The Sopranos is an HBO show that got the world talking, and remains a beloved part of the pop culture landscape since its controversial 2007 finale aired. The show is still regularly re-watched by those with a HBO Max subscription, with Meadow actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler remaining a public figure. The 45 year-old actress grew up before our eyes, and she recalled her sweet final interaction with late actor James Gandolfini prior to his 2013 passing.

Despite Gandolfini's passing happening over a decade ago, both fans and his collaborators continue to share their feelings of mourning over the acclaimed actor's death. In an interview with Us Weekly, Sigler revealed that her final conversation with her onscreen father happened at a casino. At the time he was one of few people who knew that she was diagnosed with MS, and gave big dad energy to her. As the Big Sky actress put it:

How sweet is that? While this is a small gesture, it shows how much love James Gandolfini and Jamie-Lynn Sigler had until the day he died. Even in a subtle way, the actor who played her father on The Sopranos kept being a parental figure, supporting the actress as she was early into her Multiple Sclerosis journey.

Later in the same interview, she spoke more about her final interaction with Gandolfini ahead of his death back in 2013. She recalled how encouraging he was in the midst of her health issues, offering:

This is definitely heart-warming, especially in the midst of Gandolfini's tragic death. The Sopranos icon died back in 2013 after suffering from a heart attack while vacationing with his family in Italy. It took both his fans and loved ones by surprised, and also made Jamie-Lynn Sigler's final interaction with her onscreen father all the more significant. Luckily it was a special memory that she continues to cherish to this day.

The Sopranos is streaming in its entirety over on HBO Max, as well as the prequel made-for-TV movie The Many Saints of Newark, which arrived back in 2021 and featured James Gandolfini's son Michael playing a younger version of Tony. As for Jamie-Lynn Sigler, she's been staying busy with both acting projects and various successful podcasts. We'll just have to see if the Sopranos franchise ends up expanding again in the future.

Pete Davidson recently became a father, when his partner Elsie Hewitt gave birth to a baby girl in December 2025, and already it’s obvious how serious he takes his role. Undoubtedly at least some of that has to be because he grew up without his father, Scott Davidson, a New York firefighter who died in the 9/11 attacks at 33 years old. The Saturday Night Live alum got candid about his father’s heroic sacrifice and the bittersweet realization that came with it.

Comedy has clearly been a coping mechanism for Pete Davidson’s grief over the years, because anyone who’s seen him do standup or a Comedy Central Roast has likely heard the jokes he’s made about Scott Davidson’s 2001 death. However, he kept it serious when talking to Michael Gandolfini — whose father James Gandolfini died in 2013 at 51 — during an interview on The Pete Davidson Show (available with a Netflix subscription). Davidson said:

That is some really heavy stuff. He has such pride in the way his father lived and died, but at the same time, Scott Davidson set an impossible bar for Pete to reach.

Losing his father at just 7 years old, the Bodies Bodies Bodies actor also said he struggles with the legend of his dad versus the man Scott really was, which Michael Gandolfini very much could relate to with his own father.

At the time, Pete Davidson said he couldn’t quite grasp the permanence of death, saying:

Michael Gandolfini talked about the memories fading day by day, forgetting his dad’s hands and other details. As heartbreaking as these realizations are, I’m sure there’s something to be gained in having someone relate to what they’ve been through — not to mention those watching the Netflix podcast who have also lost parents.

Pete Davidson named his daughter Scottie Rose in tribute to his father (well, that and as a nod to where she was conceived, apparently), but that’s not the only thing he hopes she gets from him. Scott Davidson had an aura, Pete said, that made people instantly like him and feel comfortable around him — you know, like Jon Bernthal.

Pete Davidson and Elsie Hewitt may be having issues as they adjust to new parenthood (honestly, who doesn’t?), but it’s clear how much love they have for their daughter. In my book, that's the only hero Davidson needs to be.

We lost one of the greats on June 19th, 2013, as that’s when we lost James Gandolfini. A guy built like him, you’d think that he’d always be typecast to play tough guys, but that's exactly what made him interesting, because that wasn’t the case.

Sure, he did play his fair share of heavies, but he was also able to stretch his abilities in fascinating ways. For instance, I recently wrote about his role as the voice of Carol in Where the Wild Things Are. While he did sound angry, you could also hear that he was scared deep down inside, too. What range!

Speaking of range, he used it to his full ability in my favorite Gandolfini movie, 2013’s romantic comedy, Enough Said. Here’s why I love it so much.

For Such A Tough Looking Guy, Nobody Could Play Vulnerable Like James Gandolfini

At the end of The Sopranos, we see Tony coming out ahead after defeating the New York crew led by Phil Leotardo (Played by the late, great Frank Vincent). So, to celebrate his “victory,” he takes his family out to one of their favorite restaurants, and…well, by this point, I’m sure you know the controversial ending. However, here’s the thing: what’s great about that whole scene is that Tony's vulnerability is radiating off the actor. Whether you think he lived or died, it doesn’t matter. What the audience is left with, though, is a sense that Tony is not safe, and he’ll never be safe. He just has to live (or not) with that knowledge.

James Gandolfini plays an even more vulnerable character in Enough Said. It’s not a loud performance, like Tony Soprano, but his vulnerability is evident all the same. Gandolfini plays a divorced man with a teenage daughter who’s going off to college. Even though it’s typical to see female characters having the whole Empty nest syndrome thing, we see it from Gandolfini’s character, Albert, as he’s struggling to prepare for his daughter’s departure.

Gandolfini doesn’t play this as a big, shouting moment, but rather, it’s quite understated. You can see it in his eyes when he talks about his daughter, played by Eve Hewson. You can also hear it in his voice when he talks about how sophisticated she is when Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character, Eva, asks about a bag in his kitchen.

Oh, and about Dreyfus. The crux of this film is Albert’s budding relationship with Eva, and I’ll get into that next.

Gandolfini Has Genuine Chemistry With Julia Louis-Dreyfus

You know what? If Gandolfini and Dreyfus were ever in a movie together prior to Enough Said, I don’t think I would ever, in a million years, “ship” them. Dreyfus, the star of Seinfeld, Veep, and so much more, just doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who would go for somebody like Gandolfini, and that’s played up in this film as well.

Early on, when Albert meets Eva at a party, he’s attracted to her, but she’s not physically attracted to him, which again lends itself to how vulnerable Gandolfini’s character is. She views him as overweight and doesn’t really think they would hit it off due to her lack of attraction. However, once they do start dating, you get a sense that things will actually work out. That is, of course, until she has her image of him tainted by a new friend and client of hers, played by Catherine Keener, who is also Albert’s ex-wife.

