Supporting Cast¶
The character actors who made New Jersey feel populated.
The crew¶
Steve Schirripa — Bobby Baccalieri. A former Las Vegas casino executive (entertainment director at the Riviera) with no acting background. Since 2020 he has co-hosted Talking Sopranos with Michael Imperioli, one of the main engines of the show's streaming revival.
Vincent Curatola — Johnny Sack. A businessman with no formal training who got the audition by chance. His perp-walk scene in "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request…" is one of the show's most uncomfortable, and he has said it was the hardest thing he was asked to do.
Frank Vincent — Phil Leotardo. Genre royalty: Billy Batts in Goodfellas (go home and get your shining box), plus Raging Bull and Casino. Died September 13, 2017, aged 80.
David Proval — Richie Aprile. Best known before this for Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973).
Joseph R. Gannascoli — Vito Spatafore. A former chef and restaurateur who reportedly pitched the character's storyline himself after reading a book about a gay mobster.
Federico Castelluccio — Furio Giunta. Born in Naples, raised in Paterson, NJ. Also an accomplished painter, known in the art world for identifying a lost Baroque work.
Jerry Adler — Hesh Rabkin. A Broadway stage manager and director for decades before turning to acting in his sixties. Also The Good Wife and Rescue Me.
Dan Grimaldi — Patsy Parisi (and his twin Philly). Also a mathematics professor at Kingsborough Community College, teaching throughout the show's run.
Max Casella — Benny Fazio. Previously Vinnie Delpino on Doogie Howser, M.D., and later Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl.
Robert Funaro — Eugene Pontecorvo. Michael Rispoli — Jackie Aprile Sr. Jason Cerbone — Jackie Jr. Al Sapienza — Mikey Palmice. Arthur Nascarella — Carlo Gervasi. John Ventimiglia — Artie Bucco.
The women¶
Kathrine Narducci — Charmaine Bucco. Also A Bronx Tale and The Irishman.
Sharon Angela — Rosalie Aprile. Annabella Sciorra — Gloria Trillo, in a season-three arc that earned an Emmy nomination. Alla Kliouka — Svetlana Kirilenko. Lola Glaudini — Agent Deborah Ciccerone, later a Criminal Minds lead. Denise Borino-Quinn — Ginny Sacrimoni, cast from an open call and not a professional actress; died in 2010, aged 46.
The professionals¶
Matt Servitto — Agent Dwight Harris, across all six seasons. Peter Bogdanovich — Dr. Elliot Kupferberg, and director of "Sentimental Education." Paul Schulze — Father Phil. David Strathairn — Robert Wegler. Robert Patrick — Davey Scatino. Tony Lip — Carmine Lupertazzi Sr.; a real former bouncer and driver, and the subject of the film Green Book. Ray Abruzzo — Little Carmine. Greg Antonacci — Butch DeConcini.
The Goodfellas overlap¶
Twenty-seven actors appear in both Scorsese's 1990 film and this series.
The significant ones: Lorraine Bracco (Karen Hill → Melfi), Michael Imperioli (Spider → Christopher), Tony Sirico, Vincent Pastore, Frank Vincent (Billy Batts → Phil), Frank Sivero, Chuck Low, and Suzanne Shepherd (Karen's mother → Carmela's mother, Mary DeAngelis — playing essentially the same function twice).
Casting directors Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe were drawing from the same New York/New Jersey talent pool, and Chase was deliberately trading on the audience's memory of those faces. It's not economy; it's an argument. See Mob Movies & Self-Awareness.