Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa really have delivered “the definitive oral history” of “The Sopranos” in their new book, “Woke Up This Morning.”
The tome weaves interviews with dozens of cast and crew members (and series creator David Chase) for an unprecedented, dishy, behind-the-scenes look at the iconic mob drama, which aired on HBO from 1999-2007 with star James Gandolfini as troubled North Jersey mobster Tony Soprano.
The nearly 500-page book, which borrows its title from the show’s theme song by Alabama 3, is comprised of interviews, both from “Talking Sopranos” — the popular podcast hosted by Imperioli and Schirripa — and from deeper-dive interviews by the duo. Imperioli played Tony’s “nephew,” Christopher Moltisanti; Schirripa played Tony’s (eventual) brother-in-law, Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri (both characters met bloody ends).
“This isn’t a book about the podcast,” said Schirripa. “We talked to a lot of people again. There’s so much material. On the podcast, we go scene by scene; in the book, it’s season by season, so it’s completely different.
The Gotham Reporter 