When show creator David Chase began casting for The Sopranos, he knew the perfect person to play Tony. Of course, that person was Steven Van Zandt.
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Wait, what? Yes, David Chase originally wanted the famed musician to play Tony Soprano. The studio balked at giving such a high level role to someone who wasn't known for being an actor. So David Chase began looking elsewhere. He found James Gandolfini who earned the role of a lifetime.
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Mr. Chase didn't forget Steven, however, writing the role of Silvio Dante specifically for him. It was yet another role of a lifetime.
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