Steve Schirripa has become a utility player on “Blue Bloods” over the show’s past 14 seasons — in part by making Anthony Abetemarco a witty counterpoint for the much more by-the-books Reagan family and their acolytes. The show knows how to use him, such as during the Season 14 premiere, “Loyalty.”
Tasked with trying to help Eddie Janko Reagan (Vanessa Rey) scare a young shoplifter (Max Malas) straight, Abetemarco finds himself behind bars pretending to be a criminal. When asked why he’s in prison, he says, “I killed a guy on the bus for sitting too close to me. Guy kinda looked like you.” That’s enough to scare any kid away from bad behavior, but the way the show employs this comedic beat — complete with the shoplifter scooting away from Abetemarco in pure fear — turns the moment into quite a hoot.
Acting vet Schirripa, of course, has experience looking like an intimidating fellow; he made his name on “The Sopranos” as the sweet-natured Bobby Baccalieri. Still, he’s managed to essay a few comedic roles during his long acting career.
Steve Schirripa has done some funny work before
Steve Schirripa may be quite a well-known dramatic actor, but he’s no stranger to comedy. He’s appeared on episodes of “King of Queens” and “Ugly Betty,” and in films like “See Spot Run,” “Joe Dirt,” and “The Flinstones In Viva Rock Vegas.” He also voices Roberto in the “Open Season” series of animated films.
Schirripa also employed humor when he toured the country telling stories about his time on “The Sopranos,” alongside costars Michael Imperioli and Vincent Pastore for the 2023 stage show, “In Conversation with the Sopranos.” Per the Star-Tribune, the actor told stories about the show and took audience questions — and thanks to the rapid-fire, unscripted nature of the program, Schirripa got to employ his sense of humor. “Every show is different. It’s very loose. And once in a blue moon, we get an interesting question,” he told the paper.
With a wry sense of humor like that, it’s no wonder he’s good at making them laugh.