校友 of the Year recipient Steve Schirripa ’80, best known for his roles on television shows such as The Sopranos, Blue Bloods, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, has built a successful multifaceted career as an actor, producer, author, and podcast host (“Talking Sopranos”). After graduating from Brooklyn College with a degree in physical education, Schirripa landed in Las Vegas after nearly playing basketball, a sport he loved and excelled at, for a team in Israel. Small parts in comedy sketches and a short film sparked his acting career, eventually leading to major roles. The Brooklyn native, who continues to make his mark in entertainment, is unabashed about his fondness for his alma mater and forthright with his advice about breaking into the industry.
You were a physical education major.
Yes, and I also played basketball. I was a guard and a captain in my junior and senior years. I went to John Jay College as a freshman and transferred to Brooklyn College. I took the five-year route. I helped out as an assistant my last year with basketball. I enjoyed Brooklyn College very much. It’s got a place in my heart. My sister went here before me. She was the first in our family to go to college, I was the second. She helped me through the process.
Do you have a favorite memory of your time at Brooklyn College?
You know, back in the days, you sat on the Quad. They had steps over by the West Quad; that was the scene when the weather got nice. The Student Union had some activities. They had a lot of concerts back then, too, and I would work backstage security for some of them. Some big groups came. I remember the band Boston was one of them, which was big then. I worked security a few times at Whitman Theater [now the Claire Tow Theater]. In my senior year, one of the phys ed professors took time off and I filled in and taught his class.
Can you tell us how you got into acting?
After I graduated, I wanted to continue playing basketball. At the time, that was 1,000% my passion. I would rather do that than almost anything. So I tried out for an Israeli team. They wanted me to go over to work on the kibbutz—I’m half-Jewish. At the same time, I got a call from a buddy who I grew up with. He had just moved to Las Vegas, and he said, “Hey, I could get you a job here, you know, delivering pizza.”
I had my degree in hand and asked myself, “Do I do the kibbutz or Vegas?” I chose Vegas. I worked my way up from a bouncer to a nightclub manager to maître d’ at the Riviera Hotel. Then I became the entertainment director there, booking acts. I was working with a lot of comics, comedians, and entertainers, and one of them asked if I would come to L.A. to be in one of his sketches, a five-minute movie he was making for Fox TV.
I know it sounds like a cliché, but I got the bug right there. I had never read a script and never even had any aspirations. I was actually kind of afraid of speaking in public. I got another gig and another, and someone else put me in something else. Long story short—I auditioned for The Sopranos and got it. I moved back to New York; I had been gone for 20 years.
I was on another show after The Sopranos called The Secret Life of the American Teenager. It was a high school show. I did that for five years. I liked that because I got out of the mob thing. I just played a suburban dad. And then there was nine years on Blue Bloods.
What are you working on now?
I just did a Hallmark film, Sisterhood, Inc., that was a bucket list thing. I asked myself, “How many actors could go from The Sopranos to Hallmark?” I enjoyed playing the role very much. It was a typical Valentine’s Day story, people falling in love. I was one of a group, and I enjoyed it. I’ve got the Freshpet commercial, which has been running everywhere. I just did an episode of Dexter, and I’ll be doing another one in April. I also do live shows, and I’m writing a children’s book that’ll be out at the end of the year. It’s based on my wiener dog, my dachshund, Willy Boy. It’s called Willy Boy Eats The World.
You’re still connected with some of your fellow alumni from Brooklyn College.
There are a few guys. There was Don Landolphi [’62, M.S.Ed. ’64], the athletic director and baseball coach. We got together with [Barry] Butch Brandes [’79, M.S. ’83]—he swam—and Frank Reggio [’78]. We had lunch with some of the other guys from the basketball team last year.
Do you have any advice for today’s students?
It’s tough today. I’m not saying it wasn’t tough back then. There are a lot of people in the entertainment business who give you false hopes and play on your emotions. I talked to a class once at Brooklyn College about the business side. You can read all you want in a book, but it’s just like any profession. Take bartending: You can know how to make every single drink, but until you’re behind that bar, and the music is blasting, and money is on the bar, and people are ordering drinks, you don’t really know how to do it.
There’s no easy way to navigate. You have to do the work, and that’s the important thing. I do believe that if you stay at it long enough and do the work, you will get an opportunity. What you make of that opportunity is up to you.
Finally, do you want to be an actor or do you want to be famous? It’s two different things. Do you want to throw a table over in a restaurant and be a reality TV person? Or do you study and learn your craft? It’s a long haul; it’s not easy for anyone. Let’s not kid ourselves—there’s a lot of luck involved. I was very fortunate. I also made the most of the opportunities when I got them. I didn’t want to deliver pizza, but I did it for a bit. The college degree got me the job at the hotel.
I tell my kids to never stop looking for work. That was always my philosophy—never stop looking for opportunities and a better job. I know it’s something everyone says, but you blink and all of sudden you’re 67 years old.
