Paul Pantano, an award-winning Australian actor, was born Paolo Giuseppe Pantano to Italian parents. He began his acting career at the tender age of eight, making his debut in the popular drama "Police Rescue." Pantano's breakthrough role came when he scored a recurring part on ABC's critically acclaimed drama "Wildside," playing the character of street kid "Joe Pelluci." This role led to his appearances on numerous Australian television shows, including "Water Rats," "All Saints," "Breakers," "Stingers," "Blue Heelers," "Outriders," "Grass Roots," and "Neighbours."
In 1998, Pantano received the AFI Award for Best Young Actor. He went on to lead the cast of the Disney show "The Crash Zone," playing the role of "Marcello Di Campilli," which ran for two full seasons. Pantano's film credits include "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," "Close Contact," "Natalie Wood - Hollywood's Lost Child," "Second Chance," "Mask 2," "Stealth," and "Two Fists One Heart." In 2008, he had a supporting role in the Australian boxing film "Two Fists One Heart."
Pantano's subsequent work includes appearances on popular Australian dramas "Home & Away" as "Elliot Gillen" and "Dangerous" as "Joe," where he appeared in all eight episodes. He also starred in the HBO miniseries "The Pacific," produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. In 2010, Pantano guest-starred in "COPS L.A.C." as "Rollie Tyler," and in 2013, he worked on the kids' TV series "Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures" as "Miguel." He also appeared in the short film "Melvis" and was the lead in the pilot for the sci-fi web series "The Army Within" as "Traye."
Pantano continues to work in the Australian television industry, featuring on shows such as "Love Child," "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries," "Doctor Doctor," and more recently, alongside Hollywood funny man Josh Gad in Abe Forsythe's "Wolf Like Me." He has also been cast in "Underbelly: Vanishing Act," which is set to be released in 2022.
