In his teens, he worked backstage in set building and sound production at a number of community theaters run by his father. D'Onofrio has described himself as a shy boy who spent 'a lot of time in my room, staying in my head', later became interested in magic and sleight of hand, tricks he learned from Cuban entertainers who owned a small magic shop. The family relocated to the Hialeah, Florida area. He became stepbrother to Guy and Connie, Meyer's children from a previous marriage. ĭ'Onofrio's parents divorced when he was young his mother later married George Meyer. He was raised in Hawaii and Colorado during his early years. His older siblings are Antoinette (born 1956) and Elizabeth (born 1957), an actress and drama coach residing in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Vincent is the youngest of three siblings. Gennaro was trained as an interior decorator but spent most of his spare time in amateur theater.
His parents Gennaro and Phyllis D'Onofrio met while Gennaro was stationed in Hawaii with the US Air Force. He is of Italian descent, with ancestors from Naples. D'Onofrio was born on June 30, 1959, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.
