Joseph Siravo, the veteran Broadway actor best known for his role as Giovanni "Johnny Boy" Soprano on HBO’s The Sopranos, has died. Siravo reportedly passed away following a long battle with cancer. The performer was 64 at the time of his death.
Joseph Siravo’s daughter, Allegra Okarmus, confirmed the news of his passing on her Instagram account. In the post, she penned a message to her father, which was quoted by the BBC:
I was by his side when my dear father passed away this morning, peacefully, in his beloved Treehouse. We are both so lucky to be so intensely loved. I am so immensely grateful to have had him here on earth and I know that he hasn't gone very far.
The news was further confirmed by Joseph Siravo’s fellow Sopranos alum Garry Pastore, who paid tribute to him in a sweet Instagram post. You can see it down below:
Fellow Sopranos alum Michael Imperioli took to Instagram to post a sweet tribute of his own on Instagram. In the message, he praised Joseph Siravo as an actor and as a person:
Our friend and colleague JOE SIRAVO has passed away. Joe was an excellent actor and a wonderful guy and he will be missed dearly. His performance of Johnny Boy Soprano was spot on and he also made a perfect John Gotti in Nick Sandow’s “The Wannabe”. In my opinion he was the best of all the actors who’ve played the Teflon Don. Farewell Joe. Until the next life my friend.
Born in Washington D.C. on February 12, 1957, Joseph Siravo eventually attended and graduated from Stanford University before making his way to the Tisch School of the Arts. Before making the jump to the big or small screens, Siravo made a name for himself as a stage actor on Broadway, starring in plays like Oslo, Conversations With My Father and The Boys From Syracuse. He most notably served as one of the performers in the original national tour for Jersey Boys, in which he played Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo in over 2,000 performances.
Joseph Siravo would make his screen debut in 1993 with Brian de Palma’s Carlito’s Way, in which he played the revenge-seeking Vincent "Vinnie" Taglialucci. Siravo would go on to star in other films, such as Maid in Manhattan, Shark Tale and Motherless in Brooklyn. Over the years he’d also build up a number of TV credits in notable shows like Law & Order, Blue Bloods, The Blacklist and The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
Of course, the actor would truly solidify his place in television history with his role as Johnny Boy Sorpano on HBO’s critically acclaimed drama. Throughout the series Siravo’s Johnny Boy would appear in dream sequences or flashbacks, which were usually tied to key moments in the life of his son, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini).
Joseph Siravo managed to make quite an impact during his time on this earth, not only through his performances but through his role as an educator as well. Not only was he a highly sought-after acting tutor, but he also served as a member of NYU's Grad Acting faculty.
We here at CinemaBlend extended our deepest condolences to the loved ones of Joseph Siravo during this time.
