The Doorpost
GUEST: Al Sapienza
Al Sapienza is a true artist who has the rare ability to explore a boundless range of characters through acting dancing and singing, on both the stage and the screen.
Educated at New York University in the performing arts, Al Sapienza’s acting career has spanned over 2 decades. After graduating from New York University, Al made a life changing decision to move to Los Angles to study acting and to throw himself into the world of theater, working on over 30 plays to prove to himself that he could be a great actor.
Appearing in several movies including the award winning film “Lethal Weapon 4” with Mel Gibson, Danny Glover and Joe Pesci, “They’re Just my Friends” with John ‘Cha Cha’ Ciarcia, “Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home”, “A Month of Sundays” with Rod Steiger, “Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power” with Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs and Burt Young, “Scriptfellas” with Paul Sorvino, “The Path to 9/11”, “Saw V”, “Million Dollar Arm”, “Godzilla”, and “Taken 3”, to name a few.
Al Sapeinza is also a familiar face on the television screen. Besides being Uncle Junior Corrado Sopranos right hand man, the mean-streaked mafia hit man, Mikey Palmice, on the HBO series, “The Sopranos”, Al has also made television appearances on the Fox Network program “Prison Break” as the mafia kingpin Philly Falzone, “The Brotherhood” as the character Mayor Frank Panzerelli, “Law & Order, Criminal Intent”, “Port Charles” as Mario, “Melrose Place”, and “NYPD Blue”. Most recently, “House of Cards”, and “Ascension” are among his numerous television credits.
In an industry which thrives on typecasting, Sapienza is one of those rare talents who continues to challenge himself, by continuing to portray a wide variety of characters. The New York handsome native can morph from a lead in a romantic comedy to a deviant mobster into a sociopathic killer and then to a faithful sidekick.
His passion to intensify his craft has catapulted him into even more diverse roles. His body of work epitomizes him as a true artist. Sapienza currently divides his time between New York and Los Angeles.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
Until one is committed
There is hesitancy, the chance to draw back
Always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and Creation)
There is one elementary truth
The ignorance which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
That the moment that one definitely commits ones self
Then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
That would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision
Raising in one’s favor all manner
Of unforeseen incidents and meetings
And material substance
Which no one could have dreamt
Would have come your way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
-GOETHE
BIG BREAK:
Beatlemania, Sopranos, and House of Cards were all big breaks.
BUSINESS FAILURE:
Sleeping with one of his bosses daughters, not being on stage when his scene was on, and showing up late for rehearsal.
SUCCESS HABITS:
He types out all of his lines and memorizes it as well as his scene partner’s. He also reads the whole script every morning before he goes to set.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Dreams into Action by Milton Katselas
Watch every Oscar nominated film and Emmy nominated TV show.
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