Joe Pantoliano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Pantoliano
Pantoliano in February 2009
Born	Joseph Peter Pantoliano (1951-09-12) September 12, 1951 (age 73) Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.
Other names	Joey Pants
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	Morgan Kester ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1985)​ Nancy Sheppard ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	4

Joseph Peter Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American actor. He has acted in more than 150 movies, TV shows, and plays. People often call him "Joey Pants."

He is well-known for playing Ralph "Ralphie" Cifaretto in the TV show The Sopranos. For this role, he won a special award called a Primetime Emmy Award. He also played Cypher in the science fiction movie The Matrix.

Joey Pantoliano has been in many popular movies and TV shows. These include M*A*S*H, Risky Business, The Goonies, La Bamba, Midnight Run, Bad Boys, and Memento. He also worked with the famous directors, the Wachowskis, in their movies Bound and The Matrix, and their TV series Sense8.

Beyond acting, Pantoliano has written two books about his life. He also works to help people understand mental health better. He started a group called No Kidding, Me Too! This group helps remove the idea that mental illness is something to be ashamed of.

Early life

Joseph Peter Pantoliano was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on September 12, 1951. His parents were Italian-American. His mother, Mary, was a seamstress. His father, Dominic, drove hearses and was a factory boss.

His family later moved to Cliffside Park, New Jersey. He went to Cliffside Park High School there. He also studied acting at the HB Studio.

Acting career

Pantoliano aboard USS John F. Kennedy during Fleet Week, 2005

In 1985, Joey Pantoliano played the bad guy, Francis Fratelli, in the popular teen movie The Goonies. He became famous to a new generation of fans as Cypher in the 1999 science fiction movie The Matrix. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Ralph Cifaretto in the TV show The Sopranos.

Pantoliano is also known for playing Eddie Moscone in the comedy movie Midnight Run. He was Captain Conrad Howard in the Bad Boys movies. He played Caesar in Bound and John "Teddy" Gammell in Memento. He was also investigative journalist Ben Urich in the 2003 movie Daredevil. He played Deputy U.S. Marshal Cosmo Renfro in The Fugitive and its follow-up movie U.S. Marshals.

In 2012, Pantoliano starred as Oswald Oswald in the movie Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. This movie was based on a popular children's book. From 2015 to 2018, he played Michael Gorski in the Netflix series Sense8.

Personal life

Joey Pantoliano was married to Morgan Kester from 1979 to 1985. He then married Nancy Sheppard in 1994. They have four children together. They live in Connecticut.

On October 9, 2007, Pantoliano shared that he had been dealing with clinical depression for many years. He was officially diagnosed recently. He also has dyslexia, which makes reading and writing harder. He said his 2006 movie Canvas helped him accept his depression. Instead of hiding his illness, he decided to talk about it openly. He wanted to help remove the bad feelings often linked with mental illness.

He started a group called No Kidding, Me Too! This group brings together people from the entertainment world. They work to teach the public about mental illness. The name comes from what he often heard when he shared how mental illness affected him and his family: "No kidding, me too!" He also directed, wrote, and starred in a movie called No Kidding! Me 2!! in 2009.

Pantoliano has written two books about his life and experiences. One is called Who's Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-Up Guy. The other is Asylum: Hollywood Tales From My Great Depression: Brain Dis-Ease, Recovery, and Being My Mother's Son.

In May 2020, Pantoliano was hit by a car while walking. He got a concussion and chest injuries.

Awards and recognition

See also

In Spanish: Joe Pantoliano para niños