A Sopranos Actor Wore A Christopher Nolan-Inspired Wig To Hide From Fans
When you wind up becoming one of the best characters in David Chase’s “The Sopranos,” it’s understandable if you’d want to keep a low profile from fans who either loved or hated you stopping you in the street. For Joe Pantoliano, who played Ralph Cifaretto on the show, that proved all the more difficult given that he lived around where “The Sopranos” was set. In an effort to dodge such a situation, though, the actor had the bright idea of getting hold of a wig he could wear out and about, modeled from one of the then up-and-coming movie makers, Christopher Nolan.
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In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pantoliano spoke about his illustrious career, with his time on “The Sopranos” being a particular highlight. To keep hold of his anonymity, he looked to the director he’d worked with on “Memento,” which was released in 2000 and still stands as one of Nolan’s best films to date. “The wig I had them build as an homage to Chris Nolan,” Pantoliano explained. “I like Chris’ hair. And I told David, ‘I live in Hoboken, New Jersey. That’s the epicenter of Soprano-land. I want to have some anonymity.’ I wanted to be able to walk down the street.”
It was understandable for Pantoliano wanting to keep out of the spotlight at around this time. (Although, it must be said, since he wore this wig on the show, wouldn’t wearing it around Hoboken just make him look more like his character in the eyes of the public? Not sure his strategy was perfectly airtight on this one.) Ralph Cifaretto was a monster in the show, and even after an Emmy win for his performance, he was a character the actor didn’t want to be associated with forever.
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Joe Pantoliano has never watched The Sopranos
Even while only appearing in two seasons of “The Sopranos” as Ralphie, it seems like that was more than enough time to spend with the man that would be a wig-wearing fly in the ointment of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). Pantoliano had his character figured out, and he understandably didn’t like the conclusion he came to about his eventual mob capo.
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When talking about the pivotal moment Ralph kills a dancer from the Bada Bing after he learns she’s pregnant with his child, Pantoliano recalled his light bulb moment regarding one of the show’s darkest individuals. “It occurred to me that Ralph always instigated people to react,” explained the actor. “He sees red and in that moment beats her to death. That gave him permission.” It’s this action that would set him on the path to eventually be killed by the family boss in season 4, episode 9, “Whoever Did This,” which stands as one of the best episodes of the entire run of “The Sopranos.”
Nevertheless, following the immense impact he made on the show and the mix of funny and equally frightening moments he was at the center of, Joe Pantoliano was happy to cut ties with Ralph Cifaretto and has never mourned parting ways with the character. “No, f**k him. No, not at all,” the actor revealed. “It’s one of the reasons why I never watched it. My kids are all adults now, and none of them have seen ‘The Sopranos.'” Hey, family comes first, after all.
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