About
"I think my life experience informs my directing much more than my acting skills. I think I know how to put an actor at ease, I don't know the language, if there is a language, but I think every actor comes to the set with their own needs and then you have to handle them accordingly."
In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Timothy Van Patten discusses a career that has spanned East to West Coast and back again. He recounts his early life in New York and his move to Los Angeles, where he found success as an actor playing "Salami" on the MTM production The White Shadow. Van Patten speaks at length about mentor Bruce Paltrow and the amazing education in television and film he received on the set of several Paltrow-led productions. He talks about his challenging transition to directing, a journey that eventually led to directing episodes of several short-lived series such as Home Fires and The Road Home, and of longer reigning shows Touched by an Angel and Homicide: Life on the Street. He concludes by describing how he found his niche directing episodes of acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Wire, and Boardwalk Empire, and expresses his deep respect for writer/producers David Chase, David Simon and Terence Winter. Van Patten also confesses that in addition to television acting and directing, he now has a hankering for writing, too. Ron Simon conducted the interview on June 26, 2009 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Wire
Timothy Van Patten on his directing style for The Sopranos
Timothy Van Patten on good directing
Timothy Van Patten on the show business education he received on the set of The White Shadow
Timothy Van Patten on advice to aspiring directors and actors
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early years and influences
On moving to California and his first acting roles
On co-starring in The White Shadow as "Salami"
On life after The White Shadow
Chapter 2
On his other acting credits in television movies and films; on his transition to directing
On NYU continuing school and getting experience as a director - on Home Fires, The Road Home, Touched By an Angel, Homicide: Life on the Street, C.P.W., and New York Undercover
On his directing style and how TV has changed over the years; on rehearsals
On his work on The Sopranos
Chapter 3
On his work on The Sopranos (continued)
On his work on Sex and the City
On his work on The Wire
On his work on Rome
On his work on Deadwood
On his work on the Spielberg miniseries Into the West
On his work on The Pacific
Chapter 4
On the HBO miniseries The Pacific
On directing Boardwalk Empire
On the state of the entertainment industry; on his advice to aspiring professionals; on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Boardwalk Empire
Timothy Van Patten on directing HBO's Boardwalk Empire
Timothy Van Patten on writing and executive producing on Boardwalk Empire
Central Park West
Timothy Van Patten on directing C.P.W. aka Central Park West
Deadwood
Timothy Van Patten on his work on Deadwood
Dress Gray
Timothy Van Patten on his work acting on TV movie Dress Gray
Home Fires
Timothy Van Patten on wanting to direct Bruce Paltrow's show Home Fires
Homicide: Life on the Street
Timothy Van Patten on Bruce Paltrow and directing Homicide: Life on the Street
Into the West
Timothy Van Patten on doing the miniseries Into the West with Steven Spielberg
Master, The
Timothy Van Patten on his work acting on the short-lived series The Master
New York Undercover
Timothy Van Patten on directing Dick Wolf's New York Undercover
Pacific, The
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Pacific
Timothy Van Patten on directing the HBO miniseries The Pacific
Road Home, The
Timothy Van Patten on directing Bruce Paltrow's series The Road Home
Rome
Timothy Van Patten on his work on Rome
Sex and the City
Timothy Van Patten on his work on Sex and the City
Timothy Van Patten on directing the final 2 episodes of Sex and the City
Sex and the City: "An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux)"
Timothy Van Patten on directing the final 2 episodes of Sex and the City
Sex and the City: "An American Girl in Paris (Part Une)"
Timothy Van Patten on directing the final 2 episodes of Sex and the City
Sopranos, The
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Sopranos
Timothy Van Patten on his "story by" credit for the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Sopranos (continued)
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos episode "Amour Fou"
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos episode "Members Only"
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos finale, "Made in America" and the legacy of the series
Sopranos, The: "Amour Fou"
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos episode "Amour Fou"
Sopranos, The: "Made in America"
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos finale, "Made in America" and the legacy of the series
Sopranos, The: "Members Only"
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos episode "Members Only"
Sopranos, The: "Pine Barrens"
Timothy Van Patten on his "story by" credit for the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
Touched By an Angel
Timothy Van Patten on directing Touched By an Angel
White Shadow, The
Timothy Van Patten on co-starring in The White Shadow as "Salami"
Wire, The
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Wire
Topics
Characters & Catchphrases
Timothy Van Patten on his character, "Salami," on The White Shadow
Timothy Van Patten on the character "Tony Soprano"
Classic TV Series Episodes
Timothy Van Patten on his "story by" credit for the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
Drama
Timothy Van Patten on his "story by" credit for the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
Emmy Awards
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow's Emmy nominations
Fame and Celebrity
Timothy Van Patten on his fame after The White Shadow
Pop Culture
Timothy Van Patten on his "story by" credit for the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
Timothy Van Patten on his character, "Salami," on The White Shadow
Timothy Van Patten on the character "Tony Soprano"
Representation on Television
Timothy Van Patten on diversity on The White Shadow
Technological Innovation
Timothy Van Patten on how technology has influenced directing
Television Industry
Timothy Van Patten on his fame after The White Shadow
Underrepresented Voices
Timothy Van Patten on diversity on The White Shadow
Professions
Actor
Timothy Van Patten on wanting to be an actor
Directors
Timothy Van Patten on advice to aspiring directors
Performers
Timothy Van Patten on wanting to be an actor
Genres
Comedy Series
Timothy Van Patten on his work on Sex and The City
Drama Series
Timothy Van Patten on directing The Sopranos
Timothy Van Patten on the MTM drama The White Shadow
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Sopranos
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Wire
Timothy Van Patten on his work on Deadwood
Timothy Van Patten on working on the HBO drama Boardwalk Empire
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Timothy Van Patten on his work on the HBO miniseries The Pacific
Timothy Van Patten on his work on the TNT miniseries Into The West
People
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Timothy Van Patten on directing Sex and the City's Mikhail Baryshnikov
Bruce Bilson
Timothy Van Patten on veteran TV director Bruce Bilson
Joshua Brand
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow writer/producer/director Bruce Paltrow's way with writers
Steve Buscemi
Timothy Van Patten on his "story by" credit for the "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos
Glenn Gordon Caron
Timothy Van Patten on working with TV auteur Glenn Gordon Caron
Thomas Carter
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow director Thomas Carter
David Chase
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos creator David Chase
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos creator David Chase and star James Gandolfini
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos creator David Chase giving him the first episode of each season to direct
Timothy Van Patten on working with The Sopranos writer/producers David Chase and Terence Winter
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos finale, "Made in America"
Timothy Van Patten on humor on The Sopranos
Jackie Cooper
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow director Jackie Cooper
Edie Falco
Timothy Van Patten on working with The Sopranos actress Edie Falco
John Falsey
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow writer/producer/director Bruce Paltrow's way with writers
Tom Fontana
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow writer/producer/director Bruce Paltrow's way with writers
James Gandolfini
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos creator David Chase and star James Gandolfini
Timothy Van Patten on The Sopranos star James Gandolfini
Kevin Hooks
Timothy Van Patten on co-star Kevin Hooks in The White Shadow
Robert Iler
Timothy Van Patten on working with The Sopranos "kids" Robert Iler and Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Michael Imperioli
Timothy Van Patten on working with The Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli
Michael Patrick King
Timothy Van Patten on Sex and the City's Michael Patrick King
Barry Levinson
Timothy Van Patten on Barry Levinson's shooting style on Homicide: Life on the Street
Nancy Marchand
Timothy Van Patten on working with The Sopranos actress Nancy Marchand
David Milch
Timothy Van Patten on his work on Deadwood
Timothy Van Patten on David Milch's Deadwood
Bruce Paltrow
Timothy Van Patten on Bruce Paltrow's advice when Van Patten decided to be a director
Timothy Van Patten on wanting to direct Bruce Paltrow's show Home Fires
Timothy Van Patten on directing on Bruce Paltrow's series The Road Home
Timothy Van Patten on mentor Bruce Paltrow
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow writer/producer/director Bruce Paltrow
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow writer/producer/director Bruce Paltrow
Timothy Van Patten on Bruce Paltrow fighting the network for what he wanted on The White Shadow
Martin Scorsese
Timothy Van Patten on working with Martin Scorcese
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Timothy Van Patten on working with The Sopranos "kids" Robert Iler and Jamie-Lynn Sigler
David Simon
Timothy Van Patten on his work on The Wire
Timothy Van Patten on directing David Simon's The Wire
Steven Spielberg
Timothy Van Patten on doing the miniseries Into the West and The Pacific with Steven Spielberg
Mark Tinker
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow director Mark Tinker
Grant Tinker
Timothy Van Patten on The White Shadow writer/producer/director Bruce Paltrow's way with writers
Dick Van Patten
Timothy Van Patten on his half-brother Dick Van Patten
Martha Williamson
Timothy Van Patten on working with Touched By an Angel writer Martha Williamson
Terence Winter
Timothy Van Patten on working with The Sopranos writer/producers David Chase and Terence Winter
Timothy Van Patten on working with Boardwalk Empire creator and friend Terence Winter
Dick Wolf
Timothy Van Patten on directing Dick Wolf's New York Undercover