Biography
A versatile, seasoned player on both stage and screen, Joe Mantegna first garnered national prominence for his work with writer-director David Mamet, earning a Tony award for "Glengarry Glen Ross" in 1983 before appearing in Mamet films like "House of Games" (1987), "Homicide" (1991) and the slated 2008 release "Redbelt. " The Italian Chicago native was often typecast in mafia and con man roles when he first transitioned to film and …
Joe Mantegna SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Acted in David Mamet's "A Life in the Theater" | ||
| Acted in several high school plays | ||
| Sang in a rock band, Apocryphals, while in high school | ||
| Started a business taking head shots of actors | ||
1969 | First professional stage job cast as Berger in a touring production of "Hair" | |
1971 | Returned to Chicago | |
1973 | Joined Organic Theatre Company (remained six years) acting in such productions as "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit" | |
1976 | Worked as teacher at Columbia College, Chicago | |
1977 | Staged and co-scripted (with Organic Theater associates) "Bleacher Bums" | |
1978 | Broadway debut in the musical "Working" | |
1978 | Moved to Los Angeles with wife; actor Dennis Franz traveled with them | |
1979 | Primetime TV debut in the ABC biopic "Elvis" | |
1984 | Breakthrough stage role as Ricky Roma in Mamet's Pulitzer-winning "Glengarry Glen Ross"; won Tony Award | |
1985 | First major feature acting role, "Compromising Positions" portraying a womanizing dentist who is murdered | |
1987 | Played first leading role in a film, "House of Games"; written and directed by David Mamet | |
1988 | Returned to Broadway in Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow"; co-starring with Madonna and Ron Silver | |
1988 | Starred opposite Don Ameche in Mamet's "Things Change" | |
1990 | Cast as a small-time hood named Joey Zasa in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather, Part III" | |
1990 | Starred opposite Mia Farrow in Woody Allen's "Alice" | |
1991 | Portrayed Hollywood veteran George Raft in Barry Levinson's "Bugsy" | |
1991 | Provided the voice of the recurring character Fat Tony in episodes of the Fox animated series "The Simpsons" | |
1992 | Had the leading role of a genius inventor in the TV adaptation of Mamet's "The Water Engine" (TNT) | |
1993 | Co-starred with Madonna in the film "Body of Evidence" | |
1993 | Offered a fine change-of-pace turn as the father of a chess prodigy in "Searching for Bobby Fischer" | |
1994 | Directed Mamet's play "Lifeboat" at the Tiffany Theater in West Hollywood | |
1994 | Received strong notices as an emergency room physician in the "HBO Showcase" production "State of Emergency" | |
1996 | Played an agent in "Up Close and Personal" | |
1997 | Portrayed yet another mafiosa in the CBS miniseries "Mario Puzo's The Last Don"; received an Emmy nomination | |
1997 | Starred opposite Blythe Danner as Holocaust survivors in "A Call to Remember" (Starz!) | |
1998 | Cast as Dean Martin in the HBO biopic "The Rat Pack" | |
1998 | Recreated stage role of Gomez who covets the titular "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit"; screened at the Sundance Film Festival before becoming a direct-to-video release | |
1998 | Reprised role in the sequel "Mario Puzo's The Last Don II" (CBS) | |
1999 | Appeared as Robert Parker's private investigator Spenser in the A&E telefilm "Small Vices" | |
1999 | Executive produced and starred in "Hoods" (Starz!) | |
1999 | Had supporting role in Barry Levinson's semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale "Liberty Heights" | |
2000 | Again played Spenser in "Thin Air" (A&E) | |
2000 | Feature directorial debut, "Lakeboat" | |
2001 | Reprised role as Parker's PI Spenser in the A&E original "Walking Shadows" | |
2002 | Co-starred as a US Supreme Court Justice in the CBS series "First Monday" | |
2004 | Cast as the father of Jonathan Tucker's character in the drama "Stateside" | |
2005 | Cast in the ensemble "Nine Lives"; Rodrigo García directs a series of vignettes, offering glimpses into the lives of nine women | |
2005 | Co-starred with Anne Archer in "Uncle Nino" a film about a dysfunctional family brought closer by a visiting relative | |
2007 | Joined the cast of CBS' drama "Criminal Minds," replacing Mandy Patinkin | |
2007 | Portrayed studio head 'Lou Manahan' in USA Network's "The Starter Wife"; earned an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie | |
2007 | Reprised the character of Fat Tony in "The Simpsons Movie" | |
Awards
1984 | Tony Award for Actor (Featured Role--Play) |
1988 | Venice International Film Festival for Volpi Cup for Best Actor in Things Change |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In a Miniseries or Special in Mario Puzo's The Last Don II |
1998 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in The Rat Pack |
1999 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in The Rat Pack |
2007 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in The Starter Wife |