Joe Pantoliano

Biography: You may not have heard of him, but the odds are that you have seen him. Joe Pantoliano has been credited for over 100 film, television and stage appearances. He is a fantastic character actor best known for his roles as rough, tough, and sometimes dirty characters. Pantoliano was born on September 12, 1951 in Hoboken, NJ. He is the son of Dominic (a hearse driver) and Mary (a part-time seamstress/bookie.) At an early age Pantoliano's mother left his father. She never officially divorced Pantoliano. She moved in with her distant cousin Florio. Mary took Joe and younger sister, Maryanne to live with Florio in northern New Jersey. Later, Pantoliano moved to Manhattan. He worked as a waiter while he attended acting classes and tried out for auditions. In 1972, he became a member of the touring production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It would not be until four years later when he would make the move to Hollywood. Since then, Pantoliano has been seen by millions. Some of his more memorable roles were in the films, Risky Business (1983), The Goonies (1985), Midnight Run (1988), and perhaps his most famous role, Cypher, in The Matrix(1999.) He also gained acclaim and an Emmy for his role as Ralphy Cifaretto in The Sopranos. In 1979, Pantoliano married Morgan Kester. The couple had a son, Marco (1981.) The couple divorced in 1985. In 1994, Pantoliano married for a second time to model and artist, Nancy Sheppard. The couple have two daughters together, Daniella (1992) and Isabella Grace (1998.) Pantoliano is also the step father of Melody, born to Nancy Sheppard in 1985.… Expand