Movies - TV
Steven Van Zandt’s Sopranos Role Could Have Been Cut Short By Bruce Springsteen
By DEVIN MEENAN
While “The Sopranos” transformed the cast into New Jersey icons, Steven Van Zandt was already one thanks to being a guitarist in the E Street Band with Bruce Springsteen. After hearing Van Zandt’s 1997 speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, “The Sopranos” creator David Chase contacted the musician about appearing on the show, where he became a part of the main cast.
However, Van Zandt revealed on the “Talking Sopranos” podcast that he almost had to choose between his old music career and his new love for acting very early on. The show had been a hit when Season 1 premiered in 1999, with HBO soon ordering a second season, but the E Street Band kicked off its reunion tour a mere five days after the Season 1 finale.
Van Zandt shared, “I really, really had to consider, should I go back into the band or not, because I really thought, ‘Okay, this acting thing is going to be my future. I’m completely into it. I want to evolve into writing for TV, directing TV.’” In the end, Chase scheduled Van Zandt’s scenes around the E Street Band’s schedule, though the musician would have liked the chance to write or direct for the show.