Before that, they had real chemistry together. He has a subtle sense of humor, which mixes well with Eva’s broader and louder sense of humor. He also has a deep inner world, whereas Eva is quite neurotic, so you’d think their personalities would clash, but not really. It’s not until Eva lets her neurosis eat away at their relationship that things start to go awry.

It also doesn’t help that she’s been keeping it a secret that she’s been speaking to his ex-wife on multiple occasions. That said, without the necessary conflict involved with the ex-wife, Albert and Eva really do seem to complement each other well. It’s quite wonderful.

The Story Takes Its Time, And It’s Rewarding Because Of It

At the top of this article, I discussed how James Gandolfini played tough guys, but he didn’t just play tough guys, and that really works in this film’s favor since Albert is not tough. That’s why the secret that Eva is hiding from him, that she knows his ex-wife is like the equivalent of a ticking bomb, since you know he’s going to find out eventually.

However, what’s interesting is that throughout the film, we’re just waiting to see how he’s going to react to the news. Is he going to flip out like Tony Soprano and punch a hole in the wall? Or, is he going to cry in his beer and mope? The answer is neither. In fact, just like the rest of the movie, his reaction is very subtle but impactful. Albert tells Eva that she broke his heart, and he’s very quiet about it, saying that the worst part is that she made a fool out of him in front of his daughter. Meanwhile, Eva is crying because she wanted it to work out, but she realizes that she messed everything up herself by listening to her client rag on him all day.

The build-up to this moment, where they’re going out on dates, spending time together, and just enjoying each other’s company, is what MAKES this moment so impactful. The whole film, we just want Eva to tell Albert that she’s been talking with his ex-wife. We don’t like being in on the secret, since we know it will make Albert feel.

The way Gandolfini pulls this off is masterful. We understand that Albert is not Tony Soprano. He’s not a tough guy, and he’s just had his heart broken. Honestly, it’s the performance of a lifetime.

It’s A Romantic Comedy That Feels Like It’s Directed Squarely At An Older Demographic

Enough Said didn’t make our list of the 50 best romantic comedies, but it’s actually my favorite, with Silver Linings Playbook coming in at a close second. And, it’s mostly because Enough Said is for old people, like me (Well, maybe slightly older, but still!).

Because that’s the thing about rom-coms. I feel like the vast majority of them are directed toward young people. The whole, will-they, won’t-they trope just works when you have two young people who shouldn’t work on paper, but do work for real. And, in my younger years, I liked stories like Chasing Amy and (500) Days of Summer, because I guess I could see myself somewhere in those young characters’ relationships.

That said, the older I get, the more I appreciate movies like Enough Said, as the couple not staying together doesn’t necessarily seem like the end of the world. Instead, just like in real life, if it happens, great. If it doesn’t, well, at least you enjoyed your limited time with them, and that’s what we get here. It’s a movie that feels like it’s geared more toward an older demographic, where people need to be pragmatic about things.

For instance, given that you’re more cognizant of your own mortality the older you get, do you feel like wasting your time in a relationship with somebody who is being dishonest, or do you go back to being single, and at least confident that you’re not wasting your life with somebody who doesn’t truly value you?

It’s for that reason that this is my favorite Gandolfini movie.

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:

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:

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:

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 prequel The 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.

There are movies I watch that I'll never forget, and then there are films where I wonder if they were only a dream.

I once felt this way about what I could have sworn was a sequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (It turns out it was actually 1974's The Little Prince, which also stars Gene Wilder), and it's also the case with 2009's Where the Wild Things Are, which I honestly thought I dreamt about until somebody reminded me of its existence the other day.

Directed by Spike Jonze (who's one of those directors who made a good movie on his first try), and starring the voices of James Gandolfini, Paul Dano (whom everybody loves - well, except for Tarantino), Lauren Ambrose, and many more, Where the Wild Things Are still sits with me today… when I actually remember that it exists. Here’s why.

For One Thing, The Movie Feels A Lot More Melancholy Than Most Family Films

So, here’s the thing. As a ‘90s kid, I used to watch a lot of “family films” that I don’t think would fly today. An American Tail, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Land Before Time (really, most movies from the Don Bluth company), these are flicks that were actually sad. When I think of most family films today, I don’t feel like they have the same melancholic tinge to the films that I grew up with.

However, 2009’s Where the Wild Things Are does. In this adaptation of the famous children’s book, a young boy named Max (Max Records) is a child of divorce. His older sister doesn’t stand up for him when bullies destroy his snow fort, and he resorts to bouts of rage when he’s alone. His mom (Catherine Keener) has a boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo), and Max gets so pissed off that he bites his mom on the shoulder.

There’s just so much anger, and when Max gets to the island where the Wild Things live, the film takes on a much calmer, but also melancholic tone. In both the book and the movie, we’re to interpret that the “Wild Things” are really embodiments of Max’s emotions, but the movie makes this even more pronounced. For example, Alexander (Paul Dano’s Wild Thing), is hopelessly depressed, while even the angry Carol (Gandolfini) seems to get lost in somber moments once his fury has cooled.

It’s all unlike any “children’s film” that I can even think of, which might be why it really does feel like a dream.

The Actual Wild Things Feel Genuinely Nuanced

As I just mentioned, the Wild Things are really a representation of our protagonist’s emotions, and when he actually feels like he’s finally made sense of all of his complex feelings, he changes and becomes the “king” of the island. It's fascinating stuff.

That said, the movie feels very different from the book (which I’ll get to in a moment) since the Wild Things are much more fleshed out in the film. Carol, for instance, goes through a number of emotions throughout the film and seems to go on his own emotional journey. As an example, one of the Wild Things, KW (Lauren Ambrose), leaves, and Carol gets enraged that she’s departed. He doesn’t understand why she has to be so separate from the other Wild Things, and we get a sense that he feels like he’s not a good leader in that she doesn’t want to be around the rest of them.

Meanwhile, Alexander constantly wants to participate, but when he gets hurt, Carol gets mad at KW for stepping on him. This prompts KW to leave again, making Carol feel even more morose. Gandolfini, who will probably always be most known for playing Tony Soprano, was such a phenomenal actor, and he could get across so much with just his voice alone. You can hear rage, sadness, loneliness and so many other emotions, and it’s something that really makes this movie stand out.

All of the voice actors are wonderful (especially Chris Cooper and Forest Whitaker), and they add so much nuance to the Wild Things, making it almost feel unreal.

