Joseph Siravo, 'The Sopranos' Actor, Dies At Age 66

Actor Joseph Siravo died on March 11 following a battle with colon cancer
He famously played Johnny Soprano, father of Tony in the crime drama ‘The Sopranos’
He also had a strong career on and off-Broadway, particularly with ‘Jersey Boys’ and as an acting teacher

Joseph Siravo died on March 11, 2021 at the age of 66. He passed away following a battle with cancer, according to his agent in a statement to Variety. Siravo famously played Tony Soprano’s father in the crime drama The Sopranos.

The actor was also a star on the Broadway stages as well as the crime anthology series, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. There, he portrayed Fred Goldman.

The acting world mourns the death of Joseph Siravo

The #JerseyBoys family is saddened to learn of the passing of Joseph Siravo. Joe originated the role of Gyp DeCarlo on the First National Tour, going on to perform the role over 2000 times. He was a kind leader both on & off the stage. Our thoughts are with his family & friends. pic.twitter.com/1xsNOoSY4A

— Jersey Boys (@JerseyBoysInfo) April 12, 2021

During Joseph Siravo’s time on Broadway, he participated in the national tour of Jersey Boys. With the First National Tour, he played Angelo DeCarlo for over 2000 performances. The official Twitter page for the enduring musical already issued a statement mourning his loss.

https://twitter.com/TheSopranosClub/status/1381351092093599746

“The #JerseyBoys family is saddened to learn of the passing of Joseph Siravo,” the page wrote. “Joe originated the role of Gyp DeCarlo on the First National Tour, going on to perform the role over 2000 times. He was a kind leader both on & off the stage. Our thoughts are with his family & friends.”

Though not an official page, The Sopranos Club, as Twitter’s most interactive fan page for Sopranos viewers, also mourned his passing, writing, “In The Sopranos, Joseph was fantastic in portraying Tony’s ruthless father, which is an incredibly important part of Tony’s story Us fans will keep your memory alive.”

An HBO hit

Joseph Siravo as Johnny Boy Soprano and Rocco Sisto as Junior Soprano / HBO via NJ.com

Joseph Siravo called Washington D.C. home for much of his early life before pursuing an education at Stanford and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts theatre program. His screen debut came with 1993’s Carlito’s Way before he landed the role of Johnny Soprano. The series ran for six seasons with 86 episodes in total, and had one of the most discussed endings of the age.

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Siravo would also go on to teach, specifically with actor training programs in New York, writes Variety. He taught Shakespearean acting through the NYU Grad Acting as an official faculty member, effectively returning to his roots.

Joseph Siravo in The People vs. OJ Simpson / Everett Collection

Variety further notes Siravos is survived by his daughter Allegra Okarmus; son-in-law Aaron Okarmus; grandson Atticus Okarmus; sister Maria Siravo; and brothers Mario Siravo, Ernest Siravo and Michael Siravo. The family anticipates a memorial service for the late actor coming soon. Siravo had received a stage-four prostate cancer diagnosis back in 2017. His ultimate cause of death in 2021 would indeed be colon cancer following a “long, courageous” battle.