David Chase Quotes

Powerful David Chase for Daily Growth

About David Chase

David Chase, a renowned American screenwriter, producer, and director, was born on May 22, 1945, in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. Raised by his mother following his parents' divorce, Chase developed an early interest in cinema, often spending hours at the local theater. This passion led him to study filmmaking at Carnegie Mellon University. Chase began his career writing for various television shows including 'The Rockford Files', 'Starsky & Hutch', and 'Baretta'. However, it was his creation of 'The Sopranos' that cemented his place in television history. This groundbreaking series, which premiered on HBO in 1999, revolved around the life of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss who sought professional help for his anxiety, blurring the lines between crime and family. 'The Sopranos' was a critical and commercial success, earning Chase numerous accolades including Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series. The show also paved the way for other prestige dramas like 'Mad Men' and 'Breaking Bad'. Chase's works are characterized by complex characters, nonlinear storytelling, and a blend of humor and darkness that reflects his own life experiences. His influences range from filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg to playwright Arthur Miller. After 'The Sopranos', Chase created 'Not Just Another Pretty Face' for HBO in 2010, but it was not as successful as his previous work. David Chase continues to be a significant figure in the television industry, pushing boundaries and challenging conventional narratives. His work remains relevant today due to its exploration of moral ambiguity, family dynamics, and the human condition.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Everything I've ever needed to know about acting I learned from my dog."

This quote by David Chase suggests that the essence of acting, or perhaps life itself, can be understood through observing the natural behavior of a dog. Dogs are known for their honesty, immediacy, and uninhibited emotions, qualities that an actor might strive to emulate in performance: 1. Honesty: Dogs express themselves without pretense or self-consciousness, an authenticity that can be valuable in acting as it allows the audience to connect more deeply with the character. 2. Immediacy: Dogs react instinctively and intuitively to their environment, living in the present moment - a key aspect of effective acting, where the character's emotions and reactions must feel genuine and immediate. 3. Uninhibited Emotions: Dogs display a wide range of emotions openly and without restraint. Actors can learn from this example, allowing themselves to fully explore and express the emotional depths of their characters without fear or self-censorship. In essence, David Chase encourages actors to draw inspiration from dogs, embodying honesty, immediacy, and uninhibited emotions in their performances to create authentic and engaging characters that resonate with audiences.


"I don't believe in reincarnation, but my work is my karma."

This quote by David Chase suggests that he views his creative work as a form of moral consequence or action in this life, rather than a manifestation of actions in previous lives (reincarnation). He's saying that the quality and impact of his work is a reflection of his personal values and choices, and thereby serves as a measure of his character or 'karma'. It implies that he takes great responsibility for the outcomes of his creations, seeing them as a tangible expression of himself.


"It's not a joke. This isn't funny. It's a tragedy with some jokes in it."

The quote by David Chase suggests that life, as portrayed in his work "The Sopranos," is not purely comedic or lighthearted but rather a complex blend of tragic events and humorous moments. He's implying that while there may be some humor present, the underlying theme is serious and deeply moving – a tragedy that finds expression through humor to make it more relatable or bearable for the audience. In essence, the quote highlights the emotional depth and realism in his work, emphasizing that both laughter and tears are part of the human experience.


"I wanted to create something that felt more real and grounded than anything I'd ever seen before."

This quote suggests that David Chase, the creator of "The Sopranos," aimed to craft a television show that felt authentic and relatable, setting it apart from other works by delivering a higher degree of realism and grounding in its narrative and characters. He wanted audiences to feel immersed in a world they could connect with on a deeper level, fostering an emotional resonance that transcends the typical tropes and conventions often found in media.


"The most important thing words can do for us is remind us what we already know deep within ourselves."

This quote emphasizes that our innermost truths, the insights about ourselves and life, are often already present within us. Words, particularly those that resonate or ring true, serve as reminders to access and recognize these deeply ingrained truths, thus aiding self-discovery and personal growth.


When we were doing 'The Sopranos', I used to love that about it. There were rules, Mafia codes you had to go by, but the code is ridiculous. It's a code among sociopaths.

- David Chase

Love, Doing, Codes, Sopranos

'The Sopranos' is filled with really retrograde humor. Bathroom humor, falls, stupid puns, bad jokes - infantile, adolescent stuff, but it makes me laugh.

- David Chase

Stupid, Bad, Infantile, Sopranos

I think that the difference between 'The Sopranos' and the shows that came before it was that it was really personal. There had been a lot of dramas, a lot of really good ones, a lot of really bad ones, but they were always franchise shows about cops, or doctors, or lawyers. They weren't about the writer himself.

- David Chase

Been, Cops, Franchise, Sopranos

When I was doing 'The Sopranos', I liked putting music together with the film; that was my favorite part of it.

- David Chase

Doing, Favorite Part, Sopranos

I would imagine that the more time you spend talking to another person, the more you're going to lie to them. So if you spend a lot of time with your relations, you're probably lying a lot to them.

- David Chase

More, Going, Imagine, Relations

There's something very dreamlike about film, and I will always be very fascinated by that, and I'm always tempted to go in that direction.

- David Chase

Will, Always, Very, Tempted

I think for anyone who follows the 'artistic life,' a certain amount of selfishness and self-involvement is part of the package. You're probably already disregarding a certain material life you could have.

- David Chase

Think, I Think, Amount, Selfishness

Once the subject matter of rock n' roll changed from cars and pop love songs to songs about really true love and the blues and death and mortality, this light bulb went off in my head and I went, 'Oh, that's what they're doing. That's kind of - that's art.'

- David Chase

Love, Death, Doing, Changed

You see Michelangelo and Picasso and you read literature. I had some innate inchoate yearning for that, but I never really saw where I would fit in. That's called art. And then something happened to pop music, which is that it became art under the hand of the Beatles, the Stones, and Bob Dylan and some other people.

- David Chase

Some, Other, Became, None

Hitchcock was one of the few people in Hollywood who had a brand. Every movie he made was an Alfred Hitchcock movie, couldn't have been anyone else.

- David Chase

Hollywood, Movie, Been, Brand

I had a prior deal in place to do a miniseries for HBO, so I'm not done with TV. But I basically want to stay in movies.

- David Chase

Want, Deal, TV, HBO

Network television is all talk. I think there should be visuals on a show, some sense of mystery to it, connections that don't add up.

- David Chase

Think, Some, Add, Connections

I said it's a cold universe and I don't mean that metaphorically. If you go out into space, it's cold. It's really cold and we don't know what's up there. We happen to be in this little pocket where there's a sun. What have we got except love and each other to guard against all that isolation and loneliness?

- David Chase

Love, Space, Other, Pocket

People have said that I said I hate television. I never did say that. What I said was that I hated a lot of stuff that was on television. It's nothing about the medium itself.

- David Chase

Television, Nothing, About, Hated

I really like comedy. There's always a choice, when you're writing: you can either go for the joke or you can go for the story, the important stuff.

- David Chase

Comedy, Always, Like, Joke

People who need therapy are in Afghanistan. They've seen horrible human cruelty and degradation, but they don't have time or the money for therapy.

- David Chase

Need, Therapy, Cruelty, Degradation

When I was a kid, I used to watch 'Laurel and Hardy' with my cousins all the time. I still think they're extremely funny and so surreal.

- David Chase

Think, Laurel, Surreal, Hardy

I'm the number-one fan of gangster movies.

- David Chase

Movies, Fan, Gangster

I think people are intolerant of artists.

- David Chase

Think, Artists, I Think, Intolerant

Television is a prisoner of dialogue and steady-cam. People walk down a hall, and the camera follows them around a corner.

- David Chase

Television, Prisoner, Hall, Dialogue

Your father tells you a story when you're a kid, or your mother or your uncle or whoever it is. You sit there with your mouth open, and your mind goes to all these places they're telling you about that you've never seen, and you're agape. You just can't believe that things can happen like that - but it's just so direct.

- David Chase

Father, Kid, Telling, Mouth

I was so besotted with '8½' that, when it was on TV, I used to take pictures with my 35-mm. camera of the frames of the film. That was the first time I'd ever really seen Italians on screen.

- David Chase

Screen, TV, Frames, Italians

The thing about movies now is in a way what it always was: The screen is huge and now the sound systems are too. And you never get that with TV. Even with a home system, it's never the same.

- David Chase

Sound, Always, TV, Systems

I have a huge editor in my head who's always making me miserable. But sometimes, I try to let my unconscious act out.

- David Chase

Always, Unconscious, Editor, Miserable

People get so tired of the '60s.

- David Chase

People, Get, Tired

I think storytelling is all about children. We human beings love to hear stories being told - and it first happens when you're a kid.

- David Chase

Love, Think, I Think, Storytelling

I've said this a million times. But I've always wanted to do movies.

- David Chase

Movies, Always, Times, Million Times

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