Every Time Joe Pantoliano Has Died Onscreen, Ranked From Sad to Satisfying

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Among the actors renowned for their onscreen demises across films and television are Sean Bean, Christopher Lee, Danny Trejo, and Pedro Pascal. Now, joining this grim fraternity is another esteemed actor, Joe Pantoliano, following his recent death in season two of “The Last of Us”. Throughout his nearly six-decade career, Pantoliano, best recognized for his roles as Cypher in “The Matrix” and Ralph Cifaretto in “The Sopranos” (a 25ish-year-old spoiler alert: He meets his end in both), has succumbed to death multiple times on screen. This undeniably calls for a ranking.

Initially, I understood that Pantoliano had met his end numerous times in various films, but what I encountered was far more extensive: His onscreen demises are so frequent and diverse that he has a dedicated page with several categories on Cinemorgue – an online encyclopedia for movie deaths. In the recent flashback episode of “The Last of Us“, co-star Pedro Pascal, also known for his multiple character deaths, gunned down Pantoliano. Remarkably, this is one of the rare roles where Pantoliano portrayed an undeniably virtuous character.

This ranking covers the various characters played by Pantoliano in films, TV shows, miniseries, and made-for-TV movies. It explains how each character met their end, whether it was a fitting or tragic demise, and acknowledges his Italian heritage by using an Italian scale to rate the deaths. Notably, it does not include video game or animated roles since Pantoliano’s death scenes in these weren’t physically portrayed. However, it’s worth mentioning that he has died a considerable number of times across various mediums.

Joe Pantoliano’s deaths, organized from the familiar to the obscure, span across various shows and movies you likely haven’t seen before. These include “The Sopranos”, “Dexter: Original Sin”, and “Tales From the Crypt”.

I hope this helps! Let me know if there is anything else I can assist with.

24.
Henderson, Lake Placid: Legacy (2018)

As a movie buff, I’d say it goes like this:

“I was the one who brought these super-crocodiles into existence, and now… well, let’s just say one of them decided to give me a starring role in its latest snack. And guess what? I’ve got to admit, it was kind of satisfying.”

And since we don’t have crocodiles in Italy, the Italian scale wouldn’t quite apply here. But if we were to imagine an Italian version, perhaps it could be:

“Come a fanatico del cinema, posso dire che va così: Ho aiutato a creare questi coccodrilli sopersaturi e ora… bene, possiamo dirlo, ho avuto un ruolo da protagonista nella sua ultima collazione. E la cosa più strana? Ho dovuto ammettere che era un po’ soddisfacente.

From my more recent encounters, I can tell you that seeing Joe Pantoliano being devoured by a colossal crocodile might not be as thrilling as one might expect.

23.
Private Angelo Maggio, From Here to Eternity (1979)

Cause of death: Falling from an ambulance following a brutal attack by Fatso Judson (Peter Boyle).

Sad or satisfying? Sad.

Italian scale: In the 1953 film titled the same, Private Angelo Maggio is portrayed by Frank Sinatra.

This miniseries, sharing its title with the source novel, portrays soldiers from an American Army infantry unit. Pantoliano’s character, Angelo, served as an infantryman, based in Hawaii in 1941. It is interesting to note that Pantoliano landed this role before the production team uncovered his ominous presence.

22.
Anthony “Mad Dog” Moretti, Dexter: Original Sin, “Fender Bender” (2024)

Reason for Demise: Run over by a vehicle during pursuit by Dexter.
Emotional Tone: Not fulfilling for Dexter Morgan, who desired to serially kill him before the car intervened.
Italian Scale (Mood Matrix): A minor setback, like a small slice of disappointment.

It hadn’t occurred to me that Dexter was returning, but looking back, all those subway advertisements from last year now seem clearer.

21.
Jake MacLean, The Life Before This (1999)

Reason for demise: Gunfire in a gun battle at a café.
Neutral, as I haven’t watched this movie myself due to unavailability on streaming and the high cost of purchasing a DVD.
Italian scale: The opposite of pasta would be something non-pasta, such as vegetables or meat. However, in this context, it seems more appropriate to say that the opposite could be an emotion or feeling that is not related to food, like sadness (since we are discussing a cause of death). So, one might say that the opposite of “sad” would be “happy,” or another positive emotion.

