Episode #50 "The Strong, Silent Type"

Talking Sopranos

This week Michael and Steve welcome both Alla Kliouka (Svetlana Kirilenko) and Robert Funaro (Eugene Pontecorvo) to the Talking Sopranos podcast.

First up it’s Alla Kliouka who played Svetlana, one of the most memorable characters of the series. She talks about what it was like to be a successful actress in the Soviet Union and how the Sopranos was her first real US gig. When she auditioned for David Chase she walked into the room as Svetlana and completely blew everybody away. She also shares how she found out she was going to have sex with Tony Soprano at the table read, and how props made that famous leg disappear.

Then Robert Funaro joins the podcast and reveals how he was originally hired to play Ralphie. That didn’t go as planned so the writers switched gears and created Eugene just for him. He also tells Michael and Steve that just when he thought everything was going so well, he got the “Good News Bad News” call from David Chase. Robert also shares how the stunt coordinator pulled off his final scene, and what equipment was used to make it look so real.

After that Michael and Steve share some crazy stories about Milton Berle’s huge….. and Michael’s weird thoughts on the Bermuda Triangle. Plus the episode breakdown of “The Strong, Silent Type” S4 – Ep10. Make sure to subscribe to the Talking Sopranos podcast wherever you get your podcasts and go to the Talking Sopranos website for new merchandise.

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