Joe Pantoliano was named the “It Everyman” in Entertainment Weekly’s It List for 2001. This article is part of an interview I found on 13th Street.
When asked about the Matrix sequel and if he was upset that he wasn’t a part of it, Joe deadpanned, “Hugely. You know what those guys are making? I’m not artistically disappointed, I’m financially disappointed.” The jokes kept coming as he told us a funny story about the first Matrix movie after being asked why wasn’t he a part of it. “They didn’t want me. Do me a favor, when you do the Matrix 2 press junket, can you all tell them that you really noticed that Joe Pantoliano was missing? I really missed the Cypher character. I’ll tell you a great story. When we were about to start making The Matrix, Larry Wachowski called me up and said, Keanu is upset because they’re going to cut the steak scene. I said, why is he upset? He said, it’s his favorite scene. I said, oh, that’s too bad, but tell him to grow up. He started laughing and said, you haven’t read the script yet, have you? I said, yeah, I read it. He goes, you’re in the steak scene! I said, it’s my favorite scene. Carrie-Anne Moss had a party and I went there and I didn’t know Keanu that well. I’d met him before. I said to him, right in front of the Wachowskis, can you believe these guys were going to cut the steak scene? And he goes, I know, it was my favorite scene. I go, mine, too and we’re going to be great in that scene together! Everybody just shut down and Andy and Larry started laughing and I go, what? Hugo Weaving goes, we’re in that scene together. I go, let me finish!”