Bobby Cannavale Felt Like He Let Martin Scorsese Down After Vinyl Cancellation

Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale has shared his thoughts about the Vinyl cancellation, after nearly a decade since the period drama series had made its debut on HBO. The short-lived series was created by Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger, Rich Cohen, and Terence Winter.

In Vinyl, Cannavale portrayed a jaded record executive who tries to resurrect his label and fractured private life, while discovering the next new sound of 1970s New York. The cast also included Ray Romano, Olivia Wilde, Jack Quaid, Juno Temple, Paul Ben-Victor, John Cameron Mitchell, and more.

Why Bobby Cannavale feels like he disappointed Martin Scorsese after Vinyl cancellation

After Vinyl debuted its pilot episode on February 18, 2016, HBO had actually gave the series an early Season 2 renewal. However, the network eventually reversed their decision due to the show’s low viewership ratings. Despite this, it still managed to receive positive reviews from critics during its 10-episode run.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Cannavale admitted the Vinyl’s cancellation led him to feel that he disappointed Scorsese, due to how long they’ve worked together to prepare for the project. Even though Scorsese assured him that it wasn’t his fault, the cancellation really affected his self-confidence as an actor.

“I felt like I was on a creative journey with Marty that lasted years. There was a window there between Boardwalk Empire—he was so impressed with that character that I played and with my work on the show, that he took a big interest in me,” Cannavale said. “So it was years of prepping that show and talking so much about it. I felt like the bubble we created resulted in something that was really unique and special, and a different way of storytelling, certainly for television, than I’d ever seen. To just be brushed aside felt really disappointing. Marty was so kind and so generous to me by offering me something after: The Irishman. But yeah, it’s always felt to me like a little smudge on his career. I know how much that meant to him. I can’t help but feel like, Fuck, why couldn’t that be successful? The one thing that I did with Martin Scorsese is the one thing that wasn’t successful?”

He continued, “I always described that period as the stinky year. I had a stink on me, and I could feel it. To add insult to injury, we got picked up for the second season—they let everybody know we’ve got a second season, and then they changed their mind. It was like a double f***-you. I just kept it moving. I was like, Well, that’s the business. My depression over it settled in three months later, and then it was real. I really did go to a dark place. I just thought, Well, I’m never going to work again, because if something that Martin Scorsese and Terry Winter and Mick Jagger created didn’t work, and I was the star of the thing, then I’m going to have a stink on me forever.”