It Really Does Not Feel Like The Book At All

I feel like every child of a certain age has probably had Maurice Sendak’s famous 1963 picture book read to them. I mean, outside of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Cat and the Hat and Goodnight Moon, I think Where the Wild Things Are is probably the most famous children’s book out there. And yet, when I watched the movie adaptation, I couldn’t think of a film that was more different from the source material.

I mean, yes, the Wild Things are all there, and Max is a bit of a hellion in the book, but at only 40 pages long, the people behind the film really had to take some creative liberties. For one thing, Max’s departure to the island makes a lot more sense in the film. In the book, he gets sent to bed without dinner for wrecking the house, but in the movie, Max feels like a real boy who’s struggling to make sense of his world.

In fact, as a child of divorce myself, I definitely remember feeling like Max, and especially his Wild Things. Sometimes, I felt like Carol, as I was angry at the world. At other times, I felt like KW, wanting to just be alone. Then there were times I felt like Alexander, isolated and like nobody wanted me. I even felt like Ira on occasion, gentle and almost fragile.

The book doesn’t really get into any of this. I mean, it touches on it, but as a children’s book, it’s at a child’s level. The film, not so much. In fact, I’d probably be scared of this movie if I had seen it as a kid, which is why I think it’s more for adults if anything.

I’m Also Shocked They Used Actual Costumes For The Wild Things In 2009

You know what I’m not a huge fan of? Films stuffed to the brim with CGI (sorry, Avatar 3, but I think I’m sitting this one out). Do you know what I am a fan of, though? Costumes and animatronics. I loved it in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies of old (Like Secret of the Ooze), I love it in Five Nights at Freddy’s movies, and I love it in Where The Wild Things Are.

The thing is, I feel like it didn’t have to be this way. Look at The Hobbit movies for instance. Sure, they came out a little later than Where the Wild Things Are, but I feel like the Wild Things definitely could have been entirely CGI, but they’re not. Yes there's some CGI, but they’re primarily costumes with performers inside of them, and I kind of can’t believe they went that route in 2009.

Do I think the movie is better for it? Actually, yes, because the Wild Things feel more real and even more imaginative. Because that’s the thing about CGI: no matter how good it looks, it still kind of feels ersatz. Yes, we’ve gotten to the point where we can have entire movies or TV shows that are completely CGI, but at the same time, we kind of have to suspend our belief when we go into them.

Max’s world feels more tangible with the Wild Things being physically there, so I applaud this movie for that as well. In a lot of ways, it helps it feel even more like a fever dream, which is why I think I need to constantly be reminded that it exists. It just doesn’t feel real.

But what do you think? Do you remember Where the Wild Things Are? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Fall TV is finally making its way to the 2025 premiere schedule, and while there are plenty of network shows kicking off soon, one of the biggest debuts this week is easily the Season 3 opener of Sylvester Stallone’s action-steeped crime drama Tulsa King. With its first two seasons, the mob-centric series cemented itself as one of the best shows streaming on Paramount+, and I was very excited to talk to the cast about the new threats soon rising up in Oklahoma.

When I spoke with Annabella Sciorra alongside Jay Will and Martin Starr, I was curious about the actress’ experiences both on this show and during her memorable run on The Sopranos as Angie Bonpensiero. Relatively few actors can say they’ve shared the screen in gangster dramas with both Stallone and the late, great James Gandolfini.

When I asked Sciorra to compare working with two of Hollywood’s major heavies, she was understandably hesitant to speak too openly about her former on-screen beau, saying:

Oh, um, wow. I mean, gosh, they're both very particular. Jim was very...he liked to get himself in a state, you know, when he was doing something,. Oh, gosh, it's so hard to talk about Jim, I have to tell you that, so I'm not going to talk about him too much. But very different, very different.

Gandolfini, who died in June 2013 of cardiac arrest at 51, remains idolized by millions of fans, not just for his undeniably powerful role as Tony Soprano, but for a career full of interesting and often intimidating characters. As Sciorra noted, he was known to work himself up while filming to bring Tony to the razor's edge of emotions, and it's not like there were tons of scenes where Tony and Angie just hung out peacefully on the beach without any other cares in the world. That not how The Sopranos worked.

Annabella Sciorra continued, pointing out that where James Gandolfini was an intense performer, Sylvester Stallone is apparently the exact opposite, and that he knows how to mince words in a way that's most impactful. As she put it:

In the case of Tulsa King, one might imagine the actor's rituals involving throwing two-bit goons through bar windows. But it's probably more peaceful than that.

Sciorra also spoke to how immaculately prepared Stallone is when he's on the set, and not just when it comes to what his character Dwight Manfredi is doing at any given monent. The Rocky vet knows it all, and Jay Will had something to say about it.

• ANNABELLA SCIORRA: I will say this: he knows his lines spot-on, and he knows everybody else's lines in the scene.
• JAY WILL: It’s annoying.
• ANNABELLA SCIORRA: Super professional, spry, lot of energy. He's fantastic to work with.

Martin Starr also talked about how well-versed Stallone is, not only with everyone's scene dialogue, but also with each of the characters' evolving storylines from season to season. It sounds like he has the long-game in mind, and I can only imagine that Paramount+ will be happy to keep this show (Jelly-)rolling, so long as viewers keep tuning in.

Tulsa King Season 3 premiere, titled “Blood and Bourbon,” will be available to stream via Paramount+ subscription starting on Sunday, September 21, with new episodes arriving weekly thereafter. Fans aren’t going to want to miss seeing Sylvester Stallone facing off against Terminator 2 and Peacemaker star Robert Patrick.

Some actors, no matter how long their career or how great their talent, will forever be first known for one iconic TV role. This isn't an indictment of their careers at all. In fact, in many ways, it tells the whole story. They were so good at one particular role that no matter what, that's what people will think of first. To be sure, these are some of the best actors of their generations ,and they deserve praise for all their roles, but especially these.

Kelsey Grammer - Frasier Crane

For a total of an amazing 20 years, Kelsey Grammer has played Frasier Crane. First on Cheers, then on its spinoff Frasier, and again in the reboot of Frasier in the 2020s. There may be no more obvious actor to include on this list.

Mariska Hargitay - Olivia Benson

Mariska Hargitay is Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Jayne Mansfield, and she's carved out on heck out her own career playing Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has played since the end of the 20th Century, more than 25 seasons in total. There is no other character in prime time history with a longer run than Hargitay's Benson. It's remarkable.

