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Steven Van Zandt’s acting debut was almost very different.
The now 70-year-old rocker is known to have played Silvio Dante in “The Sopranos”, which was his first time on screen, except for a cameo appearance in “American Flyers” in 1985. .
The star appeared in 79 of the 86 episodes of the series, but fans almost saw him play a totally different role: Tony Soprano, the lead role.
Van Zandt recently told Fox News about his memoir, “Unrequited Infatuations,” in which he reflects on his life and career as a musician, actor and activist. During his conversation, he recalled the casting process for “The Sopranos”.
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“As it turns out, [creating Silvio Dante] was collaborative because [‘The Sopranos’ creator David Chase] run me like Tony and HBO said, “Are you crazy? It’s the most expensive show we’ve ever done, we can’t have a guy who’s never performed before, “recalls the musician.
The star added, “So wiser heads have prevailed, thankfully, and one of the greatest actors of all time, [James] Gandolfini, I have the job. “
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Van Zandt would go on to win two Screen Actors Guild Awards for his work on the series as part of his ensemble cast. He also worked on a handful of other high-profile projects over the following years, including “Lilyhammer”, “The Christmas Chronicles” and “The Irishman”.
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The book covers more than its time on “The Sopranos”.
“It starts off as a music book, the story of a music guy,” Van Zandt explained. “The second half of the book is an entirely different story.”
Steven Van Zandt has revealed that he came close to playing the lead role in “The Sopranos” before HBO insisted that a more experienced actor play the role.
(Associated press)
Included are stories from his time with Bruce Springsteen as a member of the E Street Band before the act got big.
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“We had the residence we parked in at the Stone Pony, which was really the highlight of the pre-creation,” he recalls of a nightclub in Asbury Park, New Jersey, that the band helped to make it famous.
His politically charged solo career is also covered.
Stevie Van Zandt played Silvio Dante in “The Sopranos”.
(Photo by Bobby Bank / WireImage)
“I had read a lot about politics by then and became obsessed with politics, really,” recalls Van Zandt. “I said, ‘Well, I’ll be the political guy.'”
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Overall, the book was cathartic to write.
“It was fun to remember those things and go through them, and see why you did certain things – the mistakes,” the musician said.
Fox News’ Ashley Dvorkin contributed to this report.
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