Forget about the thick Italian accent and the hair-trigger temper–Castelluccio speaks perfect English and is known for being exceptionally accommodating to “Sopranos” fans he meets on the street. And while Furio carries a pistol, Castelluccio’s weapon of choice is a paintbrush. He has been working professionally as an artist since 1982 when he won a full scholarship to New York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts, and his “modern renaissance” style paintings hang in galleries and private collections around the world. (In fact, a Castelluccio painting of Tony and Carmela Soprano, commissioned by TV Guide, will appear in that magazine’s December 21 issue.) NEWSWEEK’s Karen Fragala spoke to the actor/painter by phone from his art studio in–where else?–New Jersey. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: You didn’t just get cast on “The Sopranos”–it was your mission. Can you talk about that?

Federico Castelluccio: I saw the pilot [in 1999] and I was blown away. It had all the elements of something great, like a well-composed painting. I called my agent the next morning and said, ‘You have to get me an audition for this show, I feel that I really have something to offer and I need to be a part of this.’ So the first year, I wound up auditioning for a part that I knew I wasn’t right for–the New York boss, Johnny Sack–I was too young for it, and I didn’t have the right look. So maybe eight months later, after calling my agent every single week, he finally says, ‘I think we’ve got something that you might be right for.’

How much of Furio–who first showed up in season two–was built into the role, and what parts did you come up with?

The only thing it was lacking, in my opinion, was that Neapolitan grittiness. I wanted to make the accent pure. When I spoke Italian, I wanted the Italians to say, ’this guy’s right from Naples,’ and that’s what it lacked. After I got the role, I found out that there were people doing really stupid, fake sounding Italian accents [during the auditions], and then we had real Italian guys coming in, and they couldn’t read the script. So it was hard to find that happy medium.

Did you have a particular model when you were developing the accent?

When I speak Neapolitan it is from my father, but when I speak English, my mother has these really great words. Then I have an uncle in Canada who has an amazing Italian accent, too, and I draw from some people I knew in Paterson that were from Naples. Then there are certain gesticulations that I use from my father. When I did something wrong when I was a kid, he would take his three fingers and make an “OK” sign, and turn the three fingers toward me. I don’t know why, but that’s the way he did it. When I caught the guy selling Ecstasy in the club [on an episode in the second season], and kicked him in the butt, I said to him, “If I see you again, I’m gonna cracka you head” pointing at him like my father used to point at me.

How do your parents react when they see you on the show?

They sit there and they laugh. They are so proud, first of all. Then to see their son doing things that I would never do, like slap a girl. But I have to say, the really great thing about the show is how they write these characters–they’re so complex. They’re killers–and all of a sudden, they’re doing something that makes you empathize with them.

Furio’s got a crush on Carmela. Her character even says that you look at her with love in your eyes. What’s going through your head when you’re filming those scenes?

In my mind, when I see her, all I can see is her. I couldn’t have asked for a better or more adept actor to work with here. I did a scene with her in the [twelfth episode of this season], and after the scene was over, the people on set applauded. I’ve never seen anything like that before. The connection was so intense that people felt it in the room with us.

To what extent do you relate the feelings Furio had after returning from Naples? That he no longer fits in there as an Italian, or here as an American?

It’s hard for me to relate to that because when I came to this country, I was three-and-a-half, and I didn’t know any better. If I was older, like my sister and my brothers, I might have related to it more. I can only imagine what it would be like to come to another country, not being very familiar with the language, and just diving into it, like my parents did. I give them a lot of credit for that.

Do you remember the controversy in New York over the Columbus Day parade? Some people didn’t want actors from “The Sopranos” to participate because they felt the show portrays a bad stereotype about Italian-Americans.

These people that are against us being in the parade–they’re not considering that we are actors. If Al Pacino or Robert De Niro wanted to be in that parade, I would like to see if they would not let them in. They’ve played more mobsters than anybody that I know in this business.

Some of the supporting actors on the show have built careers playing mobster types. When you consider roles for the future, do you feel the need to distance yourself from Furio?

I wouldn’t play another character like Furio. I am specifically asking my agents and managers not to put me up for similar roles. And they haven’t. More than other male characters on the show, I think I can get away from the stereotype a lot easier. My look is different, and I don’t have the accent of the character Furio.

So in general, how has your life changed because of the success of the show?

It’s harder to get from point A to point B because you’re talking to people [strangers on the street] you wouldn’t usually be talking to. I like talking to people, I’m good with the fans and the public, and I end up taking a lot more time to do things. But the great thing is that you’re in a position to give back now. Recently, I did something for Katie Couric–she gives to a foundation called National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance because her husband passed away from colon cancer. They asked me to do an event [“42nd & Vine … Hollywood Hits Broadway,” at the Waldorf-Astoria on Nov. 12] with Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler, Rita Moreno. It was the songs of “West Side Story,” and me and a couple guys from the show [were asked] to do “Gee, Officer Krupkee.” That’s the greatest part of being in this position, you can come in and make people happy and raise money to help a cause.

One last thing about Furio. Is he going to do anything that could get himself killed?

He might. But don’t forget, if there was going to be a formidable opponent for Tony Soprano … who would it be?