| Life post-Pussy >> Bronxian Vincent Pastore talks about comedy, the mob and living down his role on The Sopranos by MICHAEL CITROME
Vincent Pastore isn’t a guy you’d expect to see doing stand-up. This New York actor is best known for his portrayal of Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, mob don Tony Soprano’s tubby right-hand man on The Sopranos. But despite all his street cred, Pastore isn’t giving out clues on what to expect from his stage act. “I dunno,” he says. “They asked me to go up there. I’ve been in sitcoms. I’ve got a couple of romantic comedies. I just did a commercial in L.A. this week. I think people laugh when they see me.” Funny or not, people react when they see Pastore—like what happened 20 minutes before this interview. “I live on City Island in the Bronx. I go to Pelham Bay to my cleaners and there’s these guys paving the road, like 10 of them, and they’re yelling out ‘Pussy,’” Pastore says, laughing. “Picture this, construction guys laying out tar and they’re yelling out ‘Pussy!’ and all these girls think they’re talking to them.” Fortunately, Pastore isn’t bothered by being synonymous with his wiseguy alter ego. In fact, Sopranos fame even got him on Hollywood Squares during New York Week, splitting his square with co-star Tony Sirrico, aka Paulie Walnuts. “It’s tough sharing a stage with Tony,” says Pastore. “He likes to take up the whole box. So you’ve got two guys sitting in these little chairs in a box, looking down at Kathy Lee Gifford.” Pastore says he’s been keeping busy since his watery Sopranos demise. He was just at the Los Angeles premiere of Serving Sara, where he stars with Matthew Perry and Elizabeth Hurley, in the news for her recent paternity problems. “I saw Matthew Perry. He says to me, ‘Did you hear what’s going on with Liz Hurley?’ He wanted to use the publicity and say it was his kid. I called him a sick fuck,” Pastore jokes. “I also know he didn’t fuck Liz Hurley. He was too high, he was on those Percodans and whatever he was taking. When we were shooting the movie, he had to take a vacation for five weeks. When I saw him, he seemed a little bitter, he says I stole the movie from him, so fuck him. He was disappointed he wasn’t the father of the child, that’s all” For Just for Laughs, Pastore will be doing his act with fellow Sopranos alum Steven Schirripa, who plays Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri, a sweaty fat guy who’s personal assistant to Uncle Junior. But don’t call Pastore fat, because “the fat guy’s Steve.” Pastore just came back from California and he says he’s in great shape: “I worked out, I went swimming, I got laid a lot.” He adds that he’s definitely looking forward to his trip to Montreal. “To me, it’s the fucking big time, we’re going across the border. Could you believe I’m going to be 56 next week and I’ve never been to Montreal? “Put in the article that he’s single and looking for a girl to take back to the States. Put that in the fucking paper.” Vincent Pastore appears at The Really Late Show: Hugh Fink and his Enemies, July 20, midnight at Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent) $22.50 + tax >> Stage Listings |
“Am
I a comedian? I dunno, what’s the definition of a comedian?”