Joe Pantoliano

Born Sept. 12, 1951, in Hoboken, N.J., Joe Pantoliano had a surname that was so hard for others to pronounce that he adopted the nickname "Joey Pants." Raised in poverty in public housing, he found a home on New York City stages before moving to Tinseltown, where he landed a plum role -- and delivered a standout performance -- in the 1979 miniseries "From Here to Eternity."

Pantoliano boasts an impressive résumé of big-screen credits, including Risky Business (1983), The Goonies (1985), Midnight Run (1988), The Fugitive (1993), The Matrix (1999) and Memento (2000). He's spent much of his career playing fast-talking wiseguys and, true to form, it was his supporting work as a mobster on the hit cable drama "The Sopranos" that ultimately earned him an Emmy in 2003.

Later films of note for Pantoliano include Daredevil, Bad Boys II (both 2003) and Canvas (2006, opposite Marcia Gay Harden).

Filmography