Joe Pantoliano Born: Sep 12, 1954 in Hoboken, New Jersey Occupation: Actor, Director, Active: '80s-2000s Major Genres: Drama, Comedy Career Highlights: Memento, The Fugitive, Risky Business First Major Screen Credit: The Idolmaker (1980)
| Filmography | | RUNNING SCARED 1986 | | RISKY BUSINESS 1983 | | EL DIABLO 1990 | | LAST OF THE FINEST, THE 1990 | | EMPIRE OF THE SUN 1987 | | SHORT TIME 1990 | | SCENES FROM THE GOLDMINE 1987 | | MIDNIGHT RUN 1988 | | EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS 1983 | | TALES FROM THE CRYPT 1989 | | CALENDAR GIRL 1993 | | FUGITIVE, THE 1993 | | ME AND THE KID 1993 | | DANGEROUS HEART 1994 | | BABY'S DAY OUT 1994 | | LAST WORD, THE 1995 | | BAD BOYS 1995 | | STEAL BIG STEAL LITTLE 1995 | | IMMORTALS, THE 1995 | | BOUND 1996 | | U.S. MARSHALS 1997 | | TOP OF THE WORLD 1997 | | MATRIX, THE 1999 | | TAXMAN 1999 | | ROBOT IN THE FAMILY 1994 | | NEW BLOOD 1999 | | LIFE BEFORE THIS, THE 1999 | | MEMENTO 2001 | | ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH, THE 2002 | | DAREDEVIL 2003 | | BAD BOYS II 2003 | | EASTER EGG ADVENTURE, THE 2005 | | LARRY THE CABLE GUY: HEALTH INSPECTOR 2006 | | AMATEURS, THE 2007 | | EZ STREETS 1996 | | UNKNOWN 2006 | | WEDDING DAZE 2007 | | DECEIT 2007 | | PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY, THE 2007 |
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One of today's best character actors, the inexhaustible Joe Pantoliano boasts over 100 film, television, and stage credits. A favorite of directors Richard Donner, Steven Spielberg, Andrew Davis, and Andy and Larry Wachowski, he is also a dependable scene stealer with more than his share of memorable roles -- including killer pimp Guido in Risky Business (1983), bumbling criminal Francis Fratelli in The Goonies (1985), double-crossing bail bondsman Eddie Moscone in Midnight Run (1988), cynical U.S. Marshall Cosmo Renfro in The Fugitive (1993), turncoat Cypher in The Matrix (1999), and shady sidekick Teddy in Memento (2000). 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}. Four years later, Pantoliano moved west to try his luck in Hollywood. After making his television debut in the sitcom pilot McNamara's Band, he landed a recurring role in Rob Reiner's summer replacement series, Free Country. Reiner then tapped Pantoliano to co-star with him in James Burrows' television movie More Than Friends (1978). This led to the part of Angelo Maggio -- a role originated by fellow Hoboken-ite Frank Sinatra -- in NBC's miniseries adaptation of James Jones' From Here to Eternity (1979). After making his major feature-film debut in The Idolmaker (1980), Pantoliano guest starred on Hart to Hart, M*A*S*H, and Hardcastle and McCormick, as well as appeared on the Los Angeles stage in {+Orphans}. He also landed a sizable part opposite a young Tom Cruise in the surprise hit Risky Business (1983). The comic ruthlessness with which Pantoliano's pimp tortures Cruise quickly earned the character actor a loyal cult following. He gave standout performances in Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) and the off-Broadway play {+Visions of Kerouac}, before thrilling audiences again in the Spielberg-produced adventure The Goonies (1985). Scores of plum roles followed: Pantoliano joined Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines in Running Scared (1986), portrayed Lou Diamond Phillips' music producer in La Bamba (1987), re-teamed with Spielberg in Empire of the Sun (1987), and acted opposite Robert De Niro in Midnight Run (1988). He then topped these performances off with an unforgettable turn opposite Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford in The Fugitive (1993), delivering a funny, fiery tour de force that was pure Pantoliano right down to the name he chose for his character, Cosmo -- his grandfather's name. By the mid-'90s, Pantoliano had a recognizable name and a devoted fan base. While making numerous television guest appearances, he starred with Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon in directors Andy and Larry Wachowski's debut thriller, Bound (1996). Pantoliano's edgy performance as a doomed money launderer impressed the Wachowskis so much that they created the character of Cypher in The Matrix (1999) 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 (2000). 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. He also put the finishing touches on his directorial debut, Just Like Mona (2002), and began filming his role as reporter Ben Urich in the comic book adaptation Daredevil (2003), which also stars Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Colin Farrell. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide.
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