Tony Soprano Tony Soprano Anthony John Soprano (born 1959) is a fictional character and the protagonist in the HBO television drama series "The Sopranos" (1999–2007), portrayed by James Gandolfini. Usually referred to as Tony, the Italian-American character was conceived by "Sopranos" creator and showrunner David Chase, who was also largely responsible for the character's story arc throughout the show's six seasons. The character is loosely based on real-life New Jersey mobster Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo, a former "caporegime" ("capo") and "de facto" boss of the DeCavalcante crime family. Bobby Boriello and Mark Damiano II portrayed Soprano as a child in one episode
The Sopranos interviews and tours which strongly inspired some characters, settings, and storylines portrayed in "The Sopranos". Like the characters they portray on the show, many of the actors on "The Sopranos" are Italian American. Many cast members had appeared together in films and television series before joining the cast of "The Sopranos". The series shares a total of 27 actors with the 1990 Martin Scorsese gangster film, "Goodfellas", including main cast members Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, and Tony Sirico. The main cast was put together through a process of auditions and readings. Actors often did not know whether Chase liked their