Jessica Walter - Lucille Bluth

The late Jessica Walter had an incredible career, but for many, she'll always be known for one of her final roles, Lucille Bluth on the cult classic Arrested Development. She was so hilarious and quotable that it's easy to see why this is the case.

Peter Falk - Columbo

Peter Falk completely embodied Detective Columbo on the show that carried that character's name. He defined a new kind of TV detective, a style that has been often imitated but never duplicated over the years since Columbo debuted. He was funny and wicked smart. A Holmesian-style detective who never found a dry cleaner.

Tom Selleck - Thomas Magnum

Tom Selleck was a hard one to include here. Thomas Magnum was one of two iconic roles, along with Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods, that Selleck has played in his career. That's not to mention Jesse Stone, another fan-favorite. But in the end, it's all about Magnum P.I., one of the best shows ever.

Lauren Graham - Lorelai Gilmore

Lauren Graham is another tough one here, because Lorelai Gilmore is hardly her only big role on TV, but none of her other shows have been nearly as enduring as Gilmore Girls and that isn't likely to change in the future. It'll always be what her fans think of first.

Lucille Ball - Lucy Ricardo

Lucille Ball was a groundbreaking legend, and that is entirely due to her iconic character Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy. The list of what made the show, and the comedic actor, is so long, we could never fill it out here, but she also doesn't really need any explanation. She's the queen of early TV for very good reason, and that can never be taken away.

Peter Dinklage - Tyrion Lannister

Peter Dinklage might not like to hear this... or maybe he would... but Tyrion Lannister is such an amazing role, and Dinklage's performance is completely worthy of such an iconic literary and TV character. Game of Thrones took over the television watching audience completely, and Dinklage's Lannister was almost everyone's favorite. He's done great work all through his long career, but it will be impossible to top Tyrion.

Sean Hayes - Jack McFarland

Jack McFarland from Will & Grace is one of the most underappreciated characters in any sitcom in Hollywood history. Sean Hayes is fantastic in the role, and he'll have people saying "Just Jack!" forever.

Angela Lansbury - Jessica Fletcher

Angela Lansbury had a storied career that lasted decades, and every time she appeared on screen, she lit it up. Jessica Fletcher on Murder She Wrote was her crowning achievement. She's one of the best TV detectives of all time, even if there were way too many murders in Cabot Cove than there should have been.

Henry Winkler - The Fonz

Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli. Fonzie. The Fonz. A character of many names, and one iconic look. Henry Winkler has had a career that most actors can only dream of, but his role on Happy Days will always be what he is first known for. We should all be so cool.

Sarah Michelle Gellar - Buffy Summers

Sarah Michelle Gellar's role in the movie Cruel Intentions may be her most iconic movie role, but it doesn't eclipse her role as Buffy Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not even close. It'll always be her most beloved role.

James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano

On one hand, it's a shame that James Gandolfini is on this list. His premature death will always have us asking "what if?" On the other hand, he is so freaking GREAT as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, that its impossible not to include him here. Just watching him in anything else, or old interviews, you quickly realize that he completely disappeared into the gangster. It's remarkable.

Gillian Anderson - Dana Scully

Speaking from experience, I can say that many teenagers in the 1990s have a huge crush on Dana Scully on The X-Files. She was smart and capable, but with an air of mystery that really kept viewers guessing, in the best way.

William Shatner - Captain Kirk

Personally, I think William Shatner's best role was on Boston Legal. He was also amaing in TJ Hooker. However, even if he had 1000 legendary roles over his career, he would still be most remember for James T. Kirk in Str Trek. That's how iconic the role, and the show are.

Matthew Perry - Chandler Bing

It was a real tragedy when the world lost Matthew Perry in late 2023. He was a once-in-a-generation talent and, in many ways, was first among equals on Friends. He was in some other great projects, like The Whole Nine Yards and Fools Rush In, but let's be honest, he'll always be Chandler in our hearts.

Amy Poehler - Leslie Knope

Amy Poehler was a star on SNL and in a ton of great movies. However, she was absolutely born to play Leslie Knope on Parks & Rec. It's almost hard to believe she isn't actually Leslie in real life, and that's meant to be the most sincere of compliments.

Michael K. Williams - Omar Little

Of all the amazing characters and actors on The Wire, Omar and Michael K. Williams stand out above them all. He was one of the most honest and complex characters in TV history, and the late Williams, another actor we lost way too soon, will be forever remembered for his portrayal of the Baltimore stick-up man.

George Wendt - Norm Peterson

Cheers had an amazing ensemble of comedic actors, and as a kid, my favorite was always George Wendt and his character Norm. He was the most popular guy in the bar and the most popular with viewers. When Wendt died in 2025, everyone started sharing their favorite moments of his from the show, despite the show ending decades ago.

Mary Tyler Moore - Mary Richards

Mary Tyler Moore made it after all, and all on her own. Her titular show was the highlight of her long, incredible career, and it's a good thing the show was named after her, because she deserves to be remembered forever for it.

Caroll O'Connor - Archie Bunker

Caroll O'Connor's role as Archie Bunker became one of the most iconic and most important in television history. The groundbreaking sitcom, All In The Family, changed TV forever, and Bunker, with his bigotry and chauvinism, reinvented just how much a simple sitcom could say about society.

Rainn Wilson - Dwight Schrute

Of all the characters on The Office, Dwight, played by Rainn Wilson, was the one we all loved to hate the most. It must have been such a fun role for Wilson, because he never phoned it in, and he never let us down; we could count on him driving us nuts every week. I mean that in the very best way.

Wayne Knight - Newman

Wayne Knight has popped up in all kinds of roles in his career. We'll never forget him for his performance in the original Jurassic Park, for example, but it's Newman on Seinfeld that we'll always love him most for. He might not have been a main character, but that is testimony to just how good he was. He's as remembered as the "big four" despite playing a much more limited role. That takes a great actor and an even better performance, and he did over the entire run of the show.

Ian McShane - Al Swearengen

Al Swearengen from Deadwood is one of the best characters of the prestige era of TV. Ian McShane has had a long, distinguished career, and at the top of the list of his great performances is as the foul-mouthed, tavern-owning gangster in the HBO Western.

Danica McKellar - Winnie Cooper

Ask anyone in Gen X about Danica McKellar, and they might mention her Hallmark movies. They might also mention her wonderful guest turn on The West Wing. In the case of both of those, though, they will come after they fondly reminisce about watching her as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years. They grew up with Winnie and Kevin (Fred Savage). It was her earliest role, but it remains her most iconic.