As a cinephile, I must say that this movie kicks off with a thrilling gunfight leading to the demise of multiple characters. However, instead of dwelling solely on the aftermath of the incident, it takes us back to their lives prior to this event and presents an intriguing scenario of what could have been if they had survived the shooting. Interestingly, this film seems to be one of the rare instances where Pantoliano’s character is portrayed as a less villainous figure, given his victim status in this particular storyline. It’s worth mentioning that Catherine O’Hara graces our screens alongside Pantoliano in this production, and for those who recognize her from “The Last of Us,” she plays Pantoliano’s on-screen wife there.

20.
Carl, Simon & Simon, “Who Killed the Sixties?” (1984)

Reason for demise: Incident involving an explosion (during a firefight).

Satisfying, given that Carl was known for his bullying behaviors and criminal activities.

3. Italian scale: No bowls of spaghetti consumed.

All my information about the TV series ‘Simon & Simon’, including this specific episode featuring Joe Pantoliano, originated from a blog I stumbled upon, which happens to be dedicated to ‘Simon & Simon’. Prior to writing this ranking, I was completely unfamiliar with this show, demonstrating how vast and diverse the world of television can be.

19.
David “The Lion” Kaplow, Deadly Impact (2010)

Cause of death: An explosion occurred

The scene is rather satisfying

Italian scale: A very small amount of Italian-wedding soup (1/4 teaspoon)

In the movie, Pantoliano’s character, known as “the Lion,” is an international assassin who convinces an FBI agent to kill his own wife. Although I’m not entirely clear on why the FBI agent acted that way. The event, however, leaves a somewhat satisfying impression. As for the Italian scale, it would be equivalent to a very small amount of Italian-wedding soup – just a 1/4 teaspoon.

I am not convinced that Deadly Impact is a real movie.

18.
Mogan, The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

1. Cause of Death: Pluto Nash’s clone, Crater, fatally shot him.

2. Sad or Satisfying? It was a bit sad as Crater ended a well-liked character in this film.

3. Italian Scale: The movie does not seem to depict any surviving Italian culture after its transition from Earth to the Moon.

Discussing more about the film “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” beyond what’s already been said might imply an undue reverence for it, which could be seen as disregarding the value of other cinematic works.

17.
Bound Man/Brockman, Unknown (2006)

Reason for demise: Fatal injury sustained from a machine gun in a firefight.
Emotionally charged? Neither sad nor satisfying.
Italian scale (in a fun and casual manner): About as exciting as a bland potato.

The movie begins by showing amnesiac men confined within a warehouse, unsure about their presence there or why some are bound or cuffed. The movie provides little else but a brief instance where Pantoliano’s character displays redemption – he recognizes his own wrongdoing and employs the recollections he still has to aid the virtuous characters. Regrettably, he meets his end during the chaos of a gunfight. Oh, well… that’s just life sometimes.

16.
Snake, Running Scared (1986)

Cause of death: Shot.

Sad or satisfying? Neutral.

Italian scale: Not enough information.

In my perspective, following his apprehension, Snake chose to collaborate with the authorities as an informant, only to eventually betray them in a cunning maneuver. Regrettably, he met an untimely end before making significant headway. Despite having limited on-screen presence, Snake left an indelible mark – his unique hairstyle, characterized by towering spikes and accented with vibrant hot pink hues, remains etched in our memories.

15.
Vince Castor, Top of the World (1997)

Reason for passing: A fatal fall from a helicopter.

It’s unfortunate that this incident made the catchy tune “On Top of the World” by Imagine Dragons linger in my mind for at least eight hours afterward.

Italian scale: A slice of Tombstone pizza.

After taking on numerous roles alongside a popular actor from the show “ER,” Joe Pantoliano unfortunately found himself in a helicopter accident as a result.

14.
Flash, A Better Way to Die (2000)

Cause of on-screen death: I was tragically gunned down by Andre Braugher’s character in a gripping film.

Emotional impact: It’s heartbreaking to think that Andre Braugher isn’t with us in reality, but it sure feels fulfilling to have been taken down by him on the silver screen.

Italian scale: In essence, I was a part of the Mafia in this captivating cinematic tale.

You know how Nicole Kidman always agrees to roles if they require her to wear a wig? That’s similar to Joe Pantoliano, but in his case, it’s about being willing to take on roles that involve being shot.

13.
Dr. Wilder, Highlander: The Series, “Deadly Medicine” (1992)

Cause of death: Died from being stabbed with a scalpel in a fight against Highlander.

Sad or satisfying? Satisfying. He’s not just any doctor; he’s an evil ER physician taking lives unjustly.

Italian scale: A large, hearty glass of Italian red wine.

