Short Biography

Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Cypher in The Matrix, and Teddy in Memento. Pantoliano was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to first-generation Italian American parents Mary, a bookie and seamstress, and Dominic "Monk" Pantoliano, a hearse driver and factory foreman. He attended HB Studio, but studied extensively with John Lehne and lives with his wife, former model Nancy Sheppard, and their four children.[3] He was introduced to his wife by his friend, Samantha Phillips.

On October 9, 2007 Pantoliano announced on the National Alliance on Mental Illness blog that he has been suffering from clinical depression for the last decade, although he was only formally diagnosed recently. He claims that his recent film Canvas was what helped him come to terms with his depression. Rather than hide his struggle from the public, he has chosen to speak out about it to remove some of the stigmas that are commonly associated with mental illness. He founded a non-profit organization, No Kidding, Me Too!, to unite members of the entertainment industry in educating the public about mental illness. He also suffers from dyslexia.

He first grew to fame as Guido the Killer Pimp in Risky Business, appeared as Cypher in The Matrix, and won an Emmy as Ralph Cifaretto in HBO`s The Sopranos. Pantoliano is also known for his role as Eddie Moscone, the bail bondsman, in the Robert De Niro comedy Midnight Run, as double-crossed mafioso Caesar in Bound and as police officer John Edward "Teddy" Gammel in Memento. He also played Deputy Marshal Cosmo Renfro in The Fugitive along with Tommy Lee Jones and reprised the role in the sequel U.S. Marshals. In 1985, he appeared as the villainous Francis Fratelli in The Goonies. He is known for his portrayals of criminal investigators, detectives, and forensic specialists.

In 2003, Pantoliano replaced Stanley Tucci in the Broadway play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. That same year he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for The Sopranos. He is often referred to as Joey Pants, due to the difficulty some have pronouncing his Italian surname.

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