Lauren Bacall, who died on Tuesday at the age of 89 after suffering a stroke, spent the twilight years of her career taking some big risks. She starred for Lars von Trier in two movies, lent her voice to an episode of "Family Guy" and, best of all, played herself on an episode of "The Sopranos." Bacall appeared in the Season 6 episode "Luxury Lounge," which focused on a trip Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) and Carmine Lupertazzi (Ray Abruzzo) took to Los Angeles to pitch a movie. While there, Christopher and Carmine meet Bacall as they're talking about the project with Ben Kingsley. The episode's credited writer was Matthew Weiner.
"I'm very proud to have been a part of that. My name's on the script, but the story -- as many things -- comes from David Chase," Weiner, who went on to create "Mad Men," told HuffPost Live in an interview on Wednesday. "There is a line I wrote in the script that is frequently quoted back to me, which is that Carmine Lupertazzi, the mob boss who is out there trying to make a Hollywood movie, says to Lauren Bacall at the end of their scene together, 'Enjoy your success.' It's like, 'Who are you?' Why are you saying that to her?'"
Bacall's final scene in the episode, much like the series itself, marries comedy and violence together: a masked Christopher robs Bacall of a gift basket and knocks her to the ground during the altercation. Bacall's response: "Jesus, my fucking arm."
"She loved it," Weiner recalled of the sequence. "She had never gotten to swear before."
Weiner said having Bacall guest star on "The Sopranos" was an important moment is his career and that even his parents came to the set to visit when she was there.
"This is a part of Hollywood history, and she was everything you expected her to be," Weiner said. "A true artist. It's hard to explain it."
Weiner appeared on HuffPost Live to promote his new film, "Are You Here." Watch the full interview here.
"I'm very proud to have been a part of that. My name's on the script, but the story -- as many things -- comes from David Chase," Weiner, who went on to create "Mad Men," told HuffPost Live in an interview on Wednesday. "There is a line I wrote in the script that is frequently quoted back to me, which is that Carmine Lupertazzi, the mob boss who is out there trying to make a Hollywood movie, says to Lauren Bacall at the end of their scene together, 'Enjoy your success.' It's like, 'Who are you?' Why are you saying that to her?'"
Bacall's final scene in the episode, much like the series itself, marries comedy and violence together: a masked Christopher robs Bacall of a gift basket and knocks her to the ground during the altercation. Bacall's response: "Jesus, my fucking arm."
"She loved it," Weiner recalled of the sequence. "She had never gotten to swear before."
Weiner said having Bacall guest star on "The Sopranos" was an important moment is his career and that even his parents came to the set to visit when she was there.
"This is a part of Hollywood history, and she was everything you expected her to be," Weiner said. "A true artist. It's hard to explain it."
Weiner appeared on HuffPost Live to promote his new film, "Are You Here." Watch the full interview here.