Actor Max Casella says a growth hormone deficiency nearly derailed his career in his mid-20s, forcing him to go through puberty at an age when most actors are already established in their craft.
Casella, 59, best known for playing Benny Fazio on “The Sopranos,” told Page Six at the Cinema Society screening of “Jimmy” this week that he didn’t go through puberty until age 27, after medical intervention.
“It was insane,” Casella said. “Wouldn’t have been my choice, but you know, given the cards you’re dealt. You make the best of it.”
Casella said the condition left his career “pretty much dead” right as he began experiencing the physical changes most people go through as teenagers.
“I went through the awkward phase that most people go through in high school,” he said. “I had to start all over again. It was a humiliating experience.”
The “Doogie Howser, M.D.” actor admitted the transition was hard to accept at the time.
“I didn’t wear it well right away,” he said. “You know what happens to especially boys when they go through puberty. They get awkward and zits and fat, chubby, whatever.”
Casella credits landing the role of Timon in the original Broadway production of “The Lion King” with helping him push through the rough patch.
“I was dancing 8 times a week,” he said, “and I completely became an adult.”
A New Role as Frank Capra
Casella now appears in “Jimmy,” a biographical film about Jimmy Stewart’s service as a combat pilot in World War II and his return to Hollywood to star in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Casella plays director Frank Capra opposite KJ Apa, who portrays Stewart.
Casella, also known for “Boardwalk Empire,” said he dug into research to prepare for the part.
“I read his book,” he said. “I watched some documentaries about him. What I was really trying to find out is how to play him. What kind of a person is he? How does he smoke a cigarette? How does he sit in a chair? Just get a vibe from, you know. There’s not a lot of footage of him at the time when he was younger, so it was challenging.”
The screening and afterparty, held at The Skylark, also drew Apa, Lucy Liu, Dan Abrams, “Riverdale” star Trinity Likins, “1923” star Jamie McShane and “Stranger Things” star Catherine Curtin.
