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.
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.
Mr. Chase didn't forget Steven, however, writing the role of Silvio Dante specifically for him. It was yet another role of a lifetime.
