David Chase (born
August 22,
1945) is an
American writer,
director, and
producer of
television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as
The Rockford Files,
I'll Fly Away, and
Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first,
Almost Grown, aired for 10 episodes in 1988 and 1989. Chase is best known for his second original series, the influential and critically acclaimed
HBO drama The Sopranos, which aired for six seasons between
1999 and
2007. A prominent figure in American television, Chase has won seven
Emmy Awards.
Biography
Early life
An only child,
David DeCesare was born to Henry and Norma DeCesare (both of
Neapolitan origin) in
Mount Vernon, New York. Some sources list his birth name as
David Del Cesare. An
Italian-American,
[Boss of Bosses] Chase grew up in a small
garden apartment in
Clifton, New Jersey[Peter Biskend. "An American Family" [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair] , April 2007, accessed May 6, 2007.]] and in
North Caldwell.
[DeCaro, Frank. " No Longer the Punch-Line State; Lauryn Hill, the Sopranos and others are unapologetic New Jerseyans.", The New York Times, April 4, 1999."Growing up in Clifton and North Caldwell, Mr. Chase said, New Jersey seemed very exciting and very mysterious, not dull and predictable as many New Yorkers like to believe."] Chase has stated that he had many issues with his parents—who he feels were overbearing—as a youth.
He grew up watching matinée crime films and was well-known as a creative storyteller during his childhood.
[David Chase: Creator, HBO.com, accessed May 6, 2007.] 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. You walked on eggshells." One of his characters on the
HBO original series
The Sopranos,
Livia Soprano is based on his mother. Chase struggled with
severe depression as a teenager, something he still deals with today. 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 a
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 that was not well-received by his parents. He went on to attend Stanford University's School of Film.
Personal life
After graduating from NYU in 1968 Chase moved to
California and married his high school sweetheart
Denise Kelly.
