The Sopranos turns 25: behind-the-scenes secrets from the HBO hit

Exactly 25 years ago, on January 10, 1999, The Sopranos premiered to change HBO’s Sunday nights. Without knowing it, the series began the Golden Age of TV series and would last for six seasons, receiving 21 Emmy Awards and five Golden Globes over eight years, until it ended on June 10, 2007.

The series, produced and shown by HBO, was successful by mixing an elaborate plot and cinematic language in a story starring an anti-hero, the mobster Tony Sopranolived by James Gandolfini (1961-2013), who ended up winning over the public by dividing his life between work in the world of crime and commitments to his family.

The success of The Sopranoseven surprised the creator of the series, David Chase: “We had no idea that this series would attract audiences. The production was an unexpected bang and hit everyone”confessed to Rolling Stone USA. To celebrate 25 years of the series, the Rolling Stone Brazil went after some behind-the-scenes secrets The Sopranoswhich we list below:

James Gandolfini questioned his own work: “I suck!”

In a podcast interview Inside of Youin October 2023, the actress Jamie-Lynn Siglerwho played meadowdaughter of Tony Sopranorevealed that James Gandolfini used to question his own work on the series:

“It had nothing to do with his confidence. He questioned himself. There were times when he said, ‘I’m f***ing terrible!’ But I liked that, because I had these thoughts, but I didn’t say them out loud, because I didn’t want anyone to know that I thought I was terrible. And he was confident enough to say them out loud.”said.

According to the actress, this was a way found by Gandolfini to help raise the self-esteem of his co-workers, especially the newer ones, as was the case with Sigler, showing that he also had doubts about his performance: “I believe there was trust in that, but I think it was more of a deep form of care. A very, very deep care. He was an exceptional human being.”he added.

Lady Gaga debuted as an actress in The Sopranosbut hated his performance

About to return to cinemas in Joker: Folie à Deuxscheduled to debut in October this year, Lady Gaga began her acting career even before taking off as a singer, in a small role in the 3rd season of The Sopranos.

However, she doesn’t even like to remember her work: “When I look back at that scene today, I know exactly where I went wrong. I didn’t know how to listen! I had to laugh at a certain moment, so I waited for my cue and laughed… But today I see it and think: ‘That’s not even a joke. real laugh!'”he recalled in an interview with EntertainmentWeeklyin 2021.

“In The Sopranos, I see a very non-specific actress. Today, I think I try to be specific with my characters, but without letting the effort show, which is a lot of work.”added the artist, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her work in A Star Is Born2018.

Gandolfini was irritated by the masturbation scene, which was excluded from the series

The book Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiersby the writer James Andrew Millerrevealed that James Gandolfini got angry when reading the script for an episode of The Sopranos with a scene in which his character would have to masturbate in the bathroom of a gas station. Even though he was upset, the actor recorded the scene, but it was excluded from the final version of the episode.

Chris Rock refused to participate in The Sopranos out of respect for the series

Creator, writer and narrator of Everybody hates Chris (2005-2009), Chris Rock was at its peak during the final seasons of The Sopranos and was invited to join the cast of the production, but he refused for fear of “ruining” the series: “Sometimes you respect something so much that you don’t want to be part of it”explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Alec Baldwin tried to participate, but was unable to do so.

On the contrary Chris Rock, Alec Baldwin I really wanted to participate in The Sopranos and even called the production of the series to suggest his name as a murderer. Tony Soprano: “I called and said, ‘There’s only one man in the entertainment business who should come in and beat up [Tony]and leave with [Carmela, esposa de Tony]and I am this man'”recalled the actor.

However, still according to Baldwinthe production team didn’t care much about the suggestion and responded something like: “Yes, of course. We will add your name to the list of all Irish actors with a desire to get into The Sopranos“he said.

Silvio Dante was inspired by Bruce Springsteen

Right arm of Tony Soprano, Silvio Dantelived by Steve Van Zandtwas inspired by the actor’s friendship with the singer Bruce Springsteen. In an interview with The Times, Van Zandt revealed that his character was responsible for speaking some difficult truths to Tonyjust as he did with Springsteen:

“I certainly drew on my relationship with bruce. Part of being a best friend is that sometimes you have to bring bad news, express an opinion that they won’t like.”explained Van Zandt.

“With Bruce’s success in the 1980s, you couldn’t let him lose perspective. You start thinking you’re a genius, the greatest thing in the world, and who’s going to argue with you? I was the only guy who hadn’t scared of Bruce, so I was able to tell him what I thought”the actor said.

James Gandolfini listened to Green Day while recording the series

Despite Tony Soprano be a fan of the band Journey in The Sopranos, James GandolfiniIn fact, I admired the green Day. According to the actor’s former co-star, Michael Imperiolithe actor became obsessed with the album “Dookie”released in 1994, during the recording of the series.

“He played vinyl ‘Dookie’ in his trailer while we worked. Totally serious. It’s no joke. He loved the green Day“, revealed the actor. He further said that Gandolfini loved to sing “Basketcase”one of the band’s biggest hits, and invented his own songs:

“[Ele] wrote his own lyrics about HBO, the writers and producers of The Sopranos. Usually when he was feeling overwhelmed and overexposed, and his lyrics reflected that. Some more musical members of the team would add a verse or two. It was really fun”added Imperioli.

Unusual prank with Gandolfini and… a fart machine?

In a podcast interview Gangster Goddess Broad-castin Drea de Matteoone of the stars of The Sopranosthe actress Lorraine Braccowho lived by Dr. Jennifer Melfi in production, recalled an episode behind the scenes of the series in which the actors played a prank on James Gandolfini with a fart machine:

“I told the Jimmy: ‘Look, I’m not feeling very well. I don’t know what I ate, but I’m sweating.’ I organized everything. (…) So, with the help of Marchetti [responsável pelo figurino]I pressed my belly and he pressed the button [da máquina]”remembered.

Suspecting that he was the victim of a prank, the actor looked for a fart cushion, used for this type of prank, but found nothing, as the device had been installed under the chair. Bracco.

3 million dollars for not working? Closed!

In an interview with the Talking Sopranos podcast, the actors Michael Imperioli It is Steve Schirripa revealed that, after the departure of Steve Carell in The Office (2005-2013), the production of sitcom I wanted to put the interpreter Tony Soprano as the new head of Dunder Mifflin, but HBO paid him not to do the series, even though The Sopranoshad already ended a few years ago.

“I think before James Spader [que entrou como o novo chefe da empresa] and after Carell, they offered James 4 million dollars to act in the season and HBO paid him 3 million so he wouldn’t do it,”explained Schirripa, without revealing what the broadcaster’s motivation was.

Did Tony Soprano die or not?

The Sopranos has one of the most mysterious endings in TV series history. In the last minutes of production, Tony Soprano and the wife, Carmela (Edie Falco), are looking for something to eat at a Jersey diner when a mysterious customer walks in and then the screen goes black.

Many believe that, at that moment, the man ended up killing the mobster, but this was never fully clarified until a few years later, when the series creator, David Chasestated that, yes, The Sopranos ends with the death of Tony Soprano.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chase revealed that his idea was never to have a mysterious ending, but something more explicit: “There was a scene where Tony was driving back from a meeting in New York in his car. At the beginning of each season, he was going from New York to New Jersey, and the last scene would be him going from New Jersey to New York, in a meeting. in which he would be killed”told the The Hollywood Reporter.

However, the ending that aired ended up coming out of nowhere, when Chase ended up stopping at a diner during a trip, and he thought the mysterious tone would be much more interesting, in addition to the addition of the soundtrack. “Don’t Stop Believin'”of Journey.

“It was like a cabin that served breakfast. For some reason I thought, “Tony should stop to eat at a place like that. Why? I don’t know. This was about two years before [do final ser exibido]”he explained.