There may be impressive dramas debuting or returning on the 2025 TV schedule, but it’s going to be hard to land something as mythic as The Sopranos was back in the day. The late James Gandolfini led an ensemble cast that really brought to life the criminal underworld of New Jersey, warts and all, with Tony Soprano being a kind of tragic figure. And thanks to some recently revealed stories from co-stars like Lorraine Bracco, we now know how the acclaimed actor loosened up when he wasn’t in front of the cameras.

A story in author Jason Bailey’s new memoir, Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend (via People) came directly from Bracco. She recalled her scene partner on the seminal TV series (which is streamable with a Max subscription) in a very mischievous light. In the first part of her story, the Goodfellas star talked about filming those memorable therapy sessions between Tony and Dr. Melfi, with some shenanigans in play:

While stories of James Gandolfini’s intense methods of developing his performance happen are legend, the tales of how he could also let loose and kick back have started to grow as well. In the years since his passing, and with cast members like Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Michael Imperioli sharing stories about how making the HBO drama really went, many have started to learn of and appreciate Galdonfini's lighter side.

You can tell that much is true when reading Lorraine Bracco’s memories of running through this particularly dramatic staple of creator David Chase’s mafia opus. As her account in Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend continued, Bracco revealed perhaps the most extreme method that the In The Loop actor used to try and break her concentration:

Say what you will about The Sopranos’ Dr. Melfi and Tony subplot ending, but these accounts of Lorraine Bracco and James Gandolfini on set are details I’m sure fans can agree are rather heartwarming. Though his resume was varied, and includes other roles that people don’t talk about nearly enough, Mr. Gandolfini is one of those great actors mostly remembered for one role.

Such fond remembrances like Bracco's help to humanize an actor people are accustomed to seeing on screen. So, for all fans who are left missing James Gandolfini a little more today, it’s recommended that they read Jason Bailey’s Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, as it’s currently available at all fine booksellers. Meanwhile, stream The Sopranos’ entire run on Max, and take in every session between Dr. Melfi and Tony.

The Sopranos remains a hot topic a decade and a half after its ending, perhaps thanks to a new generation falling in love with the series after binging with their Max subscription. We also keep getting more behind-the-scenes details about the mob drama, both from the documentary released in 2024 and actors who were on the show giving interviews. Such was the case recently when we learned James Gandolfini's painful trick for faking an abdominal injury.

Actor Chris Diamantopoulos spoke to People about the episode he shared with Gandolfini, "The Fleshy Part Of The Thigh." The actor talked about his late co-star's neat trick he had for simulating that he had pain in his abdomen, though I still think it was a bit extreme form of method acting:

James Gandolfini won many awards for HBO with his portrayal of Tony Soprano, and now we know just how deep his commitment to the character went. I guess the actor wanted to make his character's injury look as legitimate as possible and found a sharp stone to help send it over the top.

Chris Diamantopoulos was only on The Sopranos for one episode but he has some pretty cool memories from the experience he shared. This included a story that actor Tony Sirico accidentally beat him with an actual lead pipe, mistaking it for the rubber one he was supposed to be holding when the camera wasn't on him. It seems like a lot of actors were in pain during this episode, which I never would've known without the actor revealing it.

Little tidbits like these continue to tempt me to binge The Sopranos all over again, which I first considered after a co-worker wrote about their experience checking it out years later. My only hesitation would be watching that divisive finale all over again, as it took me quite a while to get over that the first time I saw it.

Diamantopoulos later returned to HBO for a more sizable role, joining the cast of Silicon Valley, where he played the eccentric investor Russ Hanneman. He's currently on the maple syrup crime drama The Sticky, which is available to stream with a Prime Video subscription. It's a great series to watch, especially for those who crave the type of drama shows like The Sopranos delivered during their run.

As previously mentioned, anyone wanting to watch The Sopranos can do so, provided they have Max and a hunger to binge one of television's greatest shows. CinemaBlend will continue to report on what's happening in the world of entertainment and, of course, any updates about the beloved HBO series worth sharing with its fans.

Even after 25 years, The Sopranos remains popular and is one of the best shows streaming on Max. Premiering in 1999, it arrived at a time when HBO wasn’t exactly the powerhouse it is today, but it helped transform the network into a hub for prestige TV. A huge part of the show's lasting impact is due to the late James Gandolfini's iconic performance as Tony Soprano. However, HBO’s new documentary on the show reveals that another member of the ensemble came close to playing Tony -- Silvio Dante actor Steven Van Zandt.

Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos recently dropped on Max, one of the best streaming services out there, and it's packed with fascinating behind-the-scenes details from the iconic mob series. The doc dives into the casting journey that eventually led to James Gandolfini landing the role of Tony Soprano, but the process wasn’t as straightforward as you might think for such an era-defining character.

David Chase, struggling to find the right actor for Tony, happened to watch the 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. During the event, the musician gave a speech for The Rascals' induction. Something about Van Zandt’s demeanor and his Jersey-inspired look caught Chase’s eye. The musician had a commanding presence that matched what Jersey raised writer envisioned for the complex role of Tony Soprano.

Intrigued, the Rockford Files producer invited “Little Steven” to audition for the role of Tony. The doc includes never-before-seen footage from that audition and, by all accounts, Van Zandt did a pretty great job. Chase himself admitted:

But there was a catch. HBO wasn’t sold on casting an unproven actor in such a critical role. As much as Mr. Chase was fascinated by the idea of Steven Van Zandt as Tony, the network was understandably wary. They needed a seasoned actor to carry the weight of a heavy show like The Sopranos, and the Rocker, despite his magnetic screen test, simply didn't have the track record.

David Chase wasn’t ready to let Steven Van Zandt go entirely. Instead, he did something remarkable: he wrote a part specifically for the musician. What began as a minor role -- a nightclub owner in the periphery of Tony’s world -- evolved into something much bigger. That role, of course, became Silvio Dante, Tony’s trusted consigliere and one of the most beloved characters in the series. Ironically, Van Zandt would get a chance to play his own Tony-esque role when he took on the lead role in the mob series Lilyhammer, which you can view with a Netflix subscription.

James Gandolfini’s portrayal of Tony has become something of a legend, but this tantalizing “what if” scenario of his eventual co-star in the same role is fun to consider. As the creator of the series reflects in the doc, casting Gandolfini was one of the best decisions he ever made. As David Chase put it:

For fans of The Sopranos, Wise Guy offers fresh insights into the show's creation and leaves us all wondering how different the series might have been given just a few different ingredients. With a Max subscription, you can check out the documentary for yourself, and scan the 2024 TV schedule for more docs.

