Date Of Birth
November 13, 1947
Biography
American award-winning actor Joe Mantegna was born on November 13, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of the Goodman School of Drama, he began acting on stage, starting in the 1969 production of Hair. He made his Broadway debut in 1978, with the play Working. He won his only Tony Award in 1984, with his portrayal of Richard Roma in the play Glengarry Glen Ross.
Mantegna made his film debut in 1977, in the applauded dramatic short film Medusa Challenger. His more memorable films include 1985’s Compromising Positions, 1986’s The Money Pit, and 1987’s Weeds and Suspect. In 1988, he won the Best Actor award at that year’s Venice Film Festival for his performance in Things Change, an honor he shared with co-star Don Ameche. In 1990, he played the treacherous mobster Joey Raza in The Godfather III. In 1991, he played the lead role, that of police detective Bobby Gold in the acclaimed crime thriller Homicide. Three years later, he played bumbling kidnapper Eddie in the comedy Baby’s Day Out.
Throughout that time, he also made several guest appearances in shows like Soap, The Greatest American Hero, Fallen Angels and Frasier, as well as a hosting stint in two episodes of Saturday Night Live. Mantegna also provided the voice to mob boss “Fat Tony” in The Simpsons, and insists on voicing the character every time it appears, regardless of how little dialogue there is.
Mantegna’s recent credits include a role as Supreme Court justice Joseph Novelli in the short-lived legal drama First Monday, as Will Gerardi in Joan of Arcadia, and most recently, as FBI agent David Rossi in the crime drama Criminal Minds. His recent films include First Flight, A Very Married Christmas, The Kid & I, The Simpsons Movie and the animated direct-to-DVD feature Justice League: The New Frontier.
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois
Birth Name
Joseph Anthony Mantegna, Jr
Gender
Male
Fun Facts
– He married Arlene Vrhel, owner of the restaurant Taste Chicago on December 3, 1975. They have 3 children together.
– He once stated that his favourite food is Italian beef.
– In 1969, he made his stage debut performing in a production of “Hair”.
– He used to act with Chicago’s Organic Theatre Company.
– He made his Broadway debut in 1978, with the production “Working”.
-His daughter, Mia, is autistic.
– His favorite band is Chicago, and he used to be a classmate of Walter Parazaider, a member of the band.
Awards
2008: Newport Beach Film Festival Achievement Award – Outstanding Performance in Acting for: Elvis and Anabelle (2007)
2001: Savannah Film and Video Festival – Grand Prize for: Lakeboat (2000)
2000: Santa Monica Film Festival – Moxie! Tribute Award
1999: Chicago Film Critics Association Awards – Commitment to Chicago Award
1988: Venice Film Festival – Volpi Cup – Best Actor
for: Things Change (1988)
Filmography
2007-2010: Criminal Minds (TV series) – David Rossi
1991-2010: The Simpsons (TV series) – Fat Tony
2009: The House That Jack Built – Jack Jr.
2009: My Suicide – Indian Psychiatrist
2009: The Assistants – Gary Greene
2009: Lonely Street – Jerry Finkelman
2008: Who’s Wagging Who? (short) (voice) – Rudy
2008: The Starter Wife (TV series) – Lou Manahan
2008: Childless – Richard
2008: Redbelt – Jerry Weiss
2008: The Last Hit Man (video) – Harry Tremayne
2008: Justice League: The New Frontier (video) (voice) – Crooner
2008: Witless Protection – Dr. Rondog ‘Doc’ Savage
2008: West of Brooklyn – Gaetano D’Amico
2008: Hank and Mike – Mr. Pan
2007: Stories USA – Mike (segment “Club Soda”)
2007: The Simpsons Movie (voice) – Fat Tony
2007: The Starter Wife (TV mini-series) – Lou Manahan
2007: Cougar Club – Mr. Stack
2007: Naked Fear – Tom Benike
2007: Elvis and Anabelle – Charlie
2006: Club Soda (short) – Mike
2006: Kim Possible (TV series) – Jimmy Blamhammer
2006: Let Go (TV movie) – Jack Rossati
2005: The Kid & I – Davis Roman
2005: Edmond – Man in Bar
2003-2005: Joan of Arcadia (TV series) – Will Girardi
2005: Nine Lives – Richard
2004: A Very Married Christmas (TV movie) – Frank Griffin
2004: Pontormo: A Heretical Love – Pontormo (Jacopo Carrucci)
2004: Stateside – Gil Deloach
2004: First Flight (short) – Robert Sloan
2003: Uncle Nino – Robert Micelli
2002: And Thou Shalt Honor (TV movie) – Host/Narrator
2002: Mother Ghost – Jerry
2002: Women vs. Men (TV movie) – Michael
2002: First Monday (TV series) – Justice Joseph Novelli
2001: Off Key – Ricardo Palacios
2001: Walking Shadow (TV movie) – Spenser
2001: Laguna – Nicola Pianon
2001: Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal (video) – Frank Garner
2001: The Trumpet of the Swan (voice) – Monty
2000: Thin Air (TV movie) – Spenser
2000: More Dogs Than Bones – Desalvo
2000: Fall – Agent Jim Danaher
1999: Liberty Heights – Nate Kurtzman
1999: My Little Assassin (TV movie) – Fidel Castro
1999: The Runner – Rocco
1999: Spenser: Small Vices (TV movie) – Spenser
1998: Boy Meets Girl – Il Magnifico
1998: Celebrity – Tony Gardella
1998: The Rat Pack (TV movie) – Dean Martin
1998: Hoods – Angelo ‘Ange’ Martinelli
1998: The Last Don II (TV mini-series) – Pippi De Lena
1998: The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit – Gomez
1998: Jerry and Tom – Tom
1998: Error in Judgment – Eric
1998: The Great Empire: Rome (TV movie) – Narrator
1998: Airspeed – Raymond Stone
1998: Body and Soul – Alex Dumas
1997: Merry Christmas, George Bailey (TV movie) – Joseph/Nick
1997: Face Down (TV movie) – Bob Signorelli
1997: Rugrats (TV series) – Diner 2 / Jack Montello
1997: A Call to Remember (TV movie) – David Tobias
1997: The Last Don (TV mini-series) – Pippi De Lena
1997: Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (TV series) – Rube Richter
1997: For Hire – Alan Webber
1996: Persons Unknown – Jim Holland
1996: Thinner – Richie Ginelli
1996: Albino Alligator – A.T.F. Agent G.D. Browning
1996: Underworld – Frank Gavilan/Frank Cassady/Richard Essex
1996: Up Close & Personal – Bucky Terranova
1996: Eye for an Eye – Det. Sgt. Denillo
1995: Favorite Deadly Sins (TV movie) – Frank Musso
1995: Above Suspicion – Alan Rhinehart
1995: Forget Paris – Andy
1995: For Better or Worse – Stone
1995: Captain Nuke and the Bomber Boys – Joey Franelli
1994: Airheads – Ian
1994: Baby’s Day Out – Eddie
1994: State of Emergency (TV movie) – Dr. John Novelli
1993: Frasier (TV series) – Derek Mann
1993: Searching for Bobby Fischer – Fred Waitzkin
1993: Family Prayers – Martin Jacobs
1993: Body of Evidence – Robert Garrett
1991-1993: Saturday Night Live (TV series) – Bill Swerski/Host
1993: Fallen Angels (TV series) – Carl Streeter
1992: The Water Engine (TV movie) – Lawrence Oberman
1992: The Comrades of Summer (TV movie) – Sparky Smith
1991: Bugsy – George
1991: Homicide – Bobby Gold
1991: Queens Logic – Al
1990: Alice – Joe
1990: The Godfather: Part III – Joey Zasa
1989: Wait Until Spring, Bandini – Bandini
1988: Things Change – Jerry
1987: Suspect – Charlie Stella
1987: Weeds – Carmine
1987: House of Games – Mike
1987: The Twilight Zone (TV series) – Harry Dobbs
1987: Critical Condition – Arthur Chambers
1986: ?Three Amigos! – Harry Flugleman
1986: Off Beat – Pete Peterson
1986: The Money Pit – Art Shirk
1985: Compromising Positions – Bruce Fleckstein
1984: Comedy Zone (TV series) – Various
1984: The Outlaws (TV movie) – Yuri
1983: Second Thoughts – Orderly
1982: Simon & Simon (TV series) – Henry
1982: Archie Bunker’s Place (TV series) –
Joe Garver
1982: The Greatest American Hero (TV series) – Juan, Clerk at FAA
1981: Open All Night (TV series) – Arab/Change
1981: Bosom Buddies (TV series) – The Sheik
1981: It’s a Living (TV series) – Mugger
1980-1981: Soap (TV series) – Juan One
1979: Bleacher Bums (TV movie) – Decker
1979: Elvis (TV movie) – Joe Esposito
1979: To Be Announced
1978: A Steady Rain (short)
1978: Towing – Chris
1976: Medusa Challenger (short) – Joe
Height
5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
Quotes
[referring to his voice role as mob boss Fat Tony] Nothing interferes with my doing “The Simpsons” (1989)!
My father died just as I became an adult. It’s a tough thing because you’ve kind of known this guy as a child and then, just at the point where you start to understand where he’s coming from, he’s gone. So now you look back and he almost becomes a mythical person to you.