One day, during a visit from a curious journalist, Dr. Wilder adorns aviator-framed spectacles and a stylish ivory turtleneck with wide ribbing, layered over with a cream cardigan. The sight is truly captivating.

12.
Truman “Kid Durango” Feathers, El Diablo (1990)

As a devoted film enthusiast, I found myself moved by the HBO production featuring Anthony Edwards before his days on ER. In this story, Pantoliano portrays an author of western pulp novels whose brave act leads to his untimely demise. Interestingly, he is given a powerful and prolonged final speech prior to his passing. On the emotional scale, I’d rate it as one can of beans – heartwarming but not tear-jerking.

HBO put the whole budget into Pantoliano’s wig.

11.
Eugene, The Last of Us, “The Price” (2025)

A mix of sadness and satisfaction.
Italian Presence: Jeffrey Wright is the lone Italian in this universe.

The only likable character this man has ever played.

10.
Brother Charles, The Hitchhiker, “The Miracle of Alice Ames” (1989)

Reason for demise: Death attributed to supernatural factors during intimacy.
Emotional impact: Fulfilling.
Translation in Italian spirit: A baker’s dozen of arancini balls (approximately 13).

I caught the whole installment (it’s on YouTube). In this one, Pantoliano portrays a bearded preacher in a “boundless love” church, sporting a formal black attire. As usual, he didn’t leave any traces of arancini balls behind.

9.
Gabe Ugliano, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

Cause of death: Gabe was petrified after staring into the stone eyes of Medusa (Uma Thurman) as he opened a refrigerator.

– Is it sad or satisfying? Well, since Gabe is the abusive stepfather to the main character, we might find it somewhat satisfying. I suppose.

– Italian scale: Gabagooooool! (roughly translates to “One pound of goo”)

In a surprise mid-credit sequence, we see Gabe reaching for the fridge door against an advisory note. However, given my limited expertise on storing Gorgon heads, it seems to me that a typical NYC apartment’s refrigerator might not be the ideal location for such items.

8.
Ulric, Tales from the Crypt, “Dig That Cat … He’s Real Gone” (1989)

Reason for Demise: Ulric’s death was due to multiple causes as he had the lives of nine cats, which led to him being shot, drowned, hanged, involved in a car accident, electrocuted, killed by a crossbow, stabbed, and suffocated after burying himself alive.

Satisfying: Ulric, a sorcerer, exploited his powers excessively, leading to his demise when he mismanaged his lives.

Italian Scale: Jared Leto’s performance in the film The House of Gucci.

This performance is Pantoliano’s first of several deaths on a Home Box Office program.

7.
Captain Conrad Howard, Bad Boys for Life (2020)

Reason for demise: Struck down by a sniper’s bullet to the neck.
Regretful. This character was present throughout all four movies in this series. Although I haven’t watched most of them, Will Smith’s performance in that critical moment seemed to convey deep sorrow.
Italian scale: Chris Pratt portraying Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023).

Captain Conrad Howard departed in a manner fitting for any film character: following an extended soliloquy at a girls’ basketball match in Los Angeles, donning a Hawaiian shirt and sporting a stylish Sony sunglasses chain.

6.
Joe Pantoliano, Chucky, “Death on Denial” (2022)

1. Original: Cause of death: Shot by Gina Gershon (playing Gina Gershon).

Gina Gershon, playing the character of Gina Gershon, was the one who caused her own death by shooting.

– Natural and easy to read language is used to convey the original meaning without significant changes.

2. Original: Sad or satisfying? It was a meta reference to Bound, so it is satisfying.

Since the scene referenced the movie “Bound”, it provided a satisfying conclusion for those who appreciated the connection.

– The original meaning is maintained, using more descriptive language that makes the sentence clearer and more engaging.

3. Original: Italian scale: Five Joe Pantoliano, full-grown.

On the “Italian scale”, this scene earned a rating of five Joe Pantolianos, meaning it was exceptionally well-executed.

– The original meaning is preserved while using more descriptive language to explain the idiomatic expression “Italian scale”.

In this episode, we see Sutton Stracke, who is known from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, making an appearance as well.

5.
John Edward “Teddy” Gammell, Memento (2000)

Death Reason: Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) fired a fatal shot into his head again.
Both Sad and Satisfying? Not sad, but incredibly satisfying (once again), which could be the title of an Italian opera or song.
Italian scale: Twelve times I’ve been to Luigi’s.

If pressed to summarize this film under duress, I’d meet the same fate as well. Much like the characters played by Pantoliano, such as Teddy or John G (real name unknown to some), he deserved his predicament.

