Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri is a fictional character portrayed by Tony Sirico on the HBO series The Sopranos, one of the chief henchmen of series protagonist Tony Soprano. Sirico originally auditioned for the role of Uncle Junior with Frank Vincent, but Dominic Chianese landed the role. David Chase instead offered him the role of playing Paulie Gualtieri, Sirico agreed under the condition that his character would not "become a rat". Paulie begins the series as a soldier, later becoming a caporegime in the DiMeo crime family. He is violent, impulsive, and paranoid. Billy Magnussen portrays a young Paulie Gualtieri in the 2021 prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark. Paulie Walnuts is widely considered to be one of the most beloved and iconic characters from The Sopranos, with Sirico's performance receiving acclaim from critics and audiences.
Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
Genaro Anthony Sirico Jr. was an American actor known for his portrayal of Paulie Gualtieri in The Sopranos.
Sirico in 2000
Sirico (right) with Sopranos castmates Dominic Chianese and Lorraine Bracco in 2000.
Sirico (left) and James Gandolfini (right) with a member of the U.S. Air Force during a USO visit to Southwest Asia, 2010