Every Goodfellas Actor in The Sopranos
Whether it’s coincidence, homage, or the simple fact that some talent is suited to gangster movies, there are a number of Goodfellas actors in The Sopranos. Released in 1990, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas is based on the 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family by Nicholas Pileggi. The book chronicles the life and crimes of Henry Hill, who, by his own account, always wanted to be a gangster. While Mean Streets deals with young criminals in New York City, Goodfellas was Scorsese’s first gangster film and remains one of the best in the genre.
Just as Goodfellas stands out as a mafia film, HBO’s The Sopranos is a widely acclaimed and influential television series that deals with organized crime. Starring James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, David Chase’s The Sopranos ran for six seasons, offering a contemporary look at Italian-American gangster life in New York City. Both projects were very separate mafia stories, each with their own agenda, but there were clear similarities, including several actors who appeared in both Goodfellas and The Sopranos.
Lorraine Bracco was the most prominent and prominent of the Sopranos cast members to also star in Goodfellas. In 1990, the actress made a name for herself playing Karen Hill in Goodfellas opposite Ray Liotta. A regular girl lured by the money and glamour of dating a gangster, Karen was left devastated and devastated as collateral damage from her husband’s illegal activities. She earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Scorsese’s film at the 63rd Annual Academy Awards.
Although Bracco did not want to play a mafia wife again, she joined The Sopranos as Jennifer Melfi, Tony’s therapist, with whom she shares a complicated relationship throughout the HBO series. Ultimately, Dr. Melfi avoids the tragic traps that Bracco’s Goodfellas character falls into, and she is able to escape Tony Soprano without losing her life. She received four Primetime Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations for her role in The Sopranos.