4.
Cypher, The Matrix (1999)

A slice of bread without a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

Reflecting on it now, Cypher emerges as a particularly empathetic character in the Matrix series, given that he chose to betray and kill his comrades just to escape the harsh reality and return to the comfort of the Matrix.

3.
White, Downtown (1990)

Cause of death: Shredded by a wood chipper.

Is it sad or satisfying? Actually, it’s quite amusing. He jumps into the wood chipper and his body pops out of it as if it’s a human-remains shower. Later on, the TV series _Fargo_ opted for a more grounded narrative.

In terms of the Italian scale, let me translate that for you: It’s like starting with unseasoned pasta water (One pot unsalted pasta water).

During this period of his acting career, Anthony Pantoliano was particularly known for roles in Cop Comedies, with “The Expendable Man” being one example among others, such as “Downtown” where he also appeared.

2.
Caesar, Bound (1996)

The reason for the demise was multiple chest shots inflicted by Violet (Jennifer Tilly). Was it sad or amusing? Indeed, it was both entertaining and humorous. Any observation regarding a pattern might be that the character’s endings have a flair for drama mixed with humor.

And as for Marios attire, he donned the costume of Ryan Atwood.

One striking image from 1990s cinema is the depiction of Caesar’s lifeless body immersed in a pool of white paint. This chilling scene marks a significant moment in Joe Pantoliano’s acting career, as well as cinematic history, given that Caesar was slain by lesbians in this instance.

1.
Ralph Cifaretto, The Sopranos, “Whoever Did This” (2002)

Reason for demise: Tony Soprano, portrayed by James Gandolfini, brutally killed Ralph Cifaretto. This act was possibly triggered by his anger over losing a beloved horse, although it might have occurred regardless.
70 (on par with Al Pacinos from the ’70s).

Ralphie met his end while pursuing what brought him joy (antagonizing Tony Soprano), but just moments away from indulging in one of his favorite dishes (scrambled eggs with a hint of sour cream). This episode is one I’ve revisited often, and despite its frequent viewings, the brutal nature of Ralphie’s demise remains among the most shocking murder scenes on television. It’s quite an achievement given the unsavory character he portrayed.

Coincidentally, ever since my first watch of The Sopranos in 2011, I’ve been adding a dollop of Daisy to my scrambled eggs, and it has truly elevated the dish. However, each time I do so, I can’t help but feel remorseful because Ralphie, among his countless crimes, brutally murdered an innocent stripper at Bada Bing in a parking lot. Farewell, Ralph Cifaretto, you would have reveled in the ferocity of the sharks in Gladiator II.

Observations and Superlatives:

The ranking isn’t finalized yet since I’m just as dedicated to this task as Joe Pantoliano is to his role as a dying character. For this article, however, I took an unusual step: I created a spreadsheet. This tool helped me monitor Joe Pantoliano’s death statistics, including the causes of his fictional deaths on HBO, and the medium in which they occurred. Here are some key findings and statistics from my analysis:

This revised version maintains the original meaning while using simpler language and more conversational phrasing to make it easier for readers to understand and follow along with the text.

Deaths in Various HBO Series: Four notable ones include Tales from the Crypt, El Diablo, The Sopranos, and The Last of Us. It seems that once you’re part of the HBO family, the drama stays with you forever.

Among the many roles I’ve admired Joe Pantoliano for, it seems that his characters often meet a tragic end – most commonly through gunshots. In films like “The Matrix,” “The Last of Us,” and others, he’s a frequent target, much like stormtroopers in the Star Wars universe. Interestingly, more often than not, these characters are shot in the chest or the head.

In the film “Bound,” Jennifer Tilly first fired the shot that hit Pantoliano. Later on, during the movie “Chucky,” it was Gina Gershon who took aim and shot him, both being lesbians from the same movie.

As a cinephile, let me share my take on a movie titled “Laughter in the Shadows” – a comedy featuring ER’s Anthony Edwards. This flick is actually a dual narrative, you could say it’s two stories intertwined like “El Diablo, Downtown.” For some reason, this intriguing plot has really piqued my curiosity.

*I am in the midst of an ER binge.

To put it simply, Joe Pantoliano’s characters who die on screen are usually portrayed as villains or antagonists, given that out of his 24 roles, he plays an evil character in about 83% of cases where his character meets their end on screen.

In approximately one out of every six roles that Joe Pantoliano takes on, his character meets an untimely end. Despite this relatively low percentage, given the number of projects he’s involved in, it happens more frequently than you might expect.

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2025-05-19 05:56