What Does Dominic Zamprogna Have In Common With His General Hospital Character?
Dominic Zamprogna first joined the cast of "General Hospital" in 2009 as the long-lost son of the infamous mobster Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard). His character Dante Falconeri came to town as an undercover cop hell-bent on taking down Sonny and his organization, not knowing that the dangerous man was in fact his biological father (via Soap Central). Things only worsened between the two when, in an iconic moment, Sonny shot Dante just moments before finding out the truth about their connection.
Over the past 13 years, both Dominic and Dante have been through a lot. Dominic and his wife Linda Leslie welcomed three daughters in that time (via Soaps); on-screen, Dante experienced a great love with Lulu Spencer (Julie Berman, Emme Rylan), the birth of their son Rocco, and severe PTSD due to his job. He also repaired his relationship with his dad and began a new romance with the fan-favorite Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco).
So what exactly does an actor and family-man have in common with a fictional police officer with family ties to organized crime? More than you'd think.
Dominic Zamprogna appreciates Dante's fierce loyalty
Dante Falconeri is one of the few soap characters that are genuinely good at heart. Though embroiled in plenty of complex storylines, Dante has very rarely crossed the line in terms of the law or his own moral compass — and the few times he has, he's had pure intentions and a dang good reason. Dominic Zamprogna told Soap Opera Digest, "I feel like he's always been super-loyal and I've always liked that about him. He's always been trustworthy and someone who's got your back. He's solid."
Just like Dominic in his real life, Dante is dedicated to his family, and it's no surprise to longtime viewers that the son of Sonny Corinthos is fiercely loyal to those closest to him. However, unlike Sonny's other son Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell), Dante is able to adopt the positive traits from their father without pushing things too far. When asked what traits he has in common with his character, Dominic replied, "That's hard because I try to put a lot of myself into him." Dante's ability to remain in law enforcement and maintain a positive relationship with his family without compromising his integrity is applaudable — and a lot of that can be attributed to the parts of Dominic that he lets bleed through into his character.
Dominic Zamprogna thinks he would make a better cop than Dante
Dante Falconeri is an excellent cop on "General Hospital." He genuinely cares about the well-being of Port Charles and its citizens and has dedicated his life to keeping the streets safe. Even after experiencing severe PTSD and psychological brainwashing while working a case with the WSB, Dante worked hard to restore his mental health so he could come home and return to the job he loved (via Soaps in Depth). Most recently, he assisted his mentor Anna Devane (Finola Hughes), along with the WBS, PCPD, and many civilians in finally capturing the villainous Peter August (Wes Ramsey).
Dominic Zamprogna told Soap Opera Digest that he thinks that he would make a better cop than Dante — and that is a high bar to reach! "That's one thing we get frustrated with sometimes — there are moments the PCPD lets you down, you know? I think in real life, I'd catch a few more crumbs," he said. Hopefully Dante will be able to find some crumbs in the ongoing sex-tape scandal case against Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali), especially since his PI girlfriend Sam McCall is determined to prove that Esme Prince (Avery Pohl) is the guilty party, according to Daytime Confidential.
Dominic Zamprogna has grown up and evolved alongside Dante
Unlike other entertainment mediums, soap operas have a unique element that allows stars to play the same role for years, sometimes even decades. This, of course, means that the actors age, grow, and evolve along with their characters. That's no different with Dominic Zamprogna. Continuing his conversation with Soap Opera Digest, Dominic explained that when he was first cast as Dante the character was much cooler than he was in real life, but his time bringing Dante to life has given him more confidence in himself, especially in moments of crisis. In fact, in the time that Dante was off-screen recovering from his trauma, Dominic also took a break to work on himself, according to Showbiz CheatSheet.
It's also fair to argue that Dante's evolution as a character has been emphasized by the real-life experience of the man that portrays him. Dominic said, "A cool thing about being [Dante] for so long is that ... it really does add up to a life. He wasn't a man when I first got here, and now he's a grown-a** man! He knows who he is. Things have happened over the years to humble him, to hurt him, and to create what you see now."
Long-time viewers are certainly looking forward to what "General Hospital" has in store for the loyal, grown-up, hardworking, fan-favorite family-man that is Dante Falconeri.