According to his book, "Who's Sorry Now?", at age 12 during an argument in a grocery store, his mother, Mary Centrella Pantoliano, told Joe that his real father was her third cousin, Florio "Florie" Isabella, a made man who had spent several years in prison. Shortly before, Joe's father, Monk, and Mary had separated and Florie moved in with the family. Monk and Mary never got divorced, and Joe never found out which man was actually his father.
Appeared as Eddie Valiant in an early animation test for Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
At age seventeen he moved from his hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey, to Manhattan to study to become a barber.
Daughter Isabella Grace born 27 August 1998
Formerly co-owner of Beverly Hills' Grand Havana Room.
Has a younger sister named Mary Ann.
Has suffered from Clinical Depression since the mid 1990s.
He 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.
He studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.
Is Dyslexic.
Italian-American.
Keen wine buff. On a recent episode of Jon Favreau's "Dinner for Five" (2001) on IFC, he was choosing the wine, inquiring about a '97 Ornellaia before settling on a '79 Tignanello. When the wine was presented to him for tasting, he picked up that it was corked and asked the sommelier to taste it himself, and the sommelier concurred.
Lives in Wilton, Connecticut.
Often works with Carrie-Anne Moss.
One of his favourite movies is Shrek (2001).
Parents are Dominic and Mary.
Son Marco born in 1981.
Studied acting with Michael Howard in New York City.