Joe Pantoliano: ACTOR

Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Joe Pantoliano landed his first professional role in 1972 when he played “Billy Bibbit” in the national touring company of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He worked in regional theater and has appeared in over 40 Off-Broadway productions. In 2003, he starred on Broadway, opposite Rosie Perez in Frankie and Johnny.

After his move to Hollywood, Pantoliano landed the plum role of Angelo Maggio in the NBC miniseries From Here to Eternity starring Natalie Wood, Kim Basinger, Peter Boyle and William Devane. He returned to the stage in Los Angeles, winning a Dramalogue Award and a Drama Critic’s Circle Award for Best Actor in Orphans. He received his second Dramalogue Award as Best Actor for Italian American Reconciliation, written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, and he was nominated for a CableACE Award for Best Actor for his appearance in one of the original episodes of the horror series Tales From the Crypt, directed by Richard Donner. His other television credits include the highly acclaimed CBS drama EZ Streets, for which he was nominated for a Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actor; The Handler on CBS; and The Sopranos, for which he won the 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a drama series.

Pantoliano has appeared in over 100 films including Risky Business, The Goonies, La Bamba, Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, Midnight Run, The Fugitive, U.S. Marshals, Bad Boys I & II, Bound and Daredevil. He also notably produced and starred in Taxman and Second Best.

Following his starring role in Bound in 1997, Pantoliano re-teamed with the Wachowski brothers in 1999, co-starring opposite Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne in Warner Bros. Pictures’ smash hit The Matrix. He also starred in Christopher Nolan’s hit film Memento, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and won Best Director, Best Feature and Best Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2002.

Pantoliano most recently starred and produced the CBS drama pilot Waterfront along with the series’ creator and executive producer, Jack Orman. He starred in American Standard which he also produced with Bobby Schwartz, John S. Schwartz and Ross Dinerstein; writer/ director Joe Greco’s Canvas in which he stars opposite Marcia Gay Harden and produced along with Adam and Lucy Hammel, Sharon Lane and Bruce Beresford; and Wedding Daze in which he co-stars with Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher. Joey also completed Enchanted for Walt Disney Pictures in which he voiced a clever chipmunk alongside the talents of Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon and Amy Adams.

Joey has also published his first book, Who’s Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-up Guy (Dutton Publishing). The book was a New York Times best seller. He is co-president of The Creative Coalition, an organization of artists intending to educate the public about important social issues and influence the political process. Joey has also just started his own non-for-profit organization, “No Kidding, Me Too!” dedicated to ending the stigma on mental illness. He currently resides in Connecticut with his wife, 3 daughters and 4 dogs.