Joe Pantoliano was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, and 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.

In 1976, he moved to Hollywood to appear in the ABC series "McNamara’s Band" and then "Free Country" starring Rob Reiner. He was also cast in the coveted role of "Maggio" in the NBC miniseries "From Here to Eternity."

He returned to the stage in Los Angeles winning a Dramalogue Award and a Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for "Orphans." He received his second Dramalogue Award for Best Actor for "Italian American Reconciliation," written by John Patrick Shanley.

Pantoliano was nominated for a Cable ACE Award for an episode of the horror series "Tales From the Crypt" directed by Richard Donner. Other television credits include roles on "NYPD Blue," "L.A. Law" and "Civil Wars." He also starred in HBO’s "El Diablo," the NBC series "The Fanelli Boys," as well as the critically acclaimed CBS drama series "EZ Streets," for which he was nominated for a Viewers for Quality Television Award.

On the big screen, Pantoliano has appeared in more than 40 films including Risky Business, Running Scared, La Bamba, Stephen Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, Midnight Run, The Fugitive, Bound opposite Academy Award® nominee Jennifer Tilly, U.S. Marshals with Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes and the original Bad Boys co-starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.

Pantoliano starred in the Avi Nesher-directed drama Taxman co-starring Elizabeth Berkley and also served as the film’s associate producer.

Pantoliano re-teamed with the Wachowski Brothers to co-star opposite Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne in the smash hit The Matrix.

He made an enormous splash when he co-starred as gangster Ralph Cifaretto in HBO’s groundbreaking drama "The Sopranos." He also starred opposite Carrie-Anne Moss and Guy Pearce in the independent sleeper hit Memento for director Christopher Nolan.

While co-starring in Bad Boys II, Pantoliano’s first literary endeavor hit bookstores. "Who’s Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-Up Guy" is about his life growing up in Hoboken. Most recently, Pantoliano appeared in Daredevil starring Ben Affleck. This fall he stars in his own series on CBS, "The Handler," portraying a policeman who trains undercover cops.

Pantoliano resides in New York with his wife Nancy Sheppard and their four children.