Steve Schirripa is best known to millions of viewers as Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri on The Sopranos and Detective Anthony Abetemarco on Blue Bloods. The Brooklyn native built those memorable television roles after working in Las Vegas entertainment rather than following a conventional path into acting. In 2026, his career also includes recent television appearances, Hallmark movies, podcasting, and a new children’s book.
Quick answer: Schirripa is a 69-year-old American actor, author, producer, and podcast host from Brooklyn, New York. He became famous as Bobby Bacala on The Sopranos, later spent nearly a decade on Blue Bloods, appeared in Dexter: Resurrection, and published the children’s book WillieBoy Eats the World in 2026.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Steven Ralph Schirripa |
| Born | September 3, 1957 |
| Age in September 2026 | 69 |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York |
| Education | Brooklyn College |
| Breakthrough role | Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri, The Sopranos |
| Major later TV role | Detective Anthony Abetemarco, Blue Bloods |
| Recent television work | Dexter: Resurrection |
| 2026 book | WillieBoy Eats the World |
| Wife | Laura |
| Children | Two daughters |
Key takeaways
- Schirripa turned 69 on September 3, 2026.
- The Sopranos made Bobby Bacala his signature character.
- He played Anthony Abetemarco on Blue Bloods from 2015 through the series finale in 2024.
- His 2025 work included Dexter: Resurrection and Hallmark projects.
- His 2026 children’s book grew from videos featuring his dachshund, WillieBoy.
- Published net-worth figures are estimates rather than verified financial disclosures.
Why Steve Schirripa Still Draws Interest in 2026
A broad search for the actor still leads heavily to biographies, filmographies, and questions about his two biggest television characters. That makes sense because Bobby Bacala and Anthony Abetemarco introduced him to different generations of American television viewers. His more recent projects give those audiences another reason to check what he has been doing since Blue Bloods ended.
His career also has an unusual starting point compared with many actors who entered the business through theater schools or early auditions. Brooklyn College says he graduated with a physical education degree before moving into the Las Vegas entertainment business. The college named him its 2025 Alumnus of the Year, recognizing a career that expanded into acting, producing, writing, and podcasting.
From Brooklyn and Las Vegas to The Sopranos
Schirripa grew up in Brooklyn and attended Brooklyn College, where basketball was a major part of his student life. In a Brooklyn Eagle interview, he described sports as an important influence during his childhood. His later move to Las Vegas put him around performers and entertainment venues before acting became his main profession.
Early screen work included smaller parts in films such as Casino and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Those credits came before he landed the television role that changed his public profile. By 2000, he had joined HBO’s The Sopranos as Bobby Baccalieri, better known as Bobby Bacala.
Readers interested in another actor whose career moved across several parts of American television can also read Newsprien’s profile of Molly Ephraim. Her path is different, but both careers show how one widely recognized role can become only part of a longer résumé. Read the Molly Ephraim profile.
How Bobby Bacala Became His Defining Role
Bobby entered The Sopranos as an associate of Corrado “Junior” Soprano and gradually became more important to the story. Schirripa appeared in 53 episodes between 2000 and 2007, according to current credit listings. The character mixed mob-world danger with domestic concerns and a softer temperament than many people surrounding Tony Soprano.
The role remains so closely tied to the actor that he has repeatedly discussed being recognized as Bobby years after the series ended. That association has also supported reunions, interviews, retrospectives, and later work connected to the show’s history. Instead of distancing himself from the character, he has continued engaging with the audience that discovered him through HBO’s drama.
That continued connection eventually helped produce Talking Sopranos, the podcast he co-hosted with Michael Imperioli. The project examined episodes and behind-the-scenes memories before inspiring Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos. Akashic Books describes that oral history as a New York Times bestseller.
Blue Bloods Gave Him Another Long-Running Television Home
Schirripa joined Blue Bloods in 2015 as Detective Anthony Abetemarco, who frequently worked alongside Bridget Moynahan’s Erin Reagan. The part was initially expected to be much shorter, but producers kept bringing the character back. He ultimately stayed until the CBS drama ended in December 2024 after 14 seasons.
Current credit databases list 146 episodes for his run as Anthony, far more than his episode count on The Sopranos. He told People that an NYPD technical adviser helped him learn details such as police terminology and handling a badge. He also said real officers later told him that Anthony felt like a believable old-school New York cop.
