Terence Winter

And I was like, oh, my God, using your brain to psych people out and get what you want. And I just became fascinated with the idea of using psychology or psychology. human nature to sort of, you know, get my way through the world. And I just sort of became that guy and that kid, you know, who's always, even to this day, my initial instinct, if I'm presented with a problem,

And I was like, oh, my God, using your brain to psych people out and get what you want. And I just became fascinated with the idea of using psychology or psychology. human nature to sort of, you know, get my way through the world. And I just sort of became that guy and that kid, you know, who's always, even to this day, my initial instinct, if I'm presented with a problem,

I always think of what's the way to scam my way through this. And I go, yeah, you can just pay it. You can just pay the bill. You don't need to do this. Right, right, right. But that's right where I go. What lie do I tell to get? And I go, that's you from when you're 15 years old. Wow. It was so ingrained.

I always think of what's the way to scam my way through this. And I go, yeah, you can just pay it. You can just pay the bill. You don't need to do this. Right, right, right. But that's right where I go. What lie do I tell to get? And I go, that's you from when you're 15 years old. Wow. It was so ingrained.

I think so, yeah. When I saw that pilot, my agent at the time sent it to me. And, you know, like most people, I thought, opera? What is this? And I don't even think I finished watching it. And I was, like, trembling. I was like, I know these guys. I know these people. I know how they talk. I know how they think. I called him up. I said, you've got to get me on this show.

I think so, yeah. When I saw that pilot, my agent at the time sent it to me. And, you know, like most people, I thought, opera? What is this? And I don't even think I finished watching it. And I was, like, trembling. I was like, I know these guys. I know these people. I know how they talk. I know how they think. I called him up. I said, you've got to get me on this show.

Yeah. And yeah, that I love. I love that stuff. And it's like all the fun of of the mafia with none of the danger. Yeah. It's like I say why people ride roller coasters. It's like you feel like you're about to die, but you're not actually going to die. How exhilarating. So writing about it, you know, was much preferable for me.

Yeah. And yeah, that I love. I love that stuff. And it's like all the fun of of the mafia with none of the danger. Yeah. It's like I say why people ride roller coasters. It's like you feel like you're about to die, but you're not actually going to die. How exhilarating. So writing about it, you know, was much preferable for me.

Yeah. I mean, I was given a book by HBO called Boardwalk Empire about the history of Atlantic City. And they said, maybe there's a TV series in here. OK, the history of Atlantic City. That sounds great. But on the way out the door, they said, oh, Martin Scorsese is attached to that book. And I was like, oh, OK, well, that's a different story. I will find the TV series in here. You're right.

Yeah. I mean, I was given a book by HBO called Boardwalk Empire about the history of Atlantic City. And they said, maybe there's a TV series in here. OK, the history of Atlantic City. That sounds great. But on the way out the door, they said, oh, Martin Scorsese is attached to that book. And I was like, oh, OK, well, that's a different story. I will find the TV series in here. You're right.

So I started reading and there was a chapter about this guy named Nucky Johnson, who I later fictionalized as Nucky Thompson. But Nucky was the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City during the prohibition era, where, you know, you have a corrupt politician in charge of a city on the eastern seaboard where all the alcohol comes through.

So I started reading and there was a chapter about this guy named Nucky Johnson, who I later fictionalized as Nucky Thompson. But Nucky was the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City during the prohibition era, where, you know, you have a corrupt politician in charge of a city on the eastern seaboard where all the alcohol comes through.

And suddenly overnight, he was friends with Lucky Luciano and Arnold Rothstein and Al Capone and everybody else. I went, this is the series, this guy, this era. And I was like, I love the 20s. You know, that snappy, fast talking 1920s stuff. I've always been fascinated with that kind of dialogue.

And suddenly overnight, he was friends with Lucky Luciano and Arnold Rothstein and Al Capone and everybody else. I went, this is the series, this guy, this era. And I was like, I love the 20s. You know, that snappy, fast talking 1920s stuff. I've always been fascinated with that kind of dialogue.

The era, you know, was also interesting to me, too, is that even though it's 100 years ago, it still felt modern. People dressed in suits. They went out to restaurants. They talked on the telephone. They drove in cars. You know, it still felt cool. It still felt like accessible. It wasn't like 10 years earlier where it felt like, you know, Downton Abbey. But this was modern.

The era, you know, was also interesting to me, too, is that even though it's 100 years ago, it still felt modern. People dressed in suits. They went out to restaurants. They talked on the telephone. They drove in cars. You know, it still felt cool. It still felt like accessible. It wasn't like 10 years earlier where it felt like, you know, Downton Abbey. But this was modern.

You know, you could wear some of those clothes today. Yeah. And I said, wow, this is such a great setup. And it's really not really been explored in TV or film. So when I went to meet, I'll call him Marty because I know him and I know it sounds douchey, but... That's his name. When I went to meet Marty, when I went to meet Mr. Scorsese, and believe me, that's what he called him initially.

You know, you could wear some of those clothes today. Yeah. And I said, wow, this is such a great setup. And it's really not really been explored in TV or film. So when I went to meet, I'll call him Marty because I know him and I know it sounds douchey, but... That's his name. When I went to meet Marty, when I went to meet Mr. Scorsese, and believe me, that's what he called him initially.

He was like, oh, this is great. I've never done anything in this era before. So once he gave me the blessing, you know, we were off to the races and then, you know, the real work started. I had to, you know, we had a protagonist who was like 50 years old in 1920. So I was like, okay, so he was born in 1870. So... What books did he read? What was his pop culture references?

He was like, oh, this is great. I've never done anything in this era before. So once he gave me the blessing, you know, we were off to the races and then, you know, the real work started. I had to, you know, we had a protagonist who was like 50 years old in 1920. So I was like, okay, so he was born in 1870. So... What books did he read? What was his pop culture references?