Joe Pantoliano

2003 Emmy Nominated: Supporting Actor, The Sopranos

One of today's best character actors, the inexhaustible Joe Pantoliano boasts over 100 film, television, and stage credits. Born on September 12, 1951 in Hoboken, NJ, the actor is the only son of Dominic, a hearse driver, and Mary Pantoliano, a part-time seamstress/bookie. When he was 12, Pantoliano's mother left his father for her distant cousin Florio, though the couple never officially divorced. Pantoliano and his younger sister Maryann grew up throughout northern New Jersey with their mother and Florio, whom they eventually came to regard as their stepfather.

Pantoliano suffered from severe dyslexia, and at age 17, he was still reading at the third-grade level. After seeing the youngster perform in his senior play, Up the Down Staircase, Florio convinced him to pursue acting professionally. Pantoliano moved to Manhattan, where he worked as a waiter while juggling acting classes and auditions. In 1972, he landed the coveted role of stuttering Billy Bibbit in the touring production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Pantoliano's edgy performance impressed the Wachowskis so much that they created the character of Cypher in The Matrix exclusively for him. Shortly afterward, his co-star in the sci-fi spectacular, Carrie-Anne Moss, insisted that director Christopher Nolan hire Pantoliano for the third lead in his sleeper-hit Memento. In 2001, at the behest of producer David Chase, Pantoliano joined the cast of the landmark HBO series The Sopranos. While portraying psychopathic mobster Ralphie Cifaretto on the hit show, the actor published Who's Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-Up Guy, a bittersweet memoir about his New Jersey childhood.

Joe Pantoliano is nominated for 2003's Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work in "The Sopranos".

Joe Pantoliano Videography

Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, 2006
Unknown, 2006
The Easter Egg Adventure, 2005
The Moguls, 2005
The Check Up, 2005
Racing Stripes, 2005
"Dr. Vegas", 2004
A Piece of My Heart, 2004
Second Best, 2004
"The Handler", 2003
Bad Boys II, 2003
Daredevil, 2003
The Adventures of Pluto Nash, 2002
A Call for Help, 2002
"The Sopranos", 1999
Grand Theft Auto III, 2001
Cats & Dogs, 2001
Majestic, 2001
Memento, 2000
Ready to Rumble, 2000/I
A Better Way to Die, 2000
Silver Man, 2000
Olive, the Other Reindeer, 1999
The Life Before This, 1999
Black and White, 1999
The Matrix, 1999
Forces of Nature, 1999
New Blood, 1999
"Sugar Hill", 1999
The Taxman, 1999
"Godzilla: The Series", 1998
Hoods, 1998
U.S. Marshals, 1998
"The Lionhearts", 1998
Tinseltown, 1997
Natural Enemy, 1997
Top of the World, 1997/I
"EZ Streets", 1996
EZ Streets, 1996
Bound, 1996
Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Ice, 1996
Steal Big Steal Little, 1995
The Last Word, 1995
Congo, 1995
Bad Boys, 1995
The Immortals, 1995
Robot in the Family, 1994
Baby's Day Out, 1994
Dangerous Heart, 1994
"Beethoven", 1994
The Flight of the Dove, 1994
Teresa's Tattoo, 1994
Me and the Kid, 1993
Calendar Girl, 1993
The Fugitive, 1993
Three of Hearts, 1993
Used People, 1992
Through the Eyes of a Killer, 1992
One Special Victory, 1991
Zandalee, 1991
Backstreet Dreams, 1990
"The Fanelli Boys", 1990
El Diablo, 1990
Short Time, 1990
The Last of the Finest, 1990
Downtown, 1990
Nightbreaker, 1989
Midnight Run, 1988
Rock 'n' Roll Mom, 1988
The In Crowd, 1988
Empire of the Sun, 1987
Amazon Women on the Moon, 1987
La Bamba, 1987
The Squeeze, 1987
Destination America, 1987
Scenes from the Goldmine, 1987
L.A. Law, 1986
Running Scared, 1986
The Goonies, 1985
The Mean Season, 1985
"Robert Kennedy & His Times", 1985
Mister Roberts, 1984
Eddie and the Cruisers, 1983
Risky Business, 1983
The Final Terror, 1983
Monsignor, 1982
The Idolmaker, 1980
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story, 1980
"From Here to Eternity", 1979
More Than Friends, 1978
"Free Country", 1978
For Pete's Sake, 1974

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