Paul Sorvino, Superstar as an Actor and Superstar as a Man

Paul Sorvino’s daughter, Academy award-winning actress, Mira Sorvino tweeted that her “great” father was gone.

“My father the great Paul Sorvino has passed. My heart is rent asunder- a life of love and joy and wisdom with him is over.” Mira Sorvino tweeted. “He was the most wonderful father. I love him so much. I’m sending you love in the stars Dad as you ascend.”

“Our hearts are broken,” wife Dee Dee Sorvino said in a statement. “There will never be another Paul Sorvino. He was the love of my life, and one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen and stage.”

To read these words from Daughter Mira and wife Dee Dee about Paul Sorvino and how great he was as a father and husband does not surprise me one bit.

I personally got to spend time with the great Paul Sorvino during the filming of “Curveballs Along the Way” and discovered that he was one of the most generous people that I would get to meet in the acting community.

After the Yankees won the World Series in 1996 Showtime decided to do a movie on Joe Torre and his impact on the team.

For whatever reason, the showtime producers just didn’t communicate properly with George Steinbrenner in order to get the Yankee’s approval. When the main producer, Norman Twain (of LEAN ON ME fame) met with Joe Torre to let him know that they were having trouble, Torre told Twain that they should have Ray Negron talk to Mr. Steinbrenner because we had a special relationship. When I found out that Paul Sorvino was the star of the film I definitely wanted to help. Being a movie buff and an inspiring actor myself, I loved Sorvino and wasn’t shy about asking Twain for an opportunity to test for a part in the film if it got approved. The thought of being in the same film as the great Paul Sorvino just blew me away.

The next day, I went to see the Boss and literally begged him to approve the film. The Boss knew me better than anyone in the Yankee Universe, With the exception of my mom, probably better than anyone.

Mr. Steinbrenner right away said to me that he knew that I wasn’t crazy about Joe Torre (a story for another day) so he asked why I was fighting for him. I said that in life everyone should get their story told from a cinematic standpoint and this was Joe’s time. Mr. Steinbrenner took his glasses off and stared at me and started to laugh. He asked me, “What part did they offer you?” I started to laugh and said, “nothing yet but I did ask for a screen test.” He said, “you’re a cheap date!”

At that moment, he said to leave it with him and he would think about it.

The next day I got a call from Norman Twain to thank me for my efforts with the Boss. After that weeks passed and the film finally went into production in Toronto Canada.

It was shot there to take advantage of the film tax credit that Canada had.

One day I surprisingly got a call from Norman Twain who asked me if I wanted to test for the part of the Yanks trainer. Naturally, I said yes so they flew me to Toronto. I tested with another actor and It actually went quite well.

I wasn’t as nervous as I had been in other screen tests because I was in my Yankee element. Throughout the years I had spent so much time with the famed Yankee trainer Gene Monohan and his assistant Steve Donohue so I knew what sports trainers did because I literally lived in the training room.

I have always said that I was as good as I was in that film because of Gene Monohan.

When it came time for me to work in that movie, I literally had a very bad stomachache and started to throw up because I was going to do my scene with the incredible Paul Sorvino. When Mr. Sorvino walked into the room I excused myself and ran into the bathroom again. I remember staying in there for ten minutes. I literally thought about Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson and how they handled the most pressure-packed situations during playoff and World Series games. I took a couple of deep breaths and I walked into the room. I walked over to Mr. Sorvino, shook his hand, and apologized for making him wait. He looked at me and said, “Son I had many throwing up sessions during my career” and everyone in the room started to laugh.

During the time I was in Toronto, Mr. Sorvino took me under his wing and made me feel like a true actor. When we rehearsed and I messed up he actually apologized to me because he thought he threw my timing off. I know for a fact that he was just trying to build up my confidence.

When the big day came and I was doing one of the big scenes of the film and going one on one with one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, I found that unbelievable.

Paul Sorvino really mentally prepared me for the big scene. I felt no pressure at all and to be going back and forth in dialogue with a true master was just incredible.

After we finished the scene Mr. Sorvino kept praising me for how natural I was. He said he loved my delivery because it gave the scene credibility.

The truth is that without Mr. Sorvino’s confidence and encouragement there is no way that I could have done it.

When I went to the premiere of the film, the first person to come up to me was Paul Sorvino. With that big smile of his, he said, “You did good kid, You did good!”

Whenever I ran into Mr. Sorvino at events he was always a great gentleman, who never acted bigger than the next guy. He was just a real nice guy and an incredible actor who made the Joe Torre character in the film better than what it was!
Special thanks to George Steinbrenner for letting this film happen. He actually saw the film and asked me who my acting coach was? I actually had the nerve to laugh out loud and say that it’s always been him.

Yes the Boss did laugh too!