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Joe Mantegna
August 14th, 2009 by Lynn DeVries

Joe Mantegna: Plays FBI Special Agent David Rossi

Full Name: Joseph Anthony Mantegna Jr
Joe-Mantegna-sm
[Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS
©2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved]
Birth Date: November 13, 1947 
Astrological Sign: Scorpio
Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois
Spouse:
  • Arlene Vrhel (3 December 1975 – present) 2 children
Education:
  • He attended Morton East High School in Cicero, IL, graduating in 1965.
  • Received Honorary Doctorate in Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology on June 13, 2008. He was the commencement speaker.
Awards:
  • Joseph Jefferson Awards
    • 1984 Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for "Glengarry Glen Ross" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. – Winner
    • 1977 Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in "Volpone" at the Organic Theater Company with Victory Gardens in Chicago, Illinois. – Nominated
    • 1974 Best Actor in a Principal Role for his performance in "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit" at the Organic Theater Company in Chicago, Illinois. – Nominated
  • Tony Awards
    • 1984 Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for playing Richard ("Ricky") Roma in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross – Winner
  • Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
    • 1999 Commitment to Chicago Award – Winner
  • Emmy Awards
    • 2007 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for: “The Starter Wife” (2007) – Nominated
    • 1999 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for: The Rat Pack (1998) (TV) – Nominated
    • 1997 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for: “The Last Don” (1997) – Nominated
  • Golden Globes
    • 1999 Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture for: The Rat Pack (1998) (TV) – Nominated
  • Gotham Awards
    • 2005 Best Ensemble Cast for: Nine Lives (2005) – Nominated
      Shared with: Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Elpidia Carrillo, Glenn Close, Stephen Dillane, Dakota Fanning, William Fichtner, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Holly Hunter, Jason Isaacs, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Mary Kay Place, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Aidan Quinn, Miguel Sandoval, Amanda Seyfried, Sissy Spacek, Robin Wright Penn
  • London Critics Circle Film Awards
    • 1992 Actor of the Year for: Homicide (1991) – Nominated
  • Newport Beach Film Festival
    • 2008 Achievement Award Outstanding Performance in Acting for: Elvis and Anabelle (2007) – Winner
  • Santa Monica Film Festival
    • 2000 Moxie! Tribute Award – Winner
  • Savannah Film and Video Festival
    • 2001 Grand Prize for: Lakeboat (2000) – Winner
  • Venice Film Festival
    • 1988 Volpi Cup Best Actor for: Things Change (1988) – Winner, Tied with Don Ameche for Things Change (1988).
Fast Facts:
  • Height: 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
  • His favourite food is Italian beef.
  • 1969: Made his acting debut in a production of “Hair”.
  • Formerly an actor with an Chicago’s Organic Theatre Company.
  • 1978: Debuted on Broadway in “Working”.
  • He also helped write “Bleacher Bums”, an award-winning play. The Los Angeles production of “Bums” ran over five years.
  • His daughter, Mia, is autistic.
  • He was a classmate of Walter Parazaider of Chicago, which is also Mantegna’s favorite band.
  • 4/26/04: Received the lifetime achievement award at the Los Angeles Italian Film Festival.
  • Will Girardi, Mantegna’s character on “Joan of Arcadia” (2003), was ranked #40 in TV Guide’s list of the “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time” [20 June 2004 issue].
  • As of May 15, 2005 has appeared on “The Simpsons” (1989) a record 16 times.
  • Father of Gia Mantegna.
  • His character on “The Simpsons” (1989), Fat Tony, has been the subject of two inside jokes. One of Fat Tony’s first appearances was in the episode where Bart becomes his errand boy. At the end of the episode, the events are turned into a TV movie, in which, we are told, Joe Mantegna is playing Fat Tony. On a much later episode, after a mafia stand-off is placated by the appearance of Maggie Simpson, everyone breaks down crying. Fat Tony remarks, “I haven’t cried like this since I paid to see The Godfather: Part III (1990).”.
  • Along with Elizabeth Taylor and Mark Hamill, he is one of only three actors to play both themselves and a fictional character in “The Simpsons” (1989).
  • He played himself in the Season Three episode “Bart the Murderer” and portrayed Fat Tony in that and fourteen other episodes of the series.
  • His wife Arlene owns Taste Chicago, a restaurant in Burbank, CA.
  • His character in the “The Simpsons” (1989) was originally intended to be a one-time guest appearance in the episode “Bart The Murderer”, but it became a recurring role later on in the series’ run. According to the Season 3 DVD commentary track, Mantegna liked the character and wanted to voice him again.
  • Was Robert B. Parker’s personal pick to play Spenser in “Spenser: For Hire” (1985) (before Robert Urich was cast in the role).
  • Has been assured by “The Simpsons” (1989)’ casting director that he will be the only person to voice the character Fat Tony – however, the character had a different actor for his short appearance in “A Fish Called Selma”.
  • Was considered for the role of Det.Joe Fontana on “Law & Order” (1990).
  • Good friend of Denis Leary.
  • Longtime personal friend of Roger Ebert.
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.
Important Links:
Joe Mantegna

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