Federico Castelluccio joins Dominic Chianese and Dominic Chianese Jr. for a conversation about The Sopranos, James Gandolfini, Italian identity, acting, painting, and a life spent moving between different forms of art.Dominic calls Federico a true Renaissance man, and his story explains why. Long before audiences knew him as Furio Giunta, Federico won a full scholarship to the School of Visual Arts for painting. He talks about discovering acting as another art form, creating a portrait of George Burns as a teenager, and eventually expanding his work into acting, directing, and filmmaking.Then the conversation turns to The Sopranos.Federico remembers hearing about the show before most people knew what it would become and immediately recognizing something special in James Gandolfini. He first auditioned for Johnny Sack, but when the second season came around, his agent sent him a new role: “Furio, Tony Soprano’s cousin from Naples.”For Federico, the character hit close to home. Born in Naples and raised in New Jersey, he spoke Italian and grew up surrounded by the accents, language, and cultural differences the role demanded. He explains how Furio helped contrast an Italian from Italy with the Italian-American world of Tony Soprano and his crew, and how details from Federico’s own father and neighborhood found their way into the performance.Federico and Dominic also reflect on the cast becoming a family, the difficulty of leaving a character behind, and why Federico still considers The Sopranos a work of art.The conversation eventually comes back to Federico’s first love: painting. He discusses reconnecting with his Italian roots, teaching young actors in Italy, and the visual artwork he continues to create today. He also shares the story behind his striking portrait of James Gandolfini and Edie Falco as Tony and Carmela, inspired by a Renaissance painting he encountered while visiting the Uffizi in Florence.It is a conversation about Furio, Naples, New Jersey, acting, painting, family, and the different ways an artist can tell a story.CHAPTERS00:00 Federico Castelluccio Joins Dominic & Junior01:17 Winning a Full Scholarship for Painting02:02 Discovering Acting as an Art Form03:20 Painting George Burns as a Teenager05:24 Federico’s Unexpected Path Into Directing08:28 Hearing About The Sopranos for the First Time10:10 Federico Originally Auditioned for Johnny Sack11:24 The Role That Became Furio Giunta12:16 Italian vs. Italian-American Culture15:33 “We Were Dedicated Soldiers to The Sopranos”20:35 Was It Hard to Leave Furio Behind?23:15 Naples, Memory and Federico’s Life as an Artist36:04 Reconnecting With His Italian Roots44:58 What Federico Is Painting Today45:25 The Story Behind His Tony & Carmela PaintingHosted by legendary actor and musician Dominic Chianese and his son Dominic Chianese Jr., Dominic & Junior is a father-and-son podcast about family, New York, culture, creativity, acting, music, and the stories worth passing on.From The Sopranos and The Godfather Part II to Broadway, old New York, Italian-American culture, fatherhood, and life behind the scenes, each episode brings together nearly a century of experience with a modern perspective.Follow Dominic & Junior:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@officialdominicchianese/videosInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialdominicchianese/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/dominic-chianeseFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dominic-Chianese/61591454796480/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TXZBI56ZJqj9jmnVVCJr5Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dominic-chianese/id6802810880Subscribe to Dominic & Junior for full episodes, stories, guests, behind-the-scenes moments, and new conversations.#FedericoCastelluccio #FurioGiunta #DominicChianese #TheSopranos #DominicAndJunior