Newspaper readers following performers with long careers across film and television may also enjoy the site’s recent Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio profile. Like Schirripa, she has stayed visible through roles that reach audiences from several television eras. Read the Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio profile.
Recent Roles After Blue Bloods
Leaving a long-running network drama did not mean leaving television. In 2025, Schirripa appeared in Dexter: Resurrection as Vinny Valente, a supporting character in the sequel series. The current television credits list him in two episodes of the Paramount+ with Showtime series.
He also moved into lighter material after years of crime dramas. Hallmark cast him as Frank in Sisterhood, Inc., which premiered in February 2025, and he later appeared as Frank DeLuca in Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story. Hallmark’s current biography highlights those projects alongside The Sopranos, Blue Bloods, and Dexter: Resurrection.
The shift is notable because much of his public image comes from mob and police stories. Hallmark gave him roles built around a much different tone, while Dexter returned him to darker television material. That variety suggests his post-Blue Bloods career is not tied to one character type.
Books, Talking Sopranos and WillieBoy Eats the World
Acting is only one part of his work. His bibliography includes the Goomba’s Guide books, parenting titles, and the Nicky Deuce stories, while Talking Sopranos extended his connection with the HBO series into podcasting. The podcast’s success later produced the oral-history book written with Michael Imperioli and Philip Lerman.
His newest publishing project takes a much different direction. WillieBoy Eats the World was published by Akashic Books on April 21, 2026, with Philip Lerman as co-writer and Kirk Parrish as illustrator. The picture book grew from videos featuring Schirripa and his dachshund WillieBoy and encourages children to try unfamiliar foods and experiences.
Boston.com reported in May 2026 that the actor was promoting the book while continuing to divide his time between New York and Rhode Island. The interview also showed how WillieBoy has developed his own following through the pair’s social media appearances. That project has given the actor a current public role that is far removed from both mob drama and police television.
For more entertainment biographies, Newsprien’s Alec Musser profile provides another look at an American actor whose television and film work attracted sustained public interest. The profiles cover different career paths while giving readers additional context on familiar screen performers. Read the Alec Musser profile.
Wife, Daughters and Family Life
Schirripa has been married to Laura for decades, and the couple has two daughters. Recent profiles also frequently feature WillieBoy, the family dachshund who became the inspiration for the 2026 picture book. Despite years of celebrity, his public comments about family often center on ordinary parenting, food, sports, pets, and life in New York.
His family life has also influenced his writing. Earlier books addressed fatherhood and raising daughters, while his newest project uses a family pet to introduce young readers to new foods and cultures. That connection gives his writing career a more personal theme than viewers might expect from the characters that first made him famous.
What Is His Net Worth?
Figures for Steve Schirripa’s net worth circulate widely on celebrity finance sites, but none of them comes from an audited or official disclosure. Private salaries, contracts, assets, and investments are not made public, so any total published for him is an estimate rather than a verified number. A more reliable picture of his career comes from documented decades of television work, books, producing credits, appearances, and other entertainment projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Steve Schirripa in 2026?
He is 69 years old as of September 2026, based on a September 3, 1957, birth date listed by current sources, including Rotten Tomatoes and TV Insider. He turned 69 on September 3, 2026. Some databases list a conflicting 1958 year, but multiple current sources support 1957.
Who did he play on The Sopranos?
He played Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri, a member of Junior Soprano’s circle who became increasingly important as the series progressed. Current credits list him in 53 episodes between 2000 and 2007. The part remains the role most closely associated with his career.
What happened to his Blue Bloods character?
Anthony Abetemarco remained part of the series through its final season rather than leaving in an earlier storyline. Blue Bloods concluded its 14-season run on December 13, 2024. Schirripa later spoke positively about his nearly decade-long experience with the cast and production.
What is he doing now?
His newest major 2026 project is WillieBoy Eats the World, a children’s picture book inspired by his dachshund. His recent acting credits include Dexter: Resurrection, Sisterhood, Inc., and Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story. Taken together, those projects show a career that has continued across television, books, podcasts, and family entertainment after Blue Bloods.
A Career That Has Lasted Beyond Two Signature Characters
Bobby Bacala and Anthony Abetemarco will probably remain the quickest reference points for viewers who recognize Schirripa. His career in 2026, though, is broader than either part, with recent acting work, Hallmark movies, books, podcasting, and public appearances keeping him active. Readers following veteran American actors can continue through Newsprien’s entertainment coverage for more verified career profiles and updates.
