Henry Hill

Henry Hill

21
    Goodfellas
Photo Credit: Everett Collection

Character Analysis

(Avoiding Spoilers)

Grew up... in Brooklyn. Henry always wanted to be a gangster from a young age. As he says, "Being a gangster was better than being President of the United States. To me, it meant being somebody in a neighborhood that was full of nobodies."

Living... in the most Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn. He had nothing growing up until Paulie took him under his wing when he was a teenager. After that, Brooklyn was paradise because everyone knew he was in with Paulie. At thirteen, he was making more money than most of the grown men in Brooklyn.

Profession... gangster. Henry worked little jobs, parking cars and other small-time work, before he was trusted with the big jobs. He wasn't cut out to take the subway and work at a full-time job. He considers those people the suckers.

Interests... money, drugs, and everything the life of luxury can offer. Henry has it all. He has bags filled with jewelry, a bowl full of coke next to his bedside, and fancy suits and cars. Anything else he wants is right at his fingertips.

Relationship Status... in an adulterous affair. Though Henry is married to his young wife Karen, who’s just as power-hungry as him, things are getting tense since she found out about his mistress Janice. He’s been paying for her apartment and goes there to do coke and have sex with her when he’s feeling stressed out.

Challenge... avoiding getting whacked. In the mob world, getting wacked means getting killed. It's not easy because even Henry’s closest friends could be the ones to do it. As he says, "For us, murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who've cared for you all of your life. And they always seem to come at a time that you're at your weakest and most in need of their help."

Personality... arrogant, greedy, and ruthless. Obsessed with keeping his status and wealth, Henry will go to great lengths to protect himself and his pride. Prone to bouts of rage if things don’t go his way, Henry will threaten anyone who tries to muscle him out. He’s anything but honest and clearly becoming addicted to his dangerous hobbies.

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