There are — and it’s really not surprising — stage and screen actors who’ve taken to the art of writing, and publishing books with great success.
Writing is as much a creative outlet as acting, so it’s understandable that actors feature recording stories on paper.
Take Robert Funaro, for instance, the New Dorp actor and a familiar face in the world of entertainment.
Funaro received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Eugene Pontecorvo, a crime family soldier in the HBO series “The Soprano’s,” and for his role as Tony Del Greco, a chief enforcer for a New York mob boss in Martin Scorsese’s TV drama series, “Vinyl.”
He played Johnny in the film “The Irishman,” and in the Showtime hit drama TV series “Ray Donovan,” where he had a recurring role as Lt. Bricker, a commander who turns bad.
The accomplished actor, who recently published his latest book titled “Homemade,” can now add his name to the list of celebrity chefs who’ve taken to creating innovative recipes.
But Funaro’s book is unique in that it has an interesting twist.
It’s no ordinary cookbook, but rather comprised of eight Sopranos stories, in addition to eight favorite, authentically Italian recipes.
TV APPEARANCE AND BOOK SIGNING
Funaro will make a TV appearance and talk about his new cookbook and answer questions on the WPIX-11 Channel 11 Morning News Thursday morning, Feb. 20 at 9:30 a.m., where he’ll tell all about his latest work that’s available in print.
Then on Saturday, March 8, from noon until 2 p.m., Funaro will be at Barnes & Noble where he’ll host a “Meet and Greet Book Signing,” to be followed by a Question and Answer session, where fans will be able to query the actor on matters pertaining to “The Soprano’s” and the Italian cuisine.
Barnes & Noble is located at 2655 Richmond Ave. in New Springville.
MORE ON FUNARO’S BOOK
“Homemade” was written in collaboration with James C. McCusker, a local author, and Andrew Jedlicka, Funaro’s business manager.
The men joined forces to offer a behind the scenes look at “The Soprano’s,” while at the same time offering popular dishes from various regions of Italy for every family member to enjoy, plus step by step instructions on how to prepare each dish.
Funaro also talks about his long-time friendship with James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano), his mentor and friend, and explains how Gandolfini was the driving force in his landing his role in the HBO series.
He also shares recipes and some cooking secrets of immediate family members, including his mom, Anna, and sisters Anne and Linda.
Funaro believes that food brings everyone together and says there is no better place to feel fulfilled than in the comfort of a kitchen.
Also included are photos and hints on how to make Mama Anna Funaro’s baked ziti, sister Anne’s broccoli with rigatoni pasta and sister Linda’s rice balls.