Sometimes, a character and a project come around that impacts the zeitgeist deeply, and when that happens, the role becomes permanently attached to an actor’s legacy. This list includes over 30 actors from some of the greatest movies and TV shows who will forever be remembered for one role. 

Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter, Harry Potter 

While Daniel Radcliffe’s list of best movies is long and notable – with entries like Swiss Army Man and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – he will always be known first and foremost as The Boy Who Lived. The actor took on the titular role of Harry Potter when he was 12 years old, and he’s the face of a franchise of movies that have raised countless people. So, while he is beloved for lots of things, nothing will ever be as big and prominent as his role in the Wizarding World.  

Aaron Paul – Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad and its cast truly took the world by storm, and the guys leading the charge, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, became certified legends because of it. It’s hard to separate Paul from Jesse Pinkman, and the impact he made with his fellow ensemble members in this incredible show.  

Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

When you play one of the greatest TV characters of all time, obviously, it’ll be the thing you’re most remembered for. For Sarah Michelle Gellar, she’ll always be known as the legendary Buffy the Vampire Slayer after playing the empowering and strong titular character for seven seasons in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. 

Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man/Tony Stark, Iron Man

Yes, Robert Downey Jr. won an Oscar for Oppenheimer, and yes, he’s well known for roles in other films, like Sherlock Holmes. However, when you single-handedly help successfully start a cinematic universe like the one Marvel has and star in nine of those projects, yes, you are going to be known for playing that character forever.

So, when it comes to RDJ’s legacy, his role as Iron Man/Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the thing he’s remembered forever for.  

Elijah Wood – Frodo, Lord of the Rings

Like Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Potter, so many grew up with Elijah Wood and Lord of the Rings. His portrayal of the hobbit Frodo Baggins was incredibly impactful, and while he has gone on to play a variety of memorable roles, there’s no denying the power of the Rings. 

Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia, Star Wars

You can’t talk about the late great Carrie Fisher and her career without mentioning Princess Leia and the Star Wars movies. She inspired a whole generation as her intelligent, stubborn and empowering princess, and the five films she was a part of helped define sci-fi in film. 

Leonard Nimoy – Spock, Star Trek

Live long and prosper, my friend. Forever and always the legendary Leonard Nimoy will be known for originating the role of the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock in Star Trek. 

Christopher Reeve – Superman, Superman

Christopher Reeve’s legacy is rooted in him playing Superman in four films. Even the documentary that came out about his life in 2024 leans into his time playing Clark Kent, as it’s called Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. 

James Gandolfini – Tony Soprano, The Sopranos

The Sopranos is considered one of the greatest shows on television, and James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano is a major reason why. The actor won three Emmys for his performance in the series, and his name, face and voice are synonymous with the beloved HBO drama. 

Alicia Silverstone – Cher Horowitz, Clueless

When I think of Alicia Silverstone, I immediately think of Cher, because she is and always will be best known for her iconic performance in one of the best movies of the ‘90s, Clueless. 

Sigourney Weaver – Ellen Ripley, Alien

Sigourney Weaver changed the sci-fi game when she starred in Alien. Ellen Ripley is a magnificent and strong leading woman in this sci-fi horror flick, which in 1979, was not something we saw very often. 

Jim Parsons – Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

“Bazinga!” Will always follow Jim Parsons, and that’s because of his tenure playing Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The actor has four Emmys for playing the role, he starred in all 280 episodes of the comedy, and his character even inspired a spinoff, Young Sheldon, which came to an end in 2024 after its own seven-season run. 

Kit Harington – Jon Snow, Game of Thrones

The world was introduced to Kit Harington because of Game of Thrones, and he will always be remembered as the heroic Jon Snow. His role in the GOT cast was vital, and over the years, as we watched him battle it out at The Wall and work toward saving Westeros from winter, it was impossible not to fall for him. Now, while Harington has been in numerous other projects since then, it’s impossible not to think of him as this epic fantasy hero first. 

Emma Watson – Hermione Granger, Harry Potter

These days, Emma Watson doesn’t act anymore, and she’s killing with her gin company Renais. However, she’ll also always be remembered as a wonderful actress who brought life to the beloved witch Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. 

The Entire Cast of Friends

Yes, the cast of Friends all went on to have successful careers after the NBC sitcom. However, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox are best known as Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Monica, and they always will be, because they’re the ones with a hit TV show. 

Ralph Macchio – Daniel LaRusso, The Karate Kid

After three Karate Kid movies, and six seasons of its highly successful spinoff Cobra Kai, you’d be silly not to think that Ralph Macchio will always be remembered for playing Daniel LaRusso. 

Linda Hamilton – Sarah Connor, The Terminator

Linda Hamilton played Sarah Connor in The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate. She’s beloved for portraying the protagonist in this sci-fi franchise, and she’s synonymous with this series that she starred in alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Chris Hemsworth – Thor, Thor

While many Marvel actors have become synonymous with their characters, one who really stands out is Chris Hemsworth and Thor. Physically, the Australian actor perfectly embodies the God of Thunder, and throughout his time playing the character he added an unexpected sense of humor to the role – especially post-Thor: Ragnarok – that he’ll be remembered forever for. 

Kristen Stewart – Bella Swan, Twilight

Twilight, the debate about Team Edward vs. Team Jacob and Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan took over the zeitgeist between 2008-2012. To this day, while she’s gone on to star in incredible films like Spencer and Love Lies Bleeding, the role that made her a household name is one of the parts she’ll always be remembered for. 

Heath Ledger – The Joker, The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger is widely regarded as the best Joker, because of his commanding performance as the legendary Batman villain in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. This movie was also one of his last before his untimely death, and he won a posthumous Oscar for his incredible take on the infamous big bad. 

Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven, Stranger Things

Millie Bobby Brown has made quite a few successful films, like the Enola Holmes movies. However, it’s undeniable that the role that will define her career is Eleven in Stranger Things. She was only 12 when she started playing the mysterious super-powered human, and over the course of the show’s five-season run, both she and the ensemble of the Netflix series, have become pop culture icons because of the show. 

William Shatner – Captain Kirk, Star Trek

If you take a look at the four projects listed at the top of William Shatner’s IMDb page, all of them are Star Trek movies where he played Captain Kirk. The man starred in seven films and a long-running TV show as the beloved captain, so of course it’s what he’s best known for. 

Michael J. Fox – Marty McFly, Back to the Future

From Family Ties to Teen Wolf, Michael J. Fox and his shows and movies were ‘80s staples. However, there’s no denying that the project he’ll always be remembered for is Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future. To this day, the project is considered one of the best ‘80s movies, and Fox is still beloved for playing the charismatic, funny and heroic Marty McFly. 

