Six years ago I caught up with one of the busiest character actors in the business, the guy they call Joey Pants. You might also know him as Joe Pantoliano.
A familiar face from many of your favourite films and tv shows, Joe Pantoliano is best known right now for his Emmy award-winning role as obnoxious Sopranos wiseguy Ralph Cifaretto. “I’ve been branded into the minds of the American and European public as Ralphie,” says the candid, easy-going actor, “so I wanted to remind people that I can play all sorts of different characters.”
A sweet-natured and gently amusing comedy about a group of small town pals who unite to make a commercially viable porno movie, The Moguls sees Pantoliano cast against all previous types as Some Idiot, a near-autistic auteur who writes and directs the scandalous film. “A lot of the actors in The Moguls got the chance to play something new: Jeff Bridges, Ted Danson, Tim Blake Nelson, Bill Fichtner… and we all got along so well, it was one of the best times I’ve ever had making a movie.”
And such a likeable movie too, not to mention surprisingly gentle and inoffensive, given the subject matter. “That was the intention,” explains Pantoliano. “Mike Traeger, the writer/director, always said he wanted to make an adult comedy that Frank Capra would have made had he been alive. Basically, It’s a Wonderful Life, with tits.” What a movie that would have been… “I would have loved to have seen Donna Reed topless!”
Back on the small screen, 54 year-old Pantoliano recently took part in VH1’s celebrity talent show But Can They Sing? Neither the star, nor his audience, were impressed. “No They Can’t Sing should have been the name of that show! I’d never sung before in front of a live audience, just in the shower, but I did it anyway, just for the fun. I thought for sure I’d make it at least a couple of weeks, but it was age discrimination I tell you! All those young kids hated me, and they got rid of me after just a day and a half.” Here comes the silver lining. “I called my agent and said, I’m available! So I went off and did a movie instead, The Pleasure of Your Company, with the kid from American Pie, Jason Biggs.”
Finding work has never been a problem for Pantoliano. Equally comfortable on both the big and small screens in both supporting and starring parts, he’s constantly in demand. “I’ve had a very lucky career,” says the actor widely known as Joey Pants. “All I want is to continue being lucky.” Currently shooting a leading role in upcoming telly drama Waterfront, alongside the likes of William Baldwin and Mary Stuart Masterson, Pantoliano has high hopes for the show. “It’s kind of like The Sopranos meets The West Wing,” he explains. “I play an ethically challenged mayor.”
A loyal fan of old school movie stars, Pantoliano credits the likes of Montgomery Clift, John Garfield and Marlon Brando with inspiring him to take up acting. It was only after joining the profession, though, that he realised who the King of Hollywood truly was. “The greatest movie actor ever was Cary Grant,” says Pantoliano with authority. “He could do everything. He was a tremendous comedian. He did those Hitchcock chase movies. There was nothing he couldn’t do. When I study film acting, it’s Cary Grant all the way.”
A quick look at Pantoliano’s credits reveals a wealth of cult hits, each with their own devoted fanbase. Besides significant roles in films as diverse as The Matrix, Memento, Midnight Run, The Fugitive, Empire of the Sun and Risky Business, Joey Pants has a dedicated Goonies following too. “People go crazy for The Goonies! It’s got a f***ing website selling Goonies t-shirts and s**t!” The Eighties does seem to be back in fashion. “What’s happened is that parents like to show it their children. I have a seven and fourteen year-old who have just discovered The Goonies, and they love it. It’s like Raiders of the Lost Ark for kids!”
The first person to admit that not every project he’s worked on has reached the highest of standards, Joey Pants is nothing if not self-deprecating, a rare quality in such an ego-driven business. “I was just going though my bio with my agent and I wanted to say that I’ve been in 15 good movies and 85 bad ones,” he jokes, “but she wouldn’t let me! I’m just as proud of the bad ones though. You take something different from every film you work on.”
