Joseph Peter Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American actor who has played more than 150 roles across film, television, and theater. He won an Emmy for his portrayal of the sadistic gangster Ralph Cifaretto in HBO's The Sopranos. His film roles include Francis Fratelli in The Goonies (1985), Captain Conrad Howard in the Bad Boys film series (1995–2024), Cypher in the Wachowskis' sci-fi action film The Matrix (1999), and Teddy in Christopher Nolan's psychological thriller film Memento (2000).
Other notable film credits include Risky Business (1983), Empire of the Sun (1987), La Bamba (1987), Midnight Run (1988), The Fugitive (1993), Baby's Day Out (1994), the Wachowskis' directorial debut Bound (1996), and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010). In 2025, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in The Last of Us.
Pantoliano has published two memoirs 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! which is dedicated to removing the stigma from mental illness.
Early life Joseph Peter Pantoliano was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on September 12, 1951, the son of parents Mary (née Centrella) and Dominic "Monk" Pantoliano. He traces his ancestry to Avellino, Campania.Joe Pantoliano Biography, filmreference.com; accessed June 21, 2017. His mother was a bookmaker and seamstress, while his father was a hearse driver and factory foreman.Who's Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-Up Guy Entertainment Weekly, October 4, 2002 His family moved to Cliffside Park, New Jersey, where he attended Cliffside Park High School.Smith, Ray. "'Hoboken was a very wild community' Actor Joe Pantoliano inspires; honored at the Boys and Girls Club" , The Hudson Reporter, December 12, 2010. Accessed September 10, 2017. "Pantoliano and his lifelong friend Rich Pepe have teamed up to create their own pasta sauce (or gravy, depending on your ethnicity) called Pepe and Pants Pasta Sauce, of which 100 percent of the net proceeds are donated to "No Kidding, Me Too!" The two men graduated from Cliffside Park High School together after their families moved from Hoboken. He attended the HB Studio and studied extensively under actors Herbert Berghof and John Lehne.
Career
Pantoliano first grew to fame as Guido the killer pimp in 1983's Risky Business. In 1985 he appeared as the villainous Francis Fratelli in teen classic The Goonies. He gained fame among a new generation as Cypher in the 1999 landmark sci-fi film The Matrix. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role of Ralph Cifaretto in HBO's The Sopranos.
Pantoliano is also known for his role as Eddie Moscone, the foul-mouthed, double-crossing bail bondsman, in the Robert De Niro comedy Midnight Run, as Captain Conrad Howard in Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, as double-crossed mafioso Caesar in Bound, as John "Teddy" Gammell in Memento, and as investigative journalist Ben Urich in Mark Steven Johnson's 2003 Daredevil adaptation. He played Deputy U.S. Marshal Cosmo Renfro in The Fugitive along with Tommy Lee Jones and reprised the role in the sequel U.S. Marshals.
In 2003 Pantoliano replaced Stanley Tucci in the Broadway play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.
In 2012 Pantoliano starred as the eccentric pawn broker Oswald Oswald in the film adaptation of Wendy Mass's popular children's book Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, written and directed by Tamar Halpern. In 2013, he was cast as Yogi Berra in the Broadway production of Bronx Bombers, but dropped out during rehearsals due to "creative differences." From 2015 to 2018 he played Michael Gorski in the Wachowskis' Netflix series Sense8.
In 2025, Pantoliano appeared in the episode "The Price" in the second season of The Last of Us playing Gail's moribund infected husband Eugene Lynden. Despite his limited appearance, his one-scene performance was met with high critical acclaim, earning him a nomination for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Personal life Pantoliano was married to Morgan Kester from 1979 until they divorced in 1985. He married his second wife, former model Nancy Sheppard, in 1994; they have four children together,All in the Family, people.com; accessed June 24, 2022. and reside in Wilton, Connecticut.Henderson, Cydney. "'Sopranos' star Joe Pantoliano suffers 'severe head injury' after being hit by car", USA Today. May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020. He was introduced to Sheppard by actress Samantha Phillips."Friends Setting Up Friends," 971freefm.com; accessed June 21, 2017.
During his tenure on The Sopranos, Pantoliano struggled to stay anonymous in his native New Jersey; when filming his scenes as Ralph, he prevented the public from recognizing him by wearing a wig based on the hairstyle of filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who had previously directed him in Memento. Pantoliano's use of a wig was later alluded to in the show, with a reveal that his character also wore a wig.The Sopranos episode "Whoever Did This".
