Steven Schirripa On Confronting His Daughter's Teacher
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As soft-hearted mob foot soldier Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri on the acclaimed HBO series, "The Sopranos," Steven Schirripa may have found his true calling as an actor through unusual circumstances, but his larger-than-life personality and undeniable natural skills assured him a home in his current profession.While back in his native New York for a wedding, Schirripa auditioned for "The Sopranos," and landed the role of Bobby 'Bacala' Baccalieri in 2000. Initially a comic foil for Tony Soprano(James Gandolfini) and his crew, the show's creators tapped into Schirripa's inherently likable qualities and built Bobby into the most loyal and sensitive member of the Soprano crew - a man unafraid of getting his hands dirty but who was also a gentle soul, easily wounded by words. His Bobby sought nothing more than approval from Tony and especially Junior Soprano (Dominic Chianese), for whom he served as right hand man and wet nurse. Toward the end of the series' run, Bobby suffered some immeasurable losses - first his father, Robert Sr. (Burt Young), and then his beloved wife, Karen. The shattered mobster fell into the clutches of Tony's sister Janet (Aida Turturro), eventually marrying her, much to Tony's consternation. In all of these occurrences, Schirripa essayed the role of a gentle giant with considerable skill and subtlety.