Joe Pantoliano Movies and Career Information

Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's violent mobster boyfriend, Caesar, in Bound. He is often referred to as "Joey Pants", due to the difficulty some have pronouncing his Italian surname. Pantoliano was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to first-generation Italian American parents Mary (née Centrella), a bookie and seamstress, and Dominic "Monk" Pantoliano, a hearse driver and factory foreman. He attended HB Studio, but studied extensively with actor John Lehne. Pantoliano lives with his wife, former model Nancy Sheppard, and their four children. He was introduced to his wife by his friend, actress Samantha Phillips. On October 9, 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. He claims that his recent film Canvas was what helped him come to terms with his depression. Rather than hide his