‘Sopranos’ Alum Steve Schirripa Says People Sometimes Treat Him Like His ‘TV Persona’ Bobby Bacala

Steve Schirripa admitted that some Sopranos fans still see him as mobster Bobby ‘Bacala’ Baccalieri nearly 20 years after the show came to an end.

The Blue Bloods actor and Sopranos costar Michael Imperioli both appeared together in an ad for Sanpellegrino’s new line of sparkling water inspired by Italy called CIAO!, shared with People on Monday, April 7.

In the ad, both actors drew some comparisons to their Sopranos characters, something that Steve, 67, admitted still happens in real life.

“People, when we were out in a restaurant or something, people will come over and they do think we’re not Steve and Michael, they kind of treat us like other people, you know, like our TV personas, shall we say,” he told the outlet.

Blue Bloods' Steve Schirripa Says 'A Lot of Actors Are Not Very Nice'

Steve and Michael, 59, have added a lot to their acting resumes since portraying members of the New Jersey mob on The Sopranos from 1999 to 2007. In 2025, Steve landed his bucket list role in a Hallmark movie called Sisterhood, Inc.

“I never did a Hallmark movie,” he told Us Weekly in February. “It was, believe it or not, a bucket list thing. How many guys could go from The Sopranos to Hallmark? But I made the jump and I was very happy and I had a wonderful time.”

The Secret Life of the American Teenager alum said that he hoped to do more Hallmark movies down the line.

“I really had a good time, I hope to do more,” Steve told the outlet. “It was very nice, no arguing, no killing, no nothing. Even on Blue Bloods, which I loved, I must have killed four or five people. I killed more people as a cop than I did as a mobster.”

Steve said that he’s seen a lot of Hallmark movies, and he appreciates the “nice vibe” the feel-good films bring.

“Sometimes you’re not in a great mood, you don’t want to watch anything heavy,” he explained. “If I want to watch bad stuff, I put the news on. Sometimes you just want to watch something nice.”

Additionally, Steve was also added to the cast of Dexter: Resurrection, an upcoming crime drama that serves as the sequel to Dexter.

“Production for DEXTER: RESURRECTION kicked off in January 2025 in New York and the series is set to launch in summer of 2025 on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME,” a press release said. “The new original drama series stars SAG and Golden Globe® winner Michael C. Hall (DEXTER®, Six Feet Under) in the titular role of Dexter Morgan.”

For Michael, life after The Sopranos has been equally full of great opportunities, including starring in season 2 of The White Lotus. Michael also reflected on how The Sopranos has withstood the test of time as one of the most talked-about and beloved programs.

“It’s a continual shock that this show has relevance to people who, maybe, weren’t even born when we first went on the air. It’s very rare in television or film,” the Hawaii Five-0 alum told Us Weekly in an interview pushed on April 7. “Our culture right now, everything’s in the moment. Attention spans are short, stuff comes out, it’s gone, and it’s forgotten in weeks.”