He is best known for co-writing and producing the film Green Book, for which he received two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.
[4] He has also directed the films In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King, Choker and Stiletto, and co-wrote the screenplay to Deadfall.
[8] He initially followed his father into acting, with minor roles in films including The Godfather, Splash, Goodfellas, and Prizzi's Honor.
Based on the friendship of his father and Don Shirley, Green Book was critically praised and received dozens of award nominations, although the film was not without controversy, as Shirley's family accused Vallelonga of falsifying information in the movie.
"[10][11] In 2019, Vallelonga apologized for a 2015 tweet that agreed with Donald Trump's claim that Muslims in Jersey City cheered when the World Trade Center towers collapsed.