Reese Witherspoon – Elle Woods, Legally Blonde 

In the over two decades since Legally Blonde’s release, so many have been inspired to pursue their dreams and wear lots and lots of pink. That’s because Elle Woods truly left an amazing mark on the zeitgeist, and it’s because of Reese Witherspoon’s heartfelt, funny and preppy performance as the incredible lawyer-in-training. 

As Elle Woods would say, “What like it’s hard” to create one of the best characters and movies of the 2000s? 

Jon Hamm – Don Draper, Mad Men

While Jon Hamm is a wicked comedic actor, and he’s starred in a myriad of fun movies, nothing will ever come close to Mad Men. For 92 episodes, Hamm led the Mad Men cast as Don Draper – which he took an Emmy home for in 2015 – and he’ll always be recognized for playing the charismatic creative director of Sterling Cooper.

Judy Garland – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a film that has raised generations of kids since 1939, and it’s still a family classic. So, when you lead a beloved musical like that, as Judy Garland did, and it remains relevant and loved for over eight decades, obviously, the role you’ll always be known for is that one. 

David Tennant – The Doctor, Doctor Who

While everyone who has played the titular timelord on Doctor Who is known for that role specifically, David Tennant is a fan-favorite Doctor, and it’s single-handedly the project he’s best known for. While he’s dabbled in many other critically acclaimed projects, like Good Omens and Broadchurch, he is and always will be the beloved actor who graced our screens as the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors first and foremost. 

Anthony Hopkins – Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs

Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it’s in part thanks to Anthony Hopkins' truly terrifying cannibal Hannibal Lecter. In fact, his character became so popular that it inspired three more movies and a TV show. 

Sarah Jessica Parker – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

I’m sure Carrie Bradshaw inspired many women to become writers, and I know she left many of us fantasizing about living out our lives in New York City. Sarah Jessica Parker truly slayed the role, and her own sense of style and charismatic personality meshed perfectly with Carrie. Along with playing the writer in the OG series Sex and the City, SJP has also portrayed her in two movies and the series And Just Like That. 

Emilia Clarke – Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones 

Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen, those are all the names Emilia Clarke’s dragon rider went by in Game of Thrones, and she gave an absolutely commanding performance as her. While her ending wasn’t what most wanted, there’s no denying how amazing it was to see Daenerys rise from a woman trying to survive to a powerful leader, and that’s because of how brilliant Clarke was in the role. 

Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker, Star Wars

He was the face of the original trilogy, and you can’t think about Star Wars without thinking about Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker. While the actor is well-known for other roles, especially in the world of voice acting, his most prominent part has to be this. 

Gal Gadot – Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman

Sadly, there aren’t many superhero movies led by women. However, luckily, we do have a few wonderful ones, and that includes Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. She played the beloved hero with so much grace, poise and strength, and she’ll 100% always be remembered for it. 

Obviously, while all these actors have played other prominent roles in well-known movies and shows, there’s no question that when we consider their legacies, these parts will be the first ones we think about. They’re that iconic, and we have these performers to thank for them. 

The Sopranos is an acclaimed HBO series, one that was truly a cultural sensation during its original run. New audiences are able to binge watch the series with a Max subscription, which is exactly how I recently flew through the mob dramedy. As a New Jersey native, I couldn't get enough of James Gandolfini's show, especially as it was shot in the area where I live. And while I love the series, I have my own issues with The Sopranos' controversial finale. And my qualms go beyond that sudden cut to black.

It's hard for any show to nail its series finale, mostly because you're going to end up inevitably disappointing someone. Long before the Game of Thrones finale broke the internet, fans took umbrage with how Tony's fate was left up in the air. While the cut to black was indeed a frustrating aspect of my watching the finale, I had other problems with the show's ending that bothered me more.

To start, the finale itself felt like a nothing burger. While The Sopranos' penultimate episode was thrilling and saw multiple leaders in Tony's crew get whacked by the New York mob, the finale felt like a regular episode of the series. And that's a big reason why I felt it was disappointing.

Perhaps my biggest issue with how The Sopranos ended was how the story Jennifer Melfi and Tony's theraputic relationship was wrapped up. The pair worked together for years and years, in fact Tony going into therapy is basically the main concept of the series. So seeing her drop him as a client after reading one study and having an awkward dinner party felt like a rushed narrative choice. 

For her part, actress Lorraine Bracco had similar feelings about how her story wrapped up as Melfi. While appearing on the Talking Sopranos podcast back in 2021, she got honest about Melfi and Tony's breakup, saying:

Well, at least she's on my side. Melfi was one of my favorite characters on The Sopranos, and I always looked forward to her scenes with Tony during sessions. So her suddenly dropping the Mob boss after all those years definitely felt strange.

Another way that The Sopranos failed to give me proper closure is regarding the fate of Steven Van Zandt's Sil. While he was shot when Tony's crew was whacked, he didn't die right away. We last saw him in the hospital, but his final fate wasn't officially revealed in the finale. 

Then there's that infamous cut to black, which is really why The Sopranos finale is considered so disappointing. But obviously I saw this coming, so it didn't bother me as much as the aforementioned issues. And yes, I do think that Tony was whacked in that final scene. 

As previously mentioned, The Sopranos is streaming in its entirety on Max. Check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

On January 10, 1999, audiences were first introduced to Tony Soprano via a panic attack the character had in the first episode of The Sopranos. Right off the bat, James Gandolfini, who played Tony and passed away in 2013, was enigmatic, complex, and violent; even if audiences didn’t know the whys and hows, they were hooked by him alone. Twenty-five years later, The Sopranos has garnered an even larger fanbase and people have developed an even deeper appreciation for the intricacies of the late actor’s character. According to the show’s creator, David Chase, while James Gandolfini wasn’t cruel and ruthless like Tony, he had his own complexities that became obvious during his audition for the role.

David Chase, whose characters served as the basis for the Sopranos prequel, recently provided intriguing insight into how some aspects of his own life influenced parts of the show, like Tony’s therapy sessions with Dr. Melfi or the controversial ending of The Sopranos. Then, when asked about James Gandolfini, the creator had nothing but kind words to say, making it clear that he still admires the actor’s genius, and immediately saw the talent he had from the first audition on. But, while gifted, the actor did make it hard to move forward in the audition process in a few ways, primarily because he was too hard on himself.

Here’s what the show creator elaborated on when asked if James Gandolfini’s audition was impressive by TV Insider:

Additionally, Chase mentioned how important it was for fans to care about Tony so that they – both fans and creators – could really dig deep into the human exploration parts of the show. With that type of expectation, it’s no wonder why the actor was so tough on himself. He understood how complex of a role it was, and only wanted to provide the best of himself that was possible. Thankfully, it seems he actually exceeded expectations more than he probably realized.

The Sopranos is a rare type of gem that other shows on television can only try to emulate. Many still consider it to still be one of the best shows that can be streamed on Max and are even still haunted by the (possible) shocking death that turned the lights out on the series for the last time – which is impossible for most shows to achieve today. Even if we never get anything else like it, fortunately, you can check out The Sopranos in its glorious entirety with a Max subscription.

Seeing A-list celebrities on SNL is certainly nothing out of the ordinary, considering there is a different one hosting the show each week, even including non-actors who end up nailing it. Lorne Michaels and company have still managed to shock the Studio 8H audience numerous times by bringing out a public figure whom no one could have guessed was going to be part of the show. The following are some of our all-time favorite Saturday Night Live celebrity cameos.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Season 39)

In Jonah Hill’s third SNL monologue, the Academy Award nominee is bombarded by questions about working with Leonardo DiCaprio before trying to convince the audience that the future Oscar winner was not even supposed to be in The Wolf of Wall Street initially. Just then, the Titanic cast member himself walks on to knock some sense into his co-star before agreeing to recreate the famous “We’re flying!” scene from the Best Picture Oscar winner. 

Barack Obama (Season 33)

In the cold open for SNL’s 2007 Halloween show, a spooky party hosted by Bill (Darrell Hammond) and Hilary Clinton (Amy Poehler) is crashed by an unexpected guest in a Barack Obama mask. The stranger removes the rubber face to reveal he is actually the future 44th President of the United States in the flesh.

Barbra Streisand (Season 17)

A recurring topic in Mike Myers’ “Coffee Talk” sketches was Linda Richman’s obsession with Barbra Streisand, who shocked the host and her guests (played by Madonna and Roseanne Barr) by briefly walking on the set to greet them in one sketch. According to Barbra Archives, Myers had been informed that the Oscar-winning Funny Girl star might show up, but Madonna and Barr’s shocked reactions were completely genuine.

Robert De Niro (Season 26)

Academy Award winner Robert De Niro never hosted SNL until 2002, but made multiple surprise appearances beforehand, such as the time he showed up on “Weekend Update.” The cameo was in response to Jimmy Fallon’s unfavorable review of 2000’s Meet the Parents, which Fallon tries to defend with his impersonation of the acting legend, who turns the tables by imitating him at the end.

Kel Mitchell (Season 48)

A pre-taped segment imagines a reboot of the classic Nickelodeon comedy, Kenan & Kel, but with host Keke Palmer as a new character named Kelly. However, the bit ends wonderfully with an appearance of Kenan Thompson’s original co-star, Kel Mitchell, who actually auditioned for SNL once before, to no avail

Judge Judy (Season 24)

Cheri Oteri made an impact on SNL in a short time with memorable characters and hilarious impersonations — especially that of Judge Judy. However, the honorable TV personality herself proved that no one “rules” like the original when she interrupted one of Oteri’s parodies of her court show.

Sarah Paulson (Season 48)

In a sketch poking fun at his internet persona, host Pedro Pascal plays a teacher whose students have made viral videos honoring him as a surrogate “daddy” and another teacher name Ms. Jenny as “mommy.” Entering the room to the crowd’s surprise as Ms. Jenny is the Last of Us cast member’s good friend, Emmy winner Sarah Paulson.

Taylor Swift (Season 49)

Even after her boyfriend — one of the funniest pro athletes to host SNL, Travis Kelce — made a surprise appearance in the same episode (hosted by Pete Davidson), no one anticipated Taylor Swift would show up in the Season 48 opener to introduce musical guest Ice Spice’s second performance. Reportedly, neither of these cameos were planned and were put together last minute when the Grammy-winning superstar and Kansas City Chiefs tight end happened to show up at 30 Rock.

Jason Momoa (Season 45)

In a courtroom-style sketch starring Chance the Rapper as a judge who rules purely by first impressions, one of the defendants is played by Jason Momoa, who already has the host in stitches with his ridiculous wardrobe. However, the Aquaman actor suddenly cannot stop laughing after accidentally referring to himself as a “paraplegic,” when he meant to say “paralegal.”

Eminem (Season 46)

Pete Davidson plays a young man named Stu who writes a series of increasingly erratic letters asking Santa Claus (Jason Bateman) for a PlayStation 5 in this holiday parody of “Stan” by Eminem. As we learn at the end of the bit (which original video star Devon Sawa loved), the Real Slim Shady is the one who ended up getting the PS5 under his tree.

The Property Brothers And Tony Hawk (Season 48)

Kenan Thompson plays the host of an international beauty pageant that is close to going off the rails when he makes note of the random selection of Property Brothers’ Drew and Jonathan Scott and Tony Hawk as the judges before introducing them. Much to the surprise of Thompson’s character (and the audience), the twin renovation reality show stars and the pro skateboarder are appearing as themselves.

Jeff Probst (Season 48)

At first, the only joke this wedding-set sketch has going for it is the repeated utterance of the word “Joker," in reference to the best man’s choice of Halloween costume, modeled after Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. What transcends the SNL sketch from terrible to amazing is when Survivor host Jeff Probst shows up to announce if the guests voted in favor of the best man (Andrew Dismukes) keeping on his makeup or in favor of the bride (Heidi Gardner), who thinks his costume has ruined the ceremony.

Conan O'Brien (Season 47) 

When John Mulaney’s induction into SNL’s Five-Timers Club doesn’t seem to be going well, with veterans like Steve Martin and Candice Bergen believing he doesn’t fit the quality standards, coming to his aid is none other than Conan O’Brien. The beloved late-night host-turned-podcaster’s surprise appearance was not only special because he starred in the first Five-Timers Club sketch while working as a writer, but because he previously severed ties with NBC after 2010’s embarrassing Tonight Show debacle.

The Hunger Games Cast (Season 40) 

After starting his third SNL monologue with a song about the year 1989 modeled after Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” Woody Harrelson is suddenly joined by his Hunger Games movies co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. When Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence shows up, Harrelson initially mistakes her for “the real Taylor Swift.”

Eugene Levy (Season 46) 

Host Dan Levy offers a glimpse of what Studio 8H looks like backstage in a post-Covid environment. During the tour, he is shocked to learn his father and fellow Schitt’s Creