Here,Alan Ball, 63, shares his iconic cinematic (and literary) inspirations.
I spent a lot of years wanting to be an actor before I realized Im actually a better writer.
The Sopranos
That show came out when Id just signed a TV development deal, says Ball.
Credit: Amazon Studios
That was a big turning point for me.
It had a lot to do withSix Feet Underbecoming what it became.
Ball says of his uncle-niece road movie starring Paul Bettany and Sophia Lillis.
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I sort of went, Well, isTo Kill a MockingbirdScouts movie, or is it Atticus movie?
I loved their work, and onUncle Frank,my inner Tennessee Williams took over, he says.
Also, becauseTrue Bloodwas set in the South, I leaned into the Southern-gothic themes I grew up with.
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James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in ‘The Sopranos.'.Anthony Neste/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images
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