For some TV fans, Steve Schirripa will always be synonymous with Bobby Baccalieri. Schirripa played the big-hearted mafioso on “The Sopranos” for five seasons. Bobby was the series’ rare mobster to not hold any grudges or have a mistress. Indeed, his only crime was loving Karen’s ziti (and also, uh, murder).
To fans of “Blue Bloods,” Schirripa represents a very different side of the law. Since 2015, the actor has played Anthony Abetemarco on “Blue Bloods,” a retired NYPD detective who works as an investigator in the District At torney’s office. “I like it much better,” Schirripa told Looper of his predilection towards acting on the right side of the law. He then joked, “Instead of fat, sweaty guys with cigars coming up to you, now you’ve got fat, sweaty detectives.”
As Anthony Abetemarco, Schirripa works closely with Bridget Moynahan, who plays Erin Reagan, the sole daughter of the Reagan law enforcement dynasty. For Moynahan, Schirripa is a perfect fit on “Blue Bloods.”
Moynahan thinks Schirripa brings a sense of ease to the Blue Bloods set
Steve Schirripa’s Anthony Abetemarco is one of the few main characters on “Blue Bloods” to stand out despite not having Reagan as his last name. For Bridget Moynahan, however, the actor functions as a sort of big brother on set, even though he didn’t join the cast until Season 6. Moreover, she thinks Schirripa is particularly well-suited to the “Blue Bloods” environment.
“He’s great,” Moynahan said in an interview with PopCulture. “I was thrilled that they found me somebody that not only looked the part but really feels like the part. He’s really dropped right into the role, obviously coming from a much different notoriety in his previous work,” she said in reference to his work on “The Sopranos.” Ultimately, Moynahan treasures Schirripa as a scene partner — a crucial characteristic, given how often Anthony acts as an advisor to Erin. “We have such an ease with each other that it really doesn’t feel like we’re having to work.”