Steve Van Zandt
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Steven Van Zandt was born on November 22, 1950 in Winthrop, Massachusetts. He is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey.
Van Zandt learned to play the guitar and started playing in a band in the mid-1960s. Around 1975, he helped form Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and joined Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
With both groups, he helped out behind the scenes acting as a producer for three Southside Johnny albums and co-produced Springsteen’s The River (1980) and Born in the U.S.A. (1984). Van Zandt also formed his own group Little Steven and the Disciplines of Soul in the early 1980s.
In 1999, Van Zandt took his career into a new direction: acting. With no previous experience, he was a natural in the role of Silvio Dante on the award-winning HBO series The Sopranos. His character serves as a consigliere, or trusted advisor, to the often troubled mob boss Tony Soprano.
He is also the founder and chairman of Renegade Nation, a diverse media company involved in radio, television, film, and music.
Van Zandt is married to actress Maureen Van Zandt, who portrays his wife Gabriella Dante in the TV series The Sopranos. They married in New York City on December 31, 1982.
Filmography
- "The Sopranos" (81 episodes, 1999-2007)
- The Sopranos: Road to Respect (2006) (VG) (voice)
- The Nightly Potato Episode 1 (2005) (voice)
Awards
- The Actor Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series "The Sopranos" 1999
