Joe Pantoliano, best known for his Emmy-winning role as Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, has candidly shared his decade-long struggle with clinical depression — a battle that nearly wrecked his marriage and life.
At 73, Pantoliano revealed he suffered from depression for over 10 years before receiving a formal diagnosis in 2007. During his darkest moments, he admitted to self-medicating through what he calls his “seven deadly symptoms”
“Alcohol, what was available, women, you know, risky behavior, act first and then ask questions second,” he explained to Page Sixat the off-Broadway opening of Ginger Twinsies on Thursday, July 24.
The Goonies star confessed that he saw himself as “a mess for a long time.” He traces much of his mental health challenges back to a turbulent childhood with his mother, who also struggled with mental illness.
“My wife Nancy Sheppard and my kids were ready to throw me out,” Pantoliano recalled. “The only people who were happy to see me weren’t people. They were my dogs.”
He credited his pets with saving his life, saying they were “the only spark that was left in me.” He then likened himself to Tinkerbell, whose "light" was fading.
Since his diagnosis, Pantoliano has taken steps to raise awareness around mental health. He wrote two books addressing his depression and, in 2009, founded the organization “No Kidding, Me Too!,” dedicated to removing the stigma associated with mental illness.
“We’ve done such a great job,” he explained. "Our mission for ‘No Kidding, Me Too!’ was to make the discussion of mental disease cool and trendy."
“And we’ve succeeded,” he quipped. “You can’t get them to shut up now!”
Fans know Pantoliano best as Ralph Cifaretto, the sarcastic and volatile mobster on The Sopranos, where he starred alongside James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli and Lorraine Bracco.
His unforgettable performance earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
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