The Sopranos Changed His Life Forever | Steve Schirripa on Uncle Jun and Bobby Bacala

Steve Schirripa joins Dominic Chianese and Dominic Chianese Jr. for a conversation about Bobby Bacala, The Sopranos, James Gandolfini, David Chase, acting, family, and the years that changed his life.

Steve looks back on joining The Sopranos in its second season and remembers how quickly the cast became something more than coworkers. They traveled together, celebrated together, and built friendships that lasted long after the show ended.

He talks about working closely with Dominic as Bobby became Junior Soprano’s caretaker, why he believes the casting was one of the great strengths of the series, and what made James Gandolfini such a generous scene partner.

As Dominic puts it: “There’s no love without respect.”

Subscribe to Dominic & Junior for more conversations about The Sopranos, New York, acting, family, culture, music, and the stories worth passing on.

Hosted by legendary actor and musician Dominic Chianese and his son Dominic Chianese Jr., Dominic & Junior is a father-and-son podcast about family, New York, culture, creativity, acting, music, and the stories worth passing on.

From The Sopranos and The Godfather Part II to Broadway, old New York, Italian-American culture, fatherhood, and life behind the scenes, each episode brings together nearly a century of experience with a modern perspective.

Chapters:
00:00 Steve Schirripa Joins Dominic & Junior
03:01 How Steve Accidentally Caught the Acting Bug
04:11 Auditioning for Bobby Bacala
07:27 Beating 100 Actors for The Sopranos
09:07 How Dominic Helped Steve Find Bobby Bacala
14:09 The Pine Barrens Prank on James Gandolfini
17:29 Why The Sopranos Cast Became a Family
25:48 The Moment David Chase Told Steve “You’ll Be Back”
30:17 Why We Rooted for Tony Soprano
42:31 James Gandolfini, Respect & What Made the Set Special

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