The Sopranos is a HBO show that got the world talking, and helped establish the network as a hub for challenging, quality content. It’s been discovered by new audiences who have a HBO Max subscription, further immortalizing the iconic performance by late actor James Gandolfini. It turns out that his agent had a humorous response after creator David Chase had a unique concern about casting him as Tony Soprano.
James Gandolfini died back in 2013, but his generations of fans are still re-watching The Sopranos and learning more about his legacy. During an excerpt from the biography Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, (via Vulture) Chase recalled his big concern about giving the Get Shorty actor the lead role. In his words:
All right, here’s the deal. I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is, Is he threatening enough?
For anyone who has seen The Sopranos, this concern seems almost comical. Gandolfini crafted a realistic mob boss with Tony Soprano, one who wasn’t against violently threatening his enemies and loved ones alike. In fact, Gandolfini would even use rocks to help him feel pain and irritation as Tony. Pretty smart, right?
One of the best things about Tony Soprano is the way he balanced vulnerability with his terrifying, violent exterior. Chase needed to find an actor who could pull these both off, something Gandolfini did with ease. In the same excerpt from the biography, his manager Nancy Sanders revealed how she responded to the Sopranos creator, offering:
David, if your only concern is is he threatening enough … 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.
Some points were made there. I mean what did David Chase originally want from his Tony Soprano? Rather than a chameleon actor who could portray the mob boss, would he prefer someone that he’d actually be uncomfortable around? Thank goodness he came around and gave the role to Gandolfini.
Prior to his death, the late actor himself spoke about his own doubts about landing the role of Tony. In a conversation with Melfi actress Lorraine Bracco for Interview Magazine, James Gandolfini explained why he didn’t think he’d get the role, saying:
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 fucking pretty boy’ I thought they’d hire, you know, one of these Irish-looking guys who are all over TV now. So I was shocked when I got the part.
In the end, we all know what would go down. Gandolfini landed the gig, and would forever be remembered for that role. While he’d go on to work on a number of other project after The Sopranos‘ six seasons on HBO, he’s still Tony in many of our hearts.
David Chase’s beloved series has recently gotten a new life with some other projects on HBO. The prequelThe Many Saints of Newark featured amazing impressions of the original case, while the documentary Wise Guy offered a peek behind the creation and filming of the iconic show.
The Sopranos franchise is streaming in its entirety over on HBO Max. Now excuse my while I go give it another re-watch, and see Gandolfini in all his Tony Soprano glory.
