Major Sopranos star joins list of celebs fleeing US over Trump as he says he's 'running for the hills'

Daily Mail​

04-05-2025

Sopranos star Joe Pantoliano has joined a growing list of celebrities fleeing the United States due to the current presidential administration.
The 73-year-old New Jersey native and wife Nancy Sheppard are considering ditching their American life in favor of a fresh start in Portugal.
Pantoliano said this week at the Tucci in Italy premiere: 'I'm so uncomfortable with the nature of what's happening in our country, and I just want to run for the hills.'
The longtime actor said he's struggling to prioritize his work amid the state of the political climate.
He explained to Page Six: 'It's hard for me to think about people's bulls*** like making a TV show. The world is on fire; it's hard for me to concentrate.'
Joe pictured with the late James Gandolfini in The Sopranos
Pantoliano shared that he and Nancy, whom he wed in 1994, and are considering relocating there.
'We just got back. We really love it there,' he gushed of the country.
Taking to Instagram in April, he wrote to his 115,000 followers that the spot is 'our favorite European getaway' and described their vacation as 'wonderful.'
Joe mentioned Portugal's recent 18-hour power outage, which he suspects was the result of a 'cyber attack.'
He predicted, 'I think that's just a rehearsal for what will happen here [in the United States].'
To that point, the Hollywood vet added, 'I keep a lot of cash at home — not a lot, but enough to get me going for a couple of weeks,' warning potential thieves, 'It's buried and there's no map!'
If he does decide to upend his American life, he will join celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi, designer Tom Ford, plus Ryan Gosling and wife Eva Mendes, who have fled America for the UK.
Pantoliano shared a solemn video with social media followers on Friday, stating, 'Nancy and I were in Portugal for a couple of weeks.
'We actually looked into getting visas so that we could live there part of the time, or most of the time.'
He continued, 'It's a great place to retire. It suits me. I love to walk; I take amazing walks there.'
Turning to the blackouts, the actor advised his followers: 'My suggestion is to stop bulking up and go online and figure out how you can get a first aid kit, batteries, a flashlight, books, games, cards because we won't have any way to communicate with each other.'
He then quipped, 'That might be nice, actually.'
The post was captioned with a stark waning: 'Keep your eyes open!'
Back in February Pantoliano gushed over his wife, paying tribute to her on Valentine's Day with two photos.