Page 30 - aruba-today-20190302

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 2 March 2019

'The Sopranos' creators look back at a TV show that slayed

By MARK KENNEDY ming." Chase chafes at the
Associated Press notion: "It makes for a very
NEW YORK (AP) — Back in bland mixture."
1997, then-up-and-coming "The Sopranos" was any-
actor Michael Imperioli was thing but bland. It followed
mulling two work offers: a the depressed mafia boss
cable TV show pilot and a Tony Soprano balancing
small role in a Woody Allen his ruthless illegal business
film. with raising a family. There
The script for the TV show was brutal violence, infidel-
didn't initially seem so spe- ity, pasta and loyalty and
cial to him. "I was not blown dishonor. James Gandol-
away by the pilot," he ad- fini played Tony with equal
mitted. On the other hand, parts ferocity and tender-
he had long admired Allen ness.
and was being offered a "To interact with him was to
spot in his movie "Celebrity." make a deal with the dev-
Imperioli couldn't do both il. You would be ethically
and was leaning toward compromised. And I sort of
doing the film. "That would wanted to show how eas-
have been the dumbest ily that happens, what that
mistake of my life," he says really means. At the same
now with a laugh. time, I didn't want to do a
The reason was simple: The This undated image released by HBO shows the cast of the hit series, "The Sopranos," from left, morality story," Chase says.
TV show was "The Sopra- Tony Sirico, Steve Van Zandt, James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli and Vincent Pastore. "I guess the largest thing
nos," which this year is cel- Associated Press that I was trying to bring
ebrating the 20th anniver- out was it's a pretty cold
sary of its premiere on HBO. gangsters in New Jersey Creator, showrunner and nos' with was anger. I was universe.
The six-season show would proved that audiences head writer David Chase angry about all my years in It's a very cold universe. But
win 21 Emmys and become could handle morally says all he wanted to do network TV. And I'm one of we have this thing called
the first cable series ever to complex anti-heroes, pav- was create a show that he the lucky ones. I worked for love which we can use
win the Emmy for outstand- ing the way for shows like and his friends would like some really talented peo- against that. That's about
ing drama series. It also "Breaking Bad" and "Mad to watch. He had toiled in ple and with some really the only weapon we have.
earned Imperioli an acting Men," and marking the be- frustration within the strict talented people," Chase That's where I found myself
Emmy in 2004. ginning of the time when confines of network TV for says. thinking a lot."
More than awards, the TV started eating cinema's years, on such shows as He recalled that a high- Chase wanted to make
show about mid-level lunch. "The Rockford Files" and level executive at NBC had scenes longer if they need-
"Northern Exposure." advocated for something ed to be — or shorter — and
"I must admit that a lot of called LOP, which stood for let his stories unfold slower
what I went into 'The Sopra- "least offensive program- than a network show. q
Jaden Smith's foundation bringing

clean water to Flint

on Friday announced
they'll deploy a mobile wa-
ter filtration system known
as "The Water Box" that re-
duces lead and other po-
tential contaminants.
The 20-year-old's JUST
goods company collabo-
rated with the church to
design and engineer the
system. He is the son of Will
and Jada Pinkett Smith.
The church has distributed
over 5 million bottles of wa-
ter to residents, but bottled
water donations are on
the decline. Flint has been
In this May 22, 2018 file photo, Jaden Smith arrives at the 28th
Annual EMA Awards at the Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, replacing water lines af-
Calif. ter lead-tainted water was
Associated Press discovered in 2014. Lead
began leaching from pipes
Associated Press bring cleaner water to Flint, after the city tapped the
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Jaden Michigan. The rapper's or- Flint River for drinking water
Smith's foundation and ganization and First Trinity without properly treating it
a church are working to Missionary Baptist Church to reduce corrosion.q