James Gandolfini.
Anthony Neste/Getty ImagesJames Gandolfini He was memorialized by former cast members. The Sopranos The two-part documentary looks back on the success of the HBO show. Wise Man: David Chase and the Sopranos.
The film, which will be released on HBO on Saturday, September 7th, is directed by Alex Gibney Meet the creators of the show David Chasewith a set very similar to that of Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) offices, the pair spoke about how the show, which first aired in 1999 and ran for six seasons until its controversial series finale in 2007, became a cultural phenomenon.
Among the scenes and anecdotes from the series, The Sopranos “I was so thrilled to see Gandolfini, who played their courageous leader, Tony Soprano, die in June 2013 from a heart attack,” he said. The Sopranos It’s over. Gandolfini appeared in the documentary through archived interview footage.
“He was nothing like Tony Soprano, he was very laid back.” Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti) said of the late star, “He wore Birkenstocks, he liked Green Day and AC/DC. What’s interesting is that a lot of fans look at Tony Soprano as a kind of role model, which is really scary in a lot of ways. I think he felt like people thought he was Tony Soprano, but he wasn’t.”
Cast and crew members had fond memories of working with Gandolfini, who Chase, 79, described as a “really complicated” but “good guy,” but also recalled low periods in Gandolfini’s career.
During its six season run, The Sopranos changed television as we know it and earned the title of one of the greatest shows of all time. This HBO crime drama begins in January 1999, when Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) reluctantly walks into the office of his new psychiatrist, Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), suffering from a panic attack. […]
“I don’t know, maybe there was more of Tony in it than he wanted to admit. Maybe it was just too easy for him,” Chase speculates. “People say, ‘The show got darker,’ and he got darker.”
Scroll down to read The Sopranos Cast and crew comments on Gandolfini Clever man documentary:
Tony Soprano’s Birth
Chase said that despite some drama during the actor’s audition, it was “pretty clear” from the start that Gandolfini was “totally Tony.”
“He left halfway through his first audition,” Chase recalls, “but we thought he was great, so the casting director invited him over to my house to read a scene, and it was like, oh, bam.”
When the show began filming, Chase knew Gandolfini “understood the character,” adding that “Jim had his own way of becoming Tony Soprano.”
Chase praised the late star for making everyone laugh on set despite playing a very complex character. Chris Albrecht Gandolfini even described it as “magical.”
Tony and Dr. Melfi’s perfect relationship
“He was just messing around, blowing kisses at me, taking off his clothes,” Bracco recalled. “I mean, he was just a crazy guy.”
However, she was able to get revenge on him on the set.
“Jim had never been to therapy,” the actress recalls, “so it was fun to guide him and push him and in a way manipulate him.”
Chase said that Gandolfini and Bracco “rehearsed for three days” before filming Tony’s first scene in therapy. “For him it was like, ‘How am I going to act in a psychiatrist’s office?’ There was a lot of unfamiliarity there,” Chase added.
Edie Falco’s statement
“It was always amazing from start to finish,” Falco gushed about her on-screen husband. “It always felt like I was hanging out with him.”
Becoming Tony and Carmela Soprano was “easy and easy.”
“He put so much effort into making that character believable,” she says at another point in the film. “If you’re not really diligent, you might end up taking work home with you, and as an actor, that’s not necessarily a good idea. So, yeah, I think it took a toll on him.”
The story behind the $30,000
Gandolfini received a huge pay raise from HBO. The Sopranos Season 4. After the deal was signed, he shared his fortune with his co-stars.
“When Jim got the contract, nobody even knew it was on the table.” Drea De Matteo “We didn’t know how to negotiate,” (Adriana La Selva) recalled, “and I think he was extremely remorseful. So he called all of us, one by one, into his trailer and gave each of us a check for $30,000.”
Falco appeared to be joking when discussing the financial situation, telling the documentary filmmakers he had “no idea” about the $30,000. “He was a very kind-hearted, kind person. He was someone who looked after his friends.”
Why did the “generous” Gandolfini donate the money? Chase had an idea.
“I think he felt like HBO had ripped them off, and he wanted to do something to make up for it, to help,” the creator explained, “and I think he had some regrets about the days when he didn’t come to work.”
Inside Gandolfini’s struggles
As his fame continued to grow, Gandolfini began to struggle, quietly at first, but increasingly publicly. (As his fame continued to grow, Gandolfini struggled with substance abuse.)
Coster Steven Van Zandt (Silvio Dante) said Gandolfini was threatening to “quit the show every other day.” Though the star would always return to the set, “a couple of times,” he would disappear for days, Van Zandt recalled. “He got tired of it.”
Albrecht said Gandolfini had a contract with the network that “deducted $100,000 for every day he missed.” While it was costly to have the show’s star miss work, it also raised concerns about “what was happening to him.” Eventually, cast and crew members tried to “intervene” for Gandolfini.
“He walked in, looked at everybody sitting there and said, ‘Oh man, stop doing this,’ and walked out,” Albrecht recalled, noting that Gandolfini said, “Fire me.”
Some of Gandolfini’s co-stars, aware of his struggles, defended him. Imperioli said Gandolfini’s level of fame was “a little strange.” “It eliminated any privacy and he was in the spotlight everywhere he went. He never blended in with the crowd,” she added.
De Matteo said the entire cast “partied” together while filming. “We had the best time,” she said. “There were probably some mornings where it was a little tough for all of us to get out of bed, but not just for Jim.”
But Chase believes Jim “didn’t know or expect what it would be like to lead a franchise at this level.”
“He said he felt he had to go to a place that was destructive and painful for him,” the author added.
His reaction to the final episode
The Sopranos The film is famously known for having a controversial ending scene, and Gandolfini thought so too.
“Jim said, ‘Is that it?’ He couldn’t believe it,” Bracco recalled, noting that they watched the finale together. “I think he was just as shocked as everybody else.”
Wise Man: David Chase and the Sopranos is currently available on HBO and Max.
