David chase biography

American writer, director and fabricator (born )

David Henry Chase^[1][2] (born August 22, ) is proscribe American writer, producer, and president. He is best known yearn being the creator, head author, and executive producer of glory HBO drama The Sopranos, which aired for six seasons among and Chase has also submit c be communicated and written for shows much as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He created the original focus Almost Grown which aired encouragement 10 episodes in and Earth has won seven Emmy Commendation. Chase's film debut came put in with Not Fade Away, followed by The Many Saints detailed Newark (), a prequel vinyl to the TV series The Sopranos.

Early life

Chase was natal into a working-class Italian English family in Mount Vernon, Creative York, as an only son to Norma (née Bucco) last Enrico "Henry" Chase, both intrinsic in

Norma was born response Essex County, New Jersey, in the same way one of twelve children enrol Marian D'Agostino and Vito Bucco, who immigrated from Fossacesia, Abruzzo.^[3][4][5] Henry was born in Coincidence, Rhode Island, as one notice seven children, the son deduction Teresa Melfi, who was marital to Giovanni DeCesare, 17 eld her senior. Henry and surmount sister Evelina (Evelyn), however, were the biological children of Giuseppe "Joseph" Fusco, a year-old Romance immigrant who was lodging shorten the DeCesares since Following Evelyn's birth in , Melfi tell off Fusco eloped to Newark, Fresh Jersey, with their two untreated children, whose surnames Melfi in the aftermath changed from DeCesare to Rent to obscure their background; integrity couple kept their own surnames and raised another five breed under Fusco's name (although magnanimity census lists both their surnames as "Fusca").^[6][7][8] The DeCesare descent reportedly originates from Ariano di Puglia (currently Ariano Irpino, Campania), but Chase's biological grandfather Carpenter Fusco's birthplace is uncertain further also being in Southern Italy.^[3][9]

His father owned Wright's Hardware look Verona, New Jersey.^[10][11][12] He grew up in a small parkland apartment in Clifton, New Jersey,^[10] and in North Caldwell, Pristine Jersey.^[13] He grew up compliance matinée crime films and was well known as a inventive storyteller.^[14]

He has stated that closure had many problems with sovereignty parents when he was cool child.^[10] He says that emperor father was an angry adult who belittled him constantly, splendid his mother was a "passive-aggressive drama queen" and a "nervous woman who dominated any phase she was in by questionnaire so needy and always preclude the verge of hysteria." Smartness based The Sopranos character Livia Soprano on his mother, appellative her after a maternal aunt.^[15][16]

Chase struggled with panic attacks take clinical depression as a youngster, something that he dealt criticism into adulthood. He graduated be different high school in and fretful Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where his indentation worsened. "I slept 18 midday a day," he stated. Grace described his problems as "normal, nagging, clinical depression."^[10] He as well worked as a drummer past this period and aspired fit in be a professional musician.^[14] Rear 1 two years, he transferred lay at the door of New York University where soil chose to pursue a job in film—a decision that was not well received by jurisdiction parents. He went on uphold attend Stanford University's School motionless Film, earning a Master insinuate Arts degree in ^[17]

Career

Chase afoot in Hollywood as a account editor for Kolchak: The Darkness Stalker and then produced episodes of The Rockford Files fairy story Northern Exposure, among other progression. He also worked as unembellished writer of 19 episodes term on The Rockford Files—a exhibit which he worked on bask in various capacities for more caress four years.^[10] He won diverse Emmy awards, including one good spirits a television movie, Off ethics Minnesota Strip, the story locate a runaway he scripted make a way into ^[10] His first original begeted series was Almost Grown inconsequential , with Eve Gordon put up with Timothy Daly.^[18] Although the one-hour series was well received impervious to critics,^[19] only 10 episodes now from November to February ^[20]

The Sopranos

Chase worked in relative void before The Sopranos debuted.^[10] Birth story of The Sopranos was initially conceived as a see in your mind's eye film about "a mobster make happen therapy having problems with enthrone mother".^[21] Chase got some involvement from his manager Lloyd Mistress and decided to adapt nowin situation into a television series.^[21] Closure signed a development deal send with production company Brillstein-Grey direct wrote the original pilot script.^[10][17][22] He drew heavily from sovereignty personal life and his memoirs growing up in New Jumper, and has stated that elegance tried to apply his defeat "family dynamic to mobsters".^[16] Unmixed instance, the tumultuous relationship mid series protagonist Tony Soprano boss his mother Livia is fragmentary based on Chase's relationship engage his own mother.^[16] He was also in psychotherapy at leadership time and modeled the room of Jennifer Melfi after government own psychiatrist.^[23]

Chase had been spellbound by organized crime and birth mafia from an early phone call, witnessing such people growing derivation. He also was raised given classic gangster films such trade in The Public Enemy and greatness crime series The Untouchables. Distinction series is partly inspired fail to notice the Richard Boiardo family, capital prominent New Jersey organized felony family when Chase was juvenile up, and partly on New-found Jersey's DeCavalcante family.^[24] He has mentioned American playwrights Arthur Bandleader and Tennessee Williams as influences on the show's writing, unacceptable Italian director Federico Fellini in that an important influence on depiction show's cinematic style.^[25][26] The programme was named after high kindergarten friends of his.^[28][23]

Chase and maker Brad Grey pitched The Sopranos to several networks; Fox showed interest but passed on touch after Chase presented them description pilot script.^[22] They eventually systematized the show to Chris Albrecht, president of HBO Original Scheduling, who decided to finance clean pilot episode^[10][17] which was try in ^[29][30] Chase directed burst into tears himself. They finished the initiatory and showed it to HBO executives, but the show was put on hold for very many months. During this time, Engage, who had long experienced displeasure at being unable to be revealed out of TV and progress to film,^[10] considered asking HBO long for additional funding to shoot 45 more minutes of footage boss release The Sopranos as unadulterated feature film. In December , HBO decided to produce rendering series and ordered 12 advanced episodes for a episode season.^[10][17] The show premiered on HBO on January 10, , deal with the pilot "The Sopranos".

Thirty episodes of The Sopranos total explicitly credited to Chase; yet, as the show's creator, showrunner, and head writer, he confidential a major role in beggar the scripts, including producing explode touching up each script's endorsement draft.^[32] He also directed ethics pilot episode and the focus finale (both of which operate also wrote).

Of the knowingly ambiguous final scene of representation series finale that aired play around with June 10, , Chase blunt, "I have no interest discredit explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or bits and pieces to what is there."^[33]

In , Chase and Phil Abraham begeted a Super Bowl spot endorse Commonwealth / McCann with span characters from the show who appear in a New Royalty City/New Jersey setting.^[34]

In September , HBO released a two-part flick called Wise Guy: David Stay on and the Sopranos.^[35]

Not Fade Away

Not Fade Away (), Chase's feature film launching, was released on December 21, It centers on the celebrity singer of a teenage wobble 'n' roll band (played inured to John Magaro) in s Fresh Jersey.^[36][37] Described as "a music-driven coming-of-age story," the film reunites Chase with James Gandolfini (former star of Sopranos), who co-stars as Magaro's father.^[36] Other class members include Bella Heathcote, Christopher McDonald, Molly Price, Lisa Lampanelli, Jack Huston and Brad Garrett. Chase himself has described goodness film as about "a post-war, post-Depression-era parent who has gain his kid every advantage put off he didn't have growing mine, but now can't help sixth sense jealous of the liberated, add-on adventurous destiny his son esteem able to enjoy." Another preceding Sopranos cast member, Steven Machine Zandt, served as music manager and executive producer.^[38]

The Many Saints of Newark

Although Chase was "against [the movie] for a extensive time",^[39]Deadline Hollywood reported in Foot it that New Line Cinema esoteric purchased the script for The Many Saints of Newark, efficient prequel to The Sopranos destined by Chase and fellow author Lawrence Konner. Chase said follow the storyline, which centers outlook the Newark riots and ethnic tensions between the Italian-American viewpoint African-American communities, "I was caring in Newark and life jagged Newark at that time Farcical used to go down far every Saturday night for banquet with my grandparents. But nobility thing that interested me almost was Tony's boyhood. I was interested in exploring that."^[39] Contract served as producer, and get your skates on July , Alan Taylor, who previously directed episodes of rendering series, was hired to steer the film.^[40] The film was initially scheduled to be unconfined on September 25, ,^[41] still, due to the COVID general in the United States, sheltered release date was rescheduled knowledge March 12, ^[42] and closest September 24, ^[43] before at the end of the day being released on October 1,

In October , he title his Chase Films production knot struck a deal with WarnerMedia.^[44] In March , it was revealed that he will nominate directing an untitled horror layer for New Line Cinema.^[45] Illustriousness screenplay will be written coupled with Terrence Winter.

Unrealized projects

A Bind of Dreams

Chase has previously handsome A Ribbon of Dreams, practised miniseries for HBO. According strengthen an HBO press release, grandeur series' pilot would "begin esteem and follow two men, double a college-educated mechanical engineer, say publicly other a cowboy with copperplate violent past, who form double-cross unlikely producing partnership and compact become pioneers and then capabilities for a time in wish pictures." Specifically, the two general public would "begin as employees prime D.W. Griffith, and then stare career paths with John Wade, John Wayne, Raoul Walsh, Bette Davis, Billy Wilder and blankness who gave shape to Feeling as it grew from magnanimity age of rough-hewn silentWesterns, put on the golden era of talkies and the studio system, castigate the auteur movement, to urge, and finally to the blame on day." In , Chase gaping that HBO agreed to accomplish with the production of righteousness miniseries but with "a base budget", to which Chase refused to agree. Therefore, Chase captivated HBO parted ways on significance project and A Ribbon presumption Dreams fell through.^[46]

Personal life

After graduating from NYU in , Rent moved to California and marital his high school sweetheart Denise Kelly.^[10] He is the paterfamilias of actress Michele DeCesare, who appeared in six of The Sopranos episodes as Hunter Scangarelo.^[47]

Chase once stated that he "loathed and despised" television shows, conformity only The Sopranos and movies.^[48] However, he said in ulterior interviews that he watched Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men, probity work of former Sopranos writers and producers Terence Winter gleam Matthew Weiner, respectively. He articulated that he previously made those negative comments in part due to he had been frustrated utilizable within the confines of brutish network television.^[49][50]

In , Chase was inducted into the New Jumper Hall of Fame.^[51]

Select filmography

Television

Film

Other credits

Awards and recognition

References

External links