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'David Chase' (born 'David DeCesare'—although some sources list his birth name as 'David Del Cesare'—August 22, 1945) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer best known as the creator and head writer of the highly acclaimed HBO series ''The Sopranos.''

Contents

Early life

Career

Personal life

The Sopranos

Written

Directed

References

External links

Early life

An only-child, David Chase was born to Henry and Norma DeCesare in Mount Vernon, New York. He grew up in a small garden apartment in Clifton, New Jersey. Chase has stated that he had many issues with his parents—who he feels were overbearing—as a youth. He grew up watching matinee crime films and was well-known as a creative storyteller during his childhood.^[1] Chase claims his father was an angry man who belittled him constantly as a child and his mother was a "passive-aggressive drama queen" and "a nervous woman who dominated any situation she was in by being so needy and always on the verge of hysteria. One of his characters on the HBO original series The Sopranos, Livia Soprano is based on his own mother. You walked on eggshells." Chase struggled with depression as a teenager. He graduated from high school in 1964 and attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where his depression worsened. "I slept 18 hours a day," Chase later stated. He described his problems as "what's come to be known as normal, nagging, clinical depression. It was awful." He also worked as drummer during this period, and held aspirations of being a professional musician. After two years, he transferred to New York University (NYU), where he announced his decision to pursue a career in film, a decision which was not well-received by his parents.

Career

Before creating and developing ''The Sopranos'', Chase produced episodes of ''Northern Exposure'' and ''The Rockford Files'', among other series. He also worked as a writer while on ''The Rockford Files''—a show which he worked on in various capacities for more than four years. He won several Emmys, including one for a television movie story of runaway he scripted in 1980. After ''The Rockford Files'' run ended the same year, Chase worked in numerous television jobs until he wound up in charge of ''Northern Exposure'' in 1993. Chase worked in relative anonymity before ''The Sopranos'' debuted.^[2] Inspired as a youth by the film ''The Public Enemy'', Chase created the critically and commercially successful show by drawing heavily on his own personal life; the character of Livia Soprano is modelled after his own mother.^[3] In a recent interview Chase stated that he experienced frustration for a long period with being unable to break out of the TV genre and into film over this time. In 2005, Chase received a Special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his entire body of work.
His first original created series was ''Almost Grown'' in 1988, with Eve Gordon and Timothy Daly.^[4] Although the one-hour series was well-received by critics,^[5] only 10 episodes aired from November 1988 to February 1989.^[6]

Personal life

After graduating from NYU in 1968 Chase moved to California and married his high school sweetheart Denise Kelly. Their daughter Michele DeCesare plays the character Hunter Scangarelo on ''The Sopranos''.

The Sopranos

25 episodes of ''The Sopranos'' are explicitly credited to Chase. However, as the show's creator, showrunner, and executive producer he had a major role in all of the scripts, including producing each script's final draft.^[7] He also directed the pilot episode and the series finale (both of which he also wrote).

Written

★ "The Sopranos" ''(episode 1.01)''

★ "46 Long" ''(episode 1.02)''

★ "College" ''(episode 1.05)'' (with Jim Manos, Jr.)

★ "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" ''(episode 1.08)'' (with Frank Renzulli)

★ "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano" ''(episode 1.13)''

★ "Commendatori" ''(episode 2.04)''

★ "Funhouse" ''(episode 2.13)'' (with Todd A. Kessler)

★ "Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood" ''(episode 3.01)''

★ "Proshai, Livushka" ''(episode 3.02)''

★ "Army of One" ''(episode 3.13)'' (with Lawrence Konner)

★ "For All Debts Public and Private" ''(episode 4.01)''

★ "No Show" ''(episode 4.02)'' (with Terence Winter)

★ "Calling All Cars" ''(episode 4.11)'' (with Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess and David Flebotte)

★ "Whitecaps" ''(episode 4.13)'' (with Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess)

★ "Two Tonys" ''(episode 5.01)'' (with Terence Winter)

★ "The Test Dream" ''(episode 5.11)'' (with Matthew Weiner)

★ "All Due Respect" ''(episode 5.13)'' (with Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess)

★ "Join the Club" ''(episode 6.02)''

★ "Live Free or Die" ''(episode 6.06)'' (with Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess and Terence Winter)

★ "Cold Stones" ''(episode 6.11)'' (with Diane Frolov & Andrew Schneider)

★ "Kaisha" ''(episode 6.12)'' (with Matthew Weiner and Terence Winter)

★ "Soprano Home Movies" ''(episode 6.13)'' (with Diane Frolov & Andrew Schneider and Matthew Weiner)

★ "Kennedy and Heidi" ''(episode 6.18)'' (with Matthew Weiner)

★ "The Blue Comet" ''(episode 6.20)'' (with Matthew Weiner)

★ "Made in America" ''(episode 6.21)''

Directed

★ "The Sopranos" ''(episode 1.01)''

★ "Made in America" ''(episode 6.21)''

References

1. David Chase: Creator, HBO.com, accessed May 6, 2007.
2. Biskend, Peter. An American Family, ''Vanity Fair '', April 2007, accessed May 6, 2007.
3. Dougherty, Robin. Chasing TV, salon.com, January 20, 1999, accessed May 8, 2007.
4. Baker, Kathryn. (November 23, 1988) Wichita Eagle. ''"Almost Grown: tells story of growing up.'' Section:Lifestyle; Page 9A.
5. Bark, Ed. (October 2, 1988) Dallas Morning News ''A critic picks the season's top ten.'' Section: Arts & Entertainment; page 1C.
6. Vero Beach Press Journal (November 12, 2000) ''Pipline.'' Section: TV Journal; Page 32.
7. Burying the Sopranos Josh Wolk

External links

★ Information about David Chase at HBO.com

★

★ Debate regarding Sopranos finale at HBO.com

★ The Sopranos