LiveWorld Transcripts

HBO presents

Actor Vincent Pastore
"The Sopranos"

April 10, 2000

Actor Vincent Pastore talks about his show, "The Sopranos", in an online interview.

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HBO: Due to the mature nature of this chat, this event is intended for adults only. Welcome chatters, to HBO.com's sitdown with . . . Vincent Pastore, AKA Big Pussy Bompensiero. This is your chance to ask him everything you've always wanted to know about "The Sopranos". Fair warning - if you HAVEN'T seen the final episode, and you don't want us to spoil the plot for you, LOG OFF NOW! Otherwise, get your questions ready and let's go!

Vincent Pastore: Hi, this is Vincent Pastore. I play Big Pussy on "The Sopranos," and welcome to Talk City!

Suem: Why do you think "The Sopranos" have struck such a chord with viewers?

Vincent Pastore: Because it's real, it hits a nerve, it's television at its best. It's about family, but it's also about the Mafia, two stories that people are interested in.

Badkitty: How did it feel to have your character go from being one of Tony's allies to being an enemy?

Vincent Pastore: It was very difficult. I connect to my characters, and the character of Pussy loved Tony Soprano very much, but because of the situation that he fell into, he had to go down that road.

Mamamia: Hey Vincent, how are you? Thought you had a six year contract with "The Sopranos" - what happened?

Vincent Pastore: Hi mamamia! Contracts are just like a marriage; they can be broken any time.

Bertrt: Do you think you might direct or write an episode of "The Sopranos"?

Vincent Pastore: Of "The Sopranos," no. But I do plan to write and direct my own projects in the future. A project I have written already is called "The Crazy Horse Café," which is semi-autobiographical and I'm trying to get it produced.

Gotti: Was the director on last night's show different from the one on other shows? The show was tied together much better then in other early shows, and the filming and concept seemed much more complex.

Vincent Pastore: John Patterson, who has directed more than 200 television shows, is a superb director. He was given the last episode as an assignment from David Chase because of the complex dream sequences which John has a talent to direct. We also have a company of other talented directors, Allen Coulter, Henry Bronchtein, and Tim Van Patten, who are superb directors. John had the assignment of the last and most tedious of all the 26 episodes we shot so far. David Chase sat next to John directing every scene. So, the last episode was also directed by David Chase.

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