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 auditioned for the role of Uncle Junior with Frank Vincent, but Dominic Chianese landed the role. David Chase instead offered him the role of Paulie Gualtieri and Sirico agreed under the condition that his character would not "become a rat". Paulie begins the series as a soldier, later becoming a captain in the DiMeo crime family. He is violent, impulsive, quick-witted, sarcastic and paranoid. Paulie is jovial and quick with a joke but is one of the most ruthless members of the family. Billy Magnussen portrays a young Paulie Gualtieri in the 2021 prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark. Paulie Walnuts is one of the most prominent characters in The Sopranos, and one of the viewers' favorites. Sirico's performance has received acclaim from critics and audiences.