On October 9, 2007, Pantoliano announced on the National Alliance on Mental Illness blog that he had been suffering from clinical depression for the past decade, although he was formally diagnosed only recently. He also has dyslexia. He said his 2006 film Canvas helped him come to terms with his depression. Rather than hide his illness from the public, he chose to speak out about it to remove some of the stigma commonly associated with mental illness. He founded a nonprofit organization called No Kidding, Me Too! which aims to unite members of the entertainment industry in educating the public about mental illness. The title comes from the response he frequently heard after revealing how mental illness affected him and his family. He directed, wrote, and starred in the documentary No Kidding! Me 2!! (2009).
Pantoliano is 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. He revealed in the latter that he struggled with alcoholism, food addiction, sex addiction, and addictions to Vicodin and Percocet before being diagnosed with clinical depression.
On May 1, 2020, Pantoliano suffered a concussion and chest trauma when he was hit by a car while walking in his neighborhood.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1974 Road Movie Mugger Credited as Joseph Pantoliano For Pete's Sake Undercover Cop Uncredited 1980 The Idolmaker Gino Pilato 1982 Monsignor Private Joe Musso 1983 The Final Terror Eggar Buelton Risky Business Guido Eddie and the Cruisers "Doc" Robbins 1985 The Mean Season Andy Porter The Goonies Francis Fratelli 1986 Running Scared "Snake" 1987 Scenes from the Goldmine Manny Ricci La Bamba Bob Keane The Squeeze Norman Amazon Women on the Moon Sy Swerdlow Segment: "Hairlooming" Empire of the Sun Frank Demarest 1988 The In Crowd Perry Parker Midnight Run Eddie Moscone 1990 Ardouous Moon Unknown Short film Downtown White Blue Heat Wayne Gross Short Time Scalese Backstreet Dreams Paul Antangeli Uncredited 1991 Zandalee Gerri 1992 Used People Frank 1993 Three of Hearts Mickey The Fugitive Deputy U.S. Marshal Cosmo Renfro Calendar Girl Harvey Darpinian Me and the Kid Roy 1994 Robot in the Family The Father Teresa's Tattoo Bruno Baby's Day Out Norbert "Norby" LeBlaw 1995 Bad Boys Captain Conrad Howard Congo Eddie Ventro Uncredited The Last Word Doc Steal Big Steal Little Eddie Agopian, Ruben's Lawyer The Immortals Pete Tunnell 1996 The Flight of the Dove Attorney Brezner Bound Caesar 1997 Top of the World Vince Castor Aliens Attack Captain Nevins Tinseltown Arnie Natural Enemy Stuart Direct-to-video 1998 U.S. Marshals Deputy U.S. Marshal Cosmo Renfro Hoods Charlie Flynn Taxman Al Benjamin 1999 Forces of Nature Cab Driver Uncredited cameo The Matrix Cypher / Mr. Reagan Black and White Bill King The Life Before This Jake MacLean New Blood Hellman 2000 Ready to Rumble Titus Sinclair Memento James Edward "Teddy" Gammell A Better Way to Die "Flash" 2001 Cats & Dogs Peek (voice) 2002 A Call for Help Charlie The Adventures of Pluto Nash Mogan 2003 Daredevil Ben Urich Bad Boys II Captain Conrad Howard Silver Man Norbert 2004 Second Best Elliot Perfect Opposites Louis Carbonelli The Easter Egg Adventure Terrible Timothy Takit (voice) 2005 Racing Stripes Goose (voice) The Check Up The Inspector Short film The Amateurs Some Idiot 2006 Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector Mayor Maurice T. Gunn Wedding Daze Smitty Canvas John Marino Unknown Bound Man / Brockman 2007 Spring Break '83 Sergeant Coltrane Unreleased 2009 The Job Perriman Deadly Impact David Kaplow Falling Up George 2010 The Legend of Secret Pass Chucksta (voice) Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Gabe Ugliano Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore Peek (voice) New York Street Games Himself Documentary 2011 Loosies Carl Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life Oswald Oswald III 2014 The Identical Avi Hirshberg 2016 The Perfect Match Marty 2017 Just Getting Started Joey 2018 Happy Anniversary Aldo Feast of the Seven Fishes Uncle Frankie The Brawler Al Braverman 2019 From the Vine Marco Gentile 2020 Bad Boys for Life Captain Conrad Howard 2021 Hide and Seek Collin Carmichael 2024 Bad Boys: Ride or Die Captain Conrad Howard 2026 Violent Night 2 Post-production
Television