YOU REMEMBER HIM for a sleazy character he played on screen. Or the street tough with the wise-ass attitude. Or the weasel you never trusted. He’s always “that guy.”

None of which does any justice to Joe Pantoliano. He wasn’t a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He didn’t train under Olivier. And James Lipton has yet to ask him what his favorite smell is. Yet “Joey Pants” is the archetype of the Great American Actor. He works extremely hard and takes the craft seriously–but he’s nothing fancy. To date, he’s been in over 40 films, including “Risky Business,” “Empire of the Sun,” “The Fugitive,” “The Matrix,” “Memento,” and the upcoming “Daredevil.” He’s been on numerous TV shows including “L.A. Law,” “NYPD Blue,” and, until recently, “The Sopranos.” With co-author David Evanier, he recently released his autobiography, Who’s Sorry Now?.