one of three slated for Spring 1998. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 00:45, 26 December 2013 (UTC)


 * This March 1998 Variety article claims that EP Chris Thompson only had a few days to whip together a pilot for this series. This contradicts the above article. Strange unless six House Rules episodes were taped before Pitillo went to film Godzilla. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:16, 31 December 2013 (UTC)

Godzilla (1998)

 * Before Pitillo came to Hollywood, her resume included playing a number of oddly cliched characters. Angel Cacetti - Spike of Bensonhurst (1988), and Olivia Honey - She-Devil (1989) being two examples.  Her performance in Godzilla seemed to be a return to that sort of unserious role at a time when she had already proven her acting ability and presence.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:19, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

In The Loop (1998)

 * In The Loop: is yet another project that didn't get off the ground. This is getting out of hand.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 21:43, 18 November 2013 (UTC)


 * In The Loop Possible Unsold Pilot. Directed by James Burrow, Co-starred Joely Fisher. Storyline: Group of thirtysomethings living in Chicago. May have aired as a standalone feature in the Spring of 1999. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 18:05, 20 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Joely Fisher's name is attached to this project, that jarred a memory. I'm sure that the pilot did in fact air.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 16:45, 21 November 2013 (UTC)


 * This is Pitillo's third collaboration with director James Burrows. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 00:52, 3 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Development timeline suggests a Fall, 1998 premiere. www.imdb.com has very little information.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 01:02, 3 December 2013 (UTC)
 * Tweeted Deann Heline. She said pilot produced, and a total of six scripts written. Did not air. 75.34.24.101 (talk) 17:31, 5 March 2014 (UTC)

People Who Fear People (1999)

 * People Who Fear People Unsold Pilot. Jon Cryer, a Partners Co-star, participated in this project.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 16:31, 17 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Contacted Jon Cryer, no response. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 03:22, 29 November 2013 (UTC)


 * This was her second collaboration with Cryer, who is also a personal friend of Pitillo, and the fourth with James Burrows. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 00:53, 3 December 2013 (UTC)


 * The Variety search engine is amazingly bad. This show was renamed The Trouble With Normal and aired for one season in 2000.  Pitillo was dropped from the cast and replaced by Paget Brewster.  This is the second time that Brewster replaced a character that Pitillo was originally cast.  The second series was the animated version of Godzilla where Brewster voiced the character of Audrey Timmonds.   Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:26, 31 December 2013 (UTC)

Follow The Leeds (2003)

 * Follow The Leeds (2003) was a mystery-drama developed by Lifetime and was scheduled to star Pitillo, Sharon Lawrence, among others.  Numerous trade publications make reference to the pilot, but it is unclear if it was actually produced. While not unusual for a pilot to not air, Pitillo's portfolio seems to contain a large number of projects that were unsuccessful. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 21:42, 11 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Contacted Actress Marsha Mason. Friendly, waiting for response. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 03:21, 29 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Mason says pilot was made. Variety Magazine says that this pilot went up against three others for single slot in Lifetime TV's Fall 2003 lineup.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 13:48, 14 December 2013 (UTC)


 * Lifetime invested heavily in original programming for the 2003 season. Faced stiff competition from early versions of reality TV programming, which bit into the networks core audience of women in the 21-49 age group. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 13:48, 14 December 2013 (UTC)


 * It's said that Jon Cryer worked on no less than 23 pilots in his career. My assumptions of having three or four unaired pilots is erroneous.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:27, 14 December 2013 (UTC)


 * Actually, Cryer was talking about George Clooney. 75.34.30.100 (talk) 12:58, 27 April 2014 (UTC)

The Angriest Man In Suburbia (2006)

 * The Angriest Man In Suburbia (2006) was another project that failed to launch, sealing the fate of Pitillo's career. I found several reviews (all panning the show) on imdb.com, as well as other television rating sites. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 19:10, 14 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Aired as TV Movie, was on Youtube for short time until Sony had it removed.


 * Date on above article is August 3, 2006. This either aired as a free standing summer movie, or it was bootlegged and put online from someone inside the production company.  Drama.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 00:56, 3 December 2013 (UTC)


 * By July 07,2006, Writer Ajay Sahgal had walked away from this project, and re-imagined it as the UNTITLED BEN STILLER/CHRISTINE TAYLOR PROJECT (CBS) Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 17:50, 3 December 2013 (UTC)

Topical Notes

 * I seem to be the only person who has any interest in her. I'm using this talk page in the hopes of finding others who can help fill in the blanks. I do have a lot of information, much of it unconfirmed or conflicting.  Pitillo knows about my work and is for some reason, very resentful. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 19:10, 14 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Tonight I am combing the archives of Variety Magazine. I was trying to find background on Follow The Leeds, however, I came across two previously unknown projects: Nearly Yours, and People Who Fear People in which Pitillo's name was attached. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 03:03, 17 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Learn something new every day. TV Pilot Assume that most, if not all of these shows have completed pilots of some kind. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 23:15, 18 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Attempting to create a Career Highlights section, and then move on to another section for Godzilla. I don't want to get bogged down debating the controversial film while I write the rest of her bio. I will get it done though.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 18:09, 20 November 2013 (UTC)


 * www.imdb.com does NOT appear to be the definitive resource that it is often made out to be. It was my impression that the website was somehow maintained by SAG.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 16:49, 21 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Believed to be active in Democrat Party politics and actively campaigned on behalf of Hillary Clinton in 2008. Has a user account at Change.org under her married name. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 16:49, 21 November 2013 (UTC)


 * I have gone through all of the print material I could find and Pitillo's career came to a close at a time when there were relatively few computerized databases of information. If there is going to be any further refinement of the article, it will have to come from first-hand accounts.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 13:56, 14 December 2013 (UTC)


 * I am certain that there is an USWeekly, as well as a People Magazine article featuring Pitillo. Neither website maintains an online record of the time period in which she was most well known.  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:16, 14 December 2013 (UTC)


 * Outside of the above mentioned articles, it appears that very little publicity from the 1990's. There are no candid shots of Pitillo anywhere to be found.  I'm surprised that she never made any Hot 100, and it seems as though her agents did not go out of their way to promote her publicly.  Pitillo is known to be notoriously private, describes herself as a "home body" (Bikini Magazine 6/98)  Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:52, 14 December 2013 (UTC)


 * Located a copy of USWeekly (December 1996) and Movieline (April 1998). Neither article provided any additional information. Both are readily available on eBay, as it the Bikini Magazine article cited in this article. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 04:44, 16 January 2014 (UTC)


 * By all accounts, industry people loved her and her positive presence on-set is often noted. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:52, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

Photos
I can't figure out how to add photos. Could someone please add a photo to this article? Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 18:03, 12 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Nevermind, got it. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 13:10, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

I am not going to do any more work until the issues with the photos are sorted out. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 13:33, 25 November 2013 (UTC)

Photo issues ironed out. I have contracted Centropolis and asked them for permission to use one of their prints. Let them delete the one I posted. If all else fails, I found a photographer who took several photos for the "Partners" Press Kit. We're good. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 22:08, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

Centropolis is sending me to Sony. Sony will provide a photo and a release. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 17:10, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

No luck on the photo front. I will have to try with "Fair Use" again. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 14:34, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

I am negotiating with Sony Pictures Entertainment in an effort to obtain a qualifying photo. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 16:26, 4 January 2014 (UTC)

Sony slammed the door shut pretty hard today. Djfitzgerald111 (talk) 22:08, 7 January 2014 (UTC)

Correction
In the Godzilla (1998) section, I have removed the following highlighted error:

''Godzilla was nominated in several categories for Razzie awards, and Pitillo herself won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress in 1999. The film was financially successful, and a sequel was given a film treatment, there was little enthusiasm however, and the rights to the franchise were allowed to expire.[21] Pitillo is not known to have commented publicly about Godzilla after its premiere. It is often suggested that criticism of her performance (and subsequent Razzie), hampered her career.''

Reference 1, 'Upstaged by a Lizard' by Bob Ivry. (May 23, 1998) While its unknown when Pitillo was interviewed, the article was published three days after the premiere of 'Godzilla', which was May 20, 1998. 75.34.23.210 (talk) 00:22, 9 February 2014 (UTC)

I italicized the passage. 75.34.19.111 (talk) 19:17, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

Forgot there was already a section on this issue.

This post is in reference to the edit about Pitillo's comment on her performance in Godzilla. Zilla opened on May 20. I have at least three articles in which Pitillo says she was sworn to secrecy about film. Unless I am mistaken, the Ivry interview was printed the following Monday. The wording I used was deliberately vague on the chance that The Bergen County Register did sit on article for three days. 75.34.31.45 (talk) 02:28, 11 March 2014 (UTC)

Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
A cast member of the television series Providence claims that Pitillo filed a sexual harassment suit against the shows creator John Masius in 2002 or 2003. Obviously, one persons word would not be sufficient to add to the article, however, would court documents be sufficient? 75.34.20.19 (talk) 20:31, 20 February 2014 (UTC)
 * A suit was filed. Disposition unknown. Several cast members deposed. At least one declared that the suit had no basis in fact. John Masius is personal friends with Roland Emmerich. They have also collaborated on other projects. WriterWithNoName (talk) 14:43, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

Photos
I have four original publicity stills if anyone is interested in talking to Pitillo's management. WriterWithNoName (talk) 22:41, 13 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Pitillo appears to be embittered by her Hollywood experience, but is known to trot out her association with Godzilla when it's to her advantage. WriterWithNoName (talk) 14:46, 14 April 2015 (UTC)