|
Background
In August 2008 I
had the fortunate opportunity to interview Vincent Curatola, the
actor who played “Johnny Sack” in one of the most widely acclaimed
TV programs of all time, The Sopranos. Vince’s character in the
show begins as a Captain in the New York Mob, the family that is
often at odds with Tony Soprano’s New Jersey unit. Eventually,
Johnny Sack becomes the Boss of the New York family and plays a
central role in the storyline.
Vince Curatola
was raised in Englewood and currently resides in Upper Saddle
River. During our conversation he spoke with me about several
topics including his character on the HBO hit show, the historical
role of the mafia, and his perceptions of New Jersey.
On
the character of Johnny Sack
When Vince Curatola
begins to talk about the role of Johnny Sack in The Sopranos,
he sighs and pauses between sentences. He seems exasperated, almost
slipping back into the character of the New York Boss as he explains
what emotions truly ruled him. “In essence, it was chronic
disappointment in the people around me… chronic disappointment
in the way that Tony Soprano so haphazardly ran his little
family.”
Resentment toward
the Soprano gang still rings in Vince’s voice, revealing how deeply
he has internalized Johnny Sack. There also seem to be striking
similarities between Vince and The Sopranos character that
helped to breathe fire into the TV figure. Hints of machismo, an
assertive attitude, and a strong work ethic in Vince run parallel to
Johnny’s persona. This connection makes even more sense after Vince
shares his general thoughts on the types of roles an actor should
play.
He insists that an
actor must be himself in order to succeed. If he had one piece of
advice to give to aspiring actors, it would be simply to “be you,”
since no audience is interested in hearing a false voice. Other
cast members of The Sopranos have also discussed personal
similarities to their characters, including James Gandolfini. "I'm
playing an Italian lunatic from New Jersey, and that's basically
what I am," he has said in past interviews according to CBS news.
Not only did Vince
build on his own personality traits to play Johnny, but he also
infused specific parts of his own life into the character. One
example of this is the untimely death of his mother, which took
place in 1967 when he was only fourteen. Vince channeled this event
to express Johnny’s perpetual disappointment and distrust of
happiness.
He recounts, “It
was a huge funeral in Englewood on a beautiful, sunny, early
September morning. I remember saying to myself, ‘I think my life is
over. I think I’m never gonna be happy, I think I’m never gonna stop
missing her, and I think there is no human being alive that’s ever
gonna make me forget what I’m feeling this morning.’” In a slow,
heavy tone Vince adds that he called up this memory for “each and
every single take I ever played as the character of Johnny Sack on
The Sopranos.”
To supplement his
own memories and internal experiences, Vince also borrows from the
movements, emotions, or situations he has observed in his everyday
life in order to build his characters. He uses these moments as a
jumping off point with the hope that something internal will come
out of it.
Vince cites the
example of a mother at a convenience store who ignores her
children’s pleads for juice and candy because she is more focused on
buying a lottery ticket. In this woman Vince sees subtle guilt,
addiction, and a “jones,” emotions that he would channel and
re-create within his characters. However, in
the old-school attitude of Johnny
Sack, Vince makes a point to explain that he would do this in a
masculine way. “Not that I’m trying to look like that woman, you
know, certainly not,” Vince clarifies.
On
the structure and values of the mafia
Although The
Sopranos was sometimes criticized for its illustration of
violence in mafia life, Vince generally asserts that the killing and
crime were just a different means to a common end. According to
Vince, the mob has always been motivated by the core values of
providing for and protecting one’s family, and these principles can
be traced back to Sicily in the 1800s. At that time, showing off
didn’t matter and organized crime didn’t exist; what truly mattered
was “closing ranks, putting up a defense, and protecting
themselves.”
While some would
say that the mafia is despicable for its brutality and murder, Vince
sees the same immoral seeds in sectors of the government and corrupt
companies like Enron. He doesn’t see the mafia as more morally
reprehensible, in spite of the deliberate killing that is committed
by the mob. Vince chuckles as he explains, “We don’t know corporate
types don’t kill. Maybe they kill by their insensitivity to the
environment. Maybe they don’t know personally 1500 people who died
of some form of cancer because the waterway was polluted…” His tone
turns particularly serious as he continues, “That’s murder, that’s
murder… you can be guilty by being not interested and negligent, you
know.”
In certain
respects, The Sopranos may have accurately illustrated the
parallels between an organized crime unit and a military unit or a
corrupt company; however, there were certain parts of the storyline
that Vince did not agree with. One example he cites has to do with
the character of Phil Leotardo, a Captain in the New York mob.
Although outranked by Johnny Sack, Phil applied heavy pressure on
Johnny because he wanted retribution for the murder of his brother.
Vince was “completely floored” by this part of the plot line, and he
objects because he thinks it is unrealistic for a Boss to submit to
that type of pressure. When asked whether he means that a real
world mafia boss wouldn’t comply, Vince responds, “In the real
world I sincerely doubt it. I’ve never been in the mafia but I want
to say I sincerely doubt it.”
On
general perceptions of New Jersey
Vince Curatola was
born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey and he currently resides in
Upper Saddle River. He does not hide his pride in the Garden State,
and he is happy to share some of the characteristics that often
distinguish a Jersey native. One of these traits is the New Jersey
“ring” that accents his voice and is most common in the Northern
part of the state. He also claims to possess a “New Jersey
attitude,” which in many ways is “similar to a New York attitude.”
When asked about the details of this mindset, Vince says it is
marked by “ruggedness” and a “toughness” that make New Jerseyans
difficult to fool.
Vince’s image of a
street smart, hard-nosed individual is the very person that many New
Jersey natives love to profess as the prototypical descendant of the
Garden State. He is the Frank Sinatra, the Jack Nicholson, and the
Anthony Bourdain. He is the aggressive, sometimes brutally honest
character that battles to the top without expecting anything to fall
into his lap. He might offend some people along the way, but those
that know him understand that he wouldn’t have accomplished so much
if it weren’t for his attitude. This portrait of a New Jerseyan is
reminiscent of another phrase that residents sometimes use to
describe the Garden State, and even inscribe on t-shirts: “New
Jersey: only the strong survive.”
To add more color
to his picture of what it means to be from New Jersey, Vince draws
an example of the “religious TV shows” in which clergymen are
encouraging viewers to pledge money and improve their chances for
Salvation. “I don’t think you get a lot of people from New Jersey
and New York donating to those shows,” Vince remarks, trying to
re-create the image of a shrewd breed of people.
In Vince’s
description of a New Jerseyan, he can’t help but to address the
negative light in which New Jersey natives are portrayed throughout
the county. Within state lines, the internal perception of a
typical New Jerseyan may reflect a savvy, assertive, and even
outspoken individual; however, across the nation they are likened to
“gangsters, thieves, pimps, whatever is bad.” Vince recognizes that
many people don’t know about the more attractive parts of the state
such as Hoboken, Montclair, and Englewood. People don’t know about
these neighborhoods that Vince endearingly describes as “quiet,” and
it is this lack of understanding that drives their negative
perceptions of the overall state.
On
leisure time in New Jersey
When Vince has free
time around the Garden State, he enjoys taking his Harley for a
ride. He also spends a significant amount of time at an indoor
pistol range and skeet shooting. His favorite place to visit is in
New Jersey is Englewood, and if he finds himself with nothing to do,
he will gladly roam around that “bucolic” town. The historic nature
of Englewood holds strong appeal for him, and the success of it
helps infuse energy into Vince unlike other places in the Garden
State.
In several ways,
New Jersey has played a strong supporting role in Vince’s success.
The state’s regional accent and edgy persona may have allowed him to
bring out the full potential of Johnny Sack in The Sopranos.
The liveliness and accomplishment of towns like Englewood, where
Vince grew up, have motivated him to become a high achiever within
his field.
In spite of his
fame, Vince has refused to develop an inflated ego. He hates the
word “upscale,” he is far from an elitist, and he shares yet another
trait that helps to define many natives of New Jersey: a
down-to-earth attitude that effectively co-exists with the
rough-around-the-edges quality. New Jersey wouldn’t have it any
other way, and the Garden State is proud to claim Vince as one of
its very own! |
