NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Vincent D'Onofrio turned to social media for help choosing his role in "Godfather of Harlem"
Vincent D'Onofrio has a long resume of roles on both sides of the law, but the Brooklyn born actor says his upcoming gangster gig in Epix's "Godfather of Harlem" was one he struggled with.
"When I was asked to play it, I actually for the first time in my life used social media, " D'Onofrio told 1010 WINS.
"I asked the question, is it a good time for me to play a irredeemable racist. I wanted to ask, so I had a conversation with about two-thousand people and the overwhelming answer was yes."
D'Onofrio plays Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, a mob enforcer and drug dealer who tries to take over Harlem through the drug world. His ambitions are interrupted by Bumpy Johnson, played by Whitaker. The two square off in the ten-part series set in the 1960's that puts a light on Johnson's story and Gigante's violent and racist behavior.
D'Onofrio says the feedback he got online was positive as long as he didn't "pull any punches" or "soften it up." The social media route wasn't something he had ever experimented with in the past, but he believed it was a good idea because of everything that's going on in the country.
"Godfather of Harlem" premieres September 29th at 10PM on EPIX.