Joseph Peter Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American
character actor who has appeared in over 150 film, television, and
stage productions.After his early roles in the television series
M*A*S*H and the 1983 comedy Risky Business, he gained recognition for
his numerous supporting roles in high-profile films and television
series; including Hill Street Blues, The Goonies, La Bamba, Empire of
the Sun, The Fugitive, NYPD Blue, Memento, and Bad Boys and its
sequels. He starred as Caesar in the Wachowskis' directorial debut
Bound and played Cypher in their second film The Matrix (1999). His
role as Ralph Cifaretto on the HBO crime drama The Sopranos won him
the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama
Series.Pantoliano is a published author and is active in the field of
mental health, having documented his mother's issues and his own. He
founded the nonprofit No Kidding, Me Too! dedicated to removing the
stigma from mental illness.Pantoliano was born in Hoboken, New Jersey,
the son of Italian American parents Mary (née Centrella), a bookie
and seamstress, and Dominic "Monk" Pantoliano, a hearse driver and
factory foreman. Pantoliano's family moved to Cliffside Park, New
Jersey, where he attended Cliffside Park High School.
character actor who has appeared in over 150 film, television, and
stage productions.After his early roles in the television series
M*A*S*H and the 1983 comedy Risky Business, he gained recognition for
his numerous supporting roles in high-profile films and television
series; including Hill Street Blues, The Goonies, La Bamba, Empire of
the Sun, The Fugitive, NYPD Blue, Memento, and Bad Boys and its
sequels. He starred as Caesar in the Wachowskis' directorial debut
Bound and played Cypher in their second film The Matrix (1999). His
role as Ralph Cifaretto on the HBO crime drama The Sopranos won him
the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama
Series.Pantoliano is a published author and is active in the field of
mental health, having documented his mother's issues and his own. He
founded the nonprofit No Kidding, Me Too! dedicated to removing the
stigma from mental illness.Pantoliano was born in Hoboken, New Jersey,
the son of Italian American parents Mary (née Centrella), a bookie
and seamstress, and Dominic "Monk" Pantoliano, a hearse driver and
factory foreman. Pantoliano's family moved to Cliffside Park, New
Jersey, where he attended Cliffside Park High School.
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