JULIE HOUSE told the Ear that JOE PANTOLIANO was out enjoying a Riverwalk bike ride during the Goonies celebration, and stopped by VIDEO HORIZONS to talk to owner NEAL CUMMINGS about his newest film, a documentary about clinical depression called “NO KIDDING, ME TOO!”

Joe, who suffers from depression, told Julie that discovering the cause of his disease (which he calls a dis-ease) was the “best thing that ever happened to me.” He founded the nonprofit No Kidding, Me Too! (http://nkm2.org) to, “remove the stigma attached to brain disease through education and the breaking down of societal barriers.”

Nearly 100 people came by to see Joe (pictured, far right) at Video Horizons June 13 for an impromptu autograph session and informal local debut of his film. The group included PATRICIA FESSLER, who runs the nonprofit Pennywise Thrift Store in Warrenton with her husband, PETER. Pat also facilitates a local monthly peer group meeting of the National Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

“When I was advised that Joe wanted me to be there so that he could meet me, I then closed the shop to come over for the signing,” Pat said. 

“Pat’s a firm believer that ‘the stigma will never ever go away unless we do something,'” Julie explained. “After meeting Joe, Pat plans to help start a local chapter of NKM2 … Her message, like Joe’s, is about empowerment and making connections.”

Joe has assured Neal that he will make additional autographed copies of “No Kidding, Me Too!” available through the store upon request.

“While he may pretend to play bad guys in the movies,” Julie added, “Joe Pantoliano is a real life hero for his personal courage and challenge to us all to ‘Stomp the Stigma.'”