The city provided inspiration to former Clifton student David Chase, creator of The Sopranos, which premiered in 1999. Chase used a few city locations to film his HBO show. But perhaps Clifton’s strongest claim to performing fame are the next wave of stars who have grown up or lived in the city. The list is long and distinguished, and includes John Seda (HBO’s The Pacific and NBC’s Chicago P.D.); Sofia Black-D’Elia (Fox’s The Mick); Nina Arianda (Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and Amazon’s Goliath); Robert Leeshock (Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict); Michael Ornstein (FX’s Sons of Anarchy) and many other working actors and actresses.
Clifton’s cavalcade of stars includes (from left) Jayne Modean, Sofia Black-D’Elia, John Seda, Nina Arianda (with Clifton Action Theater’s Joel Robertson and Kathleen Kellaigh) and Michael Ornstein.
In addition, Clifton’s Hollywood connection includes its legendary movie temples – the now gone Clifton Theatre and the Strand, and the present Allwood Cinemas and AMC Clifton Commons, places where memories were and are continued to be made. So… without further ado, grab your popcorn, sit back and relax as Clifton goes to the movies (and the TV screen, too).
DAVID SANTOSUOSSO CLASS OF 1973
Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2018
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