‘The Sopranos' Creator Worried James Gandolfini Wasn't 'Threatening Enough'
More than 25 years later, it seems impossible to imagine anyone other than James Gandolfini in the role of Tony Soprano.
But The Sopranos creator David Chase was initially worried the actor wasn't 'threatening enough' to play the mafia boss in the acclaimed HBO drama series that ran for six seasons from 1999 to 2007, according to an excerpt from Jason Bailey's Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend.
More from Deadline
James Gandolfini's Son On Potential 'Sopranos' Prequel Series & Reprising Tony Soprano Role
All In The Family: 'Sopranos' Cast Brings Down The House At 25th Anniversary Reunion & Alex Gibney 'Wise Guy' Docu Tribeca Premiere
"The Hitler Thing": Bill Maher Lashes Out At Larry David's Mocking Of 'Real Time' Host's Trump Dinner
'Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,' Gandolfini's manager Nancy Sanders recalled after reading the script in the excerpt shared by Vulture.
'All right, here's the deal,' Chase told her after watching Gandolfini's reel. 'I think he's brilliant. I have one concern, and that is, Is he threatening enough?'
Sanders quickly shut down that thinking. 'If you said to me, 'He's a little chubby,' or 'He's losing his hair,' I could understand. But he's threatening enough. This is your guy,' she explained.
Casting directors Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe recalled Gandolfini 'was really our favorite idea from the beginning.'
The late Gandolfini recalled in the excerpt, 'I think my exact words were, 'I could kick this guy right in the ass, but I'll never get cast. They'll hire some f—ing pretty boy.' I thought they'd hire, you know, one of these Irish-looking guys who are all over TV now.'
Although the actor worried Chase was 'going to be a pain in the a—' after inviting him to breakfast, the pair quickly hit it off, bonding over their mothers.
'When he finally settled down and really did a reading, it was just obvious,' said Chase, but Gandolfini wasn't sold on the HBO series, which eventually earned him three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.
'Why am I doing this? I came to you to do f—ing movies,' he told Sanders. 'And now I'm doing an HBO series? I don't even know what the network is!'
She assured him, 'Jim, listen to me. This is the best piece of writing I've ever read, whether it be TV, film, or theater. I promise you: This is worth doing. It's not going to change the world, but it's going to change TV.'
Although Gandolfini was convinced he'd 'be unemployed in less than a year,' he reluctantly signed on to play Tony Soprano with a 'Fine. F— it.'
Best of Deadline
Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far
Everything We Know About Netflix's 'The Thursday Murder Club' So Far
TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Sex and the City 'Star Kristin Davis Clarifies That She Never Dated Chris Noth
Sex and the City stars Kristin Davis and Chris Noth were previously rumored to have dated during their time on the show But on Friday, June 6, a fan of the show asked Davis in her Instagram comments if the decades-old rumors were true The HBO star promptly replied, and clarified that she and Noth "didn't" dateKristin Davis is clearing up decades-old rumors. The Sex and the City and And Just Like That... star clarified in an Instagram comment on Friday, June 6, that she and her costar, Chris Noth, never dated. Davis, 60, currently hosts the Are You A Charlotte? podcast, where she chats all things Sex and the City with guests, including Megan Thee Stallion on the Monday, June 2 episode. The 30-year-old musician has notably shared her distaste for Noth's character, Mr. Big, Carrie Bradshaw's on-and-off again love interest through the series and films. On Friday, June 6, Davis shared a clip of her discussion with the Grammy winner, who said, 'I'm not pro-Big. I hate Big.' But one follower commented, 'Maam didn't you date him??' Davis retorted and finally put to rest the rumors that have swirled about her and Noth. 'No i didnit!!!' The Instagram user thanked Davis for her candor. 'omg I have been lied to thank you for setting me straight!! i even googled this and there are several links saying you did i swear i didn't make this up.' Davis starred as Charlotte, alongside Noth, 70, and Sarah Jessica Parker. She was one of Carrie's three best friends, along with Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Samantha (Kim Cattrall). During Megan Thee Stallion's appearance on Davis' podcast, the rapper asked if Big (a.k.a. John James Preston) was a part of the Sex and the City spinoff, And Just Like That… 'Something happened to him,' Davis said with a knowing smile, before asking, 'Should I ask her? I don't want to ruin it for you.' 'Tell me,' the musician said, and Davis very quietly whispered, 'He died,' leaving the singer shocked with her mouth agape. In the And Just Like That… premiere in 2021, Carrie and Mr. Big are in wedded bliss, only for their happiness to come to an abrupt halt when Big suffers a fatal heart attack after a 45-minute ride on his at-home Peloton bike. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Shortly after the episode aired, Noth was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women, which he denied. Davis, Parker and Nixon issued a joint statement: "We are deeply saddened to hear the allegations against Chris Noth.' The statement continued: "We support the women who have come forward and shared their painful experiences. We know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we commend them for it." In an August 2023 interview with USA Today, he maintained that his only transgression was cheating on his wife, Tara Wilson. Noth denied the other allegations, calling what he termed the "add-ons" to the women's stories "completely ridiculous" with "absolutely no basis in fact." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Colin Farrell and Makeup Designer Mike Marino Toast ‘The Penguin' — and Push Back Against AI
It's not every day you get to bring your vigilante artistry to Gotham City. That joyous privilege and the power of practical effects was top of mind for 'The Penguin' star Colin Farrell and makeup designer Mike Marino, accepting the 2025 IndieWire Honors Wavelength award for their striking partnership in HBO's gritty superhero spinoff. 'We were two big kids in a really vast sandbox,' said Farrell at the Los Angeles event on June 5. 'Both of us grew up watching genre films. I grew up watching Danny DeVito. Well, I know I haven't fully grown up. I think we've established that. And we go to go to work every day and play in the sandbox. It was such a joy [and] nightmare Mike Marino's canvas.' More from IndieWire From a Mini 'Girlfriends' Reunion to 'Matlock' Rolling Deep, IndieWire Honors 2025 Was About Support The Return of 'Phineas and Ferb' Promises Aliens, Therapy, and the Best Summer Vacation Ever 'It means a lot to be recognized for something that was done entirely by human hands,' said Marino. 'Just clay, glue, rubber, inspiration, and the intention to create something special. There was no AI involved here. No shortcuts, just time, thought, and trust. Colin Farrell was fully committed.' Academy Award nominee Farrell reflected on his experience growing up 'enthralled' by Burgess Meredith's performance as The Penguin. He also shared the fear he felt taking on the role at first. 'Matt Reeves wrote the film 'The Batman,' and I was lucky enough to get the role of The Penguin in that. Then, Lauren LeFranc wrote this show, but it was only when I saw Mike's design of the visage of Oz Cobb that I couldn't leave it. Before that I was struggling to think of what I could bring to the project. I was going, 'I'm just going to be flat as fuck and it's going to be terrible.'' But looking at Marino's design for the first time, Farrell said, 'I couldn't believe it. I kind of got emotional because as I said, I'm 49 going on 10 sometimes and I just got so man is an extraordinary, extraordinary artist. I am so grateful.' He went to thank the legendary Christopher Tucker, the makeup artist on 'The Elephant Man' who inspired Marino to take up the craft. Farrell continued, 'Things are ever shifting now in a business where everything is going towards tech, and I understand that. I'm not like campaigning for pigeons with notes in their talons. But I also notice that there is a kind of edging away from practical makeup and the magic and the artistry and the tactility and the immediacy and the beauty of practical makeup.' Speaking on existential evolutions within the industry, Marino said, 'It takes many thousands of steps to do something so realistic. When you think you know what someone looks like in your mind and then you want to see it come to life, it's a huge task. We're in time when AI can create basically anything convincingly right now. That does make it a substitute for human creativity. If we want to protect the soul of filmmaking, we have to protect the people who make it.' The IndieWire Honors event took place at NeueHouse in Hollywood on Thursday, June 5. Other honorees for the evening included Ben Stiller, Owen Cooper, Julianne Nicholson, Kathy Bates, and more. Best of IndieWire 2023 Emmy Predictions: Who Will Win at the Primetime Emmy Awards? 2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special 2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Watch: Sydney Sweeney says 'Cassie is crazy' in 'Euphoria' Season 3
June 6 (UPI) -- Actress Sydney Sweeney is teasing Season 3 of Euphoria. She portrays Cassie in the HBO series, which premiered in 2019. She talked about filming the upcoming third season on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon Thursday. "Cassie is crazy," she said. "Oh, she's even worse. She's even worse." Fallon then showed an image of the star in an apparent wedding dress, but Sweeney said she could not provide additional details about whether or not her character will tie the knot. Zendaya, Maude Apatow, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer and Dominic Fike starred in Season 2. The actress, 27, also stars in the upcoming Apple TV+ thriller Echo Valley opposite Julianne Moore. "You know, when I first read the script, I was completely blown away by how Brad [Ingelsby], the writer, just wove in all of these crazy turns that I didn't even expect, and usually, I'm pretty good at figuring it out, and I did not see this coming," Sweeney told Fallon. "Claire, my character, shows up at her mom's doorstep, played by Julianne Moore, covered in blood," she added, describing the film. "And what follows is a endless amount of twists and turns that kind of show how much and how far a mother would go for her daughter." Domhnall Gleeson and Kyle MacLachlan also star in the film, which arrives on the streamer June 13. On Wednesday, Sweeney attended the New York premiere of Echo Valley. She wore a strapless, red corseted dress.
