Celebrity Nooz: Joe Pantoliano

Joe Pantoliano (Actor) - The Goonies

Updated: 3/10/21

Name: Joe Pantoliano

Birth Name: Joseph Peter Pantoliano

Born: September 12, 1951 in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

Nickname: Joey Pants

Claim To Fame: Joe Pantoliano is an American character actor who has appeared in over 150 film, television, and stage productions; most notably The Goonies, The Matrix, and Memento.

Family Life: Pantoliano was married to actress Morgan Kester from 1979 to 1984. In 1994, Pantoliano married Nancy Sheppard, a former model. Together they have children; Michelle, Isabella, Daniella, Marco, Melody, and Bobby.

Info: Pantoliano is the son of Italian American parents Mary, 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.

At age seventeen he moved from his hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey, to Manhattan to study to become a barber.

He studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.

Formerly co-owner of Beverly Hills' Grand Havana Room.

He's the author of two memoirs: Who's Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-Up Guy, and Asylum: Hollywood Tales From My Great Depression: Brain Dis-Ease, Recovery and Being My Mother's Son.

In 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.

Pantoliano 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! to unite members of the entertainment industry in educating the public about mental illness.

He claims that his 2006 film Canvas helped him come to terms with his depression. Rather than hide his illness from the public, he has chosen to speak out about it to remove some of the stigmas commonly associated with mental illness.

In 2009, he directed, wrote, and starred in his first documentary called NO KIDDING! ME 2!!

On May 1, 2020, Pantoliano was struck by a vehicle while walking, and suffered a concussion and chest trauma.

Trivia: He landed his first professional role in 1972 when he played Billy Bibbit in the national touring company of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He worked in regional theater appearing in more than 40 Off-Broadway productions including Vision of Kerouac at the Lion Theater and The Death Star at the Theater of St. Clements.

Appeared as Eddie Valiant in an early animation test for Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

Was offered the role of Leo in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), but was forced to turn it down due to a conflict with the film The Last of the Finest (1990). Joe Pesci ultimately played the role.

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.

In 2003 Pantoliano replaced Stanley Tucci in the Broadway play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

Where Are They Now: Pantoliano currently has several irons in the fire. Both the comedy film Spring Break '83 and the short Man of War have been completed. Plus, he's starring in the thriller Hide and Seek and drama Short Straw, both of which are currently in post-production. He's a very busy guy that is always great to see!

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