Steve Schirripa Returns to '“Sopranos” Mode' in 'Really Clever' New Clip (Exclusive)
The actor teamed up with FreshPet to pay homage to his mobster days
The actor teamed up with FreshPet to pay homage to his mobster days
Steve Schirripa is revisiting The Sopranos in a hilarious commercial.
The actor, known for playing Bobby "Baccala" Baccalieri on the HBO drama series, slipped into "Sopranos mode" for a FreshPet ad that pays homage to his mobster days.
In the commercial, making its debut on Christmas Day during the Netflix NFL games, Schirripa, 67, plays cards with a group of friends in a hangout not unlike the interior of Satriale's Pork Store.
When someone finds FreshPet stored among the rest of the food in the fridge and protests, Schirripa boasts about the quality of the food for his "boy Junior" a.k.a. his dachshund Willie. Andrew Southam for Freshpet Steve Schirripa and Willie
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However, one mobster disagrees, which doesn't go over well. Schrippa's crew handles the situation in a way Sopranos fans know all too well — by putting him in the trunk of a car.
Schirripa exclusively tells PEOPLE what drew him to this project — and how his dachshund inspired him. "I have a dog, Willie Boy, who's eating FreshPet for the last couple of years, and they sent me the script over and after playing the detective for the last nine years, it was fun to slip back into that old Sopranos mode," he says of portraying Detective Anthony Abetemarco on Blue Bloods from season 6-14.
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"I thought it was really smart, really clever and really funny commercial," he adds. Robert Costanzo (Saturday Night Fever) and Johnny Williams (Goodfellas) also appear in the commercial, beefing up the already-strong star quality. HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock Steve Schirripa and James Gandolfini in 'The Sopranos'
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"I like the idea of letting people know the perception of it's good food, you know, it's not the old canned dog food. This is fresh food, real meat, real vegetables, real fruit," Schirripa adds of FreshPet.
"It's in my refrigerator right next to what I eat. So the whole thing kind of came together. Everything fit perfect." Schirripa notes that he also found the script for the ad "creatively funny."
Schirripa says the "unconditional love" is his favorite aspect of a being dog dad. "It's amazing you could have feeling. I have two daughters, and it's amazing you could have feelings for an animal. He's like part of my family," he gushes.
Related: Steve Schirripa Was Bi-Coastal for First 'Sopranos' Season: 'It Cost Me $24,000 to Make $22,000!'
"He's like my son, I worry about him. My daughters get jealous, I think, at times," the actor continues.
"Me and my wife are empty nesters and Willie's the focus, and he brings us much joy and a lot of laughs."
