The Sopranos is frequently remembered by TV fans as being one of the greatest crime shows ever. The series delved into the life of an angsty mobster Tony Soprano and his day-to-day struggle as he reluctantly agreed to go to therapy.
James Gandolfini transitioned from a movie star to featuring on the small screen, but it was not an easy road to success. The actor had to face several inconveniences and struggled a lot during the filming period. One interview revealed that he wanted to quit the hit show daily until he managed to find the strength to appear in front of the camera again.
Commit, Quit, Reappear: The repeated cycle
Tony Soprano became a legendary character due to his convoluted personality and relatable life struggles. Few fans, however, are aware of the actor’s rocky journey when he started The Sopranos and struggled under the weight of the fame.
In the documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, co-actor Steven Van Zandt talked about the star’s repeated ultimatums. According to him, James Gandolfini spoke about quitting the show every alternate day.
Every other day, we would go to a bar. We would have the exact same conversation. We would get drunk. He’d say, ‘I’m done. I’m not going back.
The documentary (via PEOPLE) touched upon the instances when Gandolfini grappled with the change. The three-time Emmy winner’s main complaint was the long hours which he was unaccustomed to when he did feature films like True Romance, Crimson Tide, etc.
I had no clue. I walked in with a big smile on my face. I got punched right in the nose, and I said, ‘Okay. I’ve got to figure out some way to do this. I have no clue how to prepare for.
The star himself sat down in the documentary to confess that he initially had no idea what he committed to when he started. Subsequently, he came to realize that the shooting process differed greatly from movies, and that caused him to spiral.
The act which cemented his legacy
The late actor also struggled with the emotional depth that was required to portray the complex character. The mobster faced multiple severe issues as he fought to balance life as the head of a criminal syndicate and a family man.
This coupled with his intense therapy scenes with Dr. Melfi (portrayed by Lorraine Bracco) demanded a lot from the A Civil Action actor. The performance also took a physical toll on him as the actor ventured deeper into the mind of the character.
We were concerned about Gandolfini staying alive. Occasionally he would go on a bender or a c*ke binge. We had to stop production.
At the time, Gandolfini was also wrestling his demons which included a dangerous addiction issue. James Andrew Miller recounted in his book (via EL País) an incident that was narrated to him by Jeff Bewkes, the then-executive director of HBO.
He was incredibly invested in making that character believable, and unless you’re really diligent, you’re going to end up taking your work home, and as an actor, that’s not always a great idea.
Co-stars, showrunners, and even his management team grew wary of the actor whose state seemed to be worsening. However, no one could deny the fact that it was his dedication that made the David Chase show golden. Edie Falco praised her onscreen husband for this perseverance in the documentary (via PEOPLE).
The Sopranos is currently available to watch on Prime Video.
