JOE PANTOLIANO (Cypher)

recently starred with Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes in "U.S. Marshals," reprising the role of Cosmo Renfro that he first played in the Academy Award-nominated hit thriller "The Fugitive." He will soon be seen in "Taxman," co-starring Elizabeth Berkley, which Pantoliano also associate produced. His other credits include "Bound," directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski; Taylor Hackford's "Idolmaker"; "The Final Terror"; "Eddie And The Cruisers"; "Risky Business"; "The Mean Season"; "Goonies"; "Running Scared"; "La Bamba"; Steven Spielberg's "Empire Of The Sun"; "Used People"; Martin Brest's "Midnight Run"; "Baby's Day Out"; "The Fugitive"; "Bad Boys"; and "Congo".
Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Pantoliano 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 and has appeared in more than 40 Off-Broadway productions, including "Vision Of Kerouac" at the Lion Theatre, "The Death Star" at the Theatre of St. Clements and "The Off-Season" at the New Dramatist1s Guild.
In 1976, Pantoliano moved to Hollywood and appeared in the ABC series "McNamara's Band" and in "Free Country," starring Rob Reiner and directed by James Burrows. Burrows then cast Pantoliano in the role of Maggio, originally played by Frank Sinatra, in the NBC miniseries "From Here To Eternity". Pantoliano was later nominated for a CableACE Award for an episode of HBO's "Tales From The Crypt," directed by Richard Donner.
Pantoliano is the winner of a Dramalogue Award and a Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in "Orphans."
His second Dramalogue Award for Best Actor was received for "Italian American Reconciliation," written by John Patrick Shanley.