Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Joe Pantoliano headed for Manhattan after performing in his high school play.  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.  

One of today’s best-known character actors, Joe boasts over 100 film, television, and stage credits.  He is a dependable scene stealer with more than his share of memorable roles – including killer pimp “Guido” in Risky Business, bumbling criminal “Francis Fratelli” in The Goonies, double-crossing bail bondsman “Eddie Moscone” in Midnight Run, cynical US Marshall “Cosmo Renfro” in The Fugitive, turncoat “Cypher” in The Matrix, and shady sidekick “Teddy” in Memento.

Most recently, Panotilano is the producer and star of Canvas, a feature film that portrays a family’s struggle with mental illness.  He also serves as co-president of The Creative Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan social and political advocacy organization of the entertainment industry.

In 2001, with 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 and his mother’s mental illness that was a New York Times bestseller. 

Pantilano made his major feature-film debut in The Idolmaker and also appeared in Running Scared, La Bamba, and Empire of the Sun.