It’s still hard to believe that Blue Bloods has ended, and even despite the hope that a spinoff could be on its way, some of the cast is moving on. Whether they are taking on new roles or just taking a break, the actors can’t hold onto the CBS procedural forever since it’s not a guarantee that they’ll get to return to these characters. For example, Steve Schirripa, who recurred as Detective Anthony Abetemarco beginning in Season 6, is making his way to Hallmark, and considering his filmography includes work on shows like The Sopranos too, the actor has some serious range.
Schirripa will be starring in the upcoming Hallmark movie Sisterhood Inc., which is set to premiere on February 22. The role will mark his first since Blue Bloods and his first Hallmark project. A lot has definitely changed for him since playing Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos from 2000 to 2007, seeing as Hallmark is the complete opposite of The Sopranos. However, Schirripa welcomed the change of pace, telling Us Weekly:
I never did a Hallmark movie. I was offered one years ago. It was, believe it or not, a bucket list thing. I’d go, ‘How many guys can go from The Sopranos to Hallmark?’ But I made the jump, and I was very happy, and I had a wonderful time. And we shot it up in the Albany area, and it’s a Valentine’s Day kind of movie, and the cast is wonderful. And I really had a good time.
It’s not uncommon for an actor or a musician to try something completely new after they’ve been doing, more or less, the same thing for years. Fellow Hallmark star Nikki DeLoach has opened up about pivoting to the Christmas channel after doing shows such as Awkward, North Shore, and Days of Our Lives. So, while this shift is jarring, it’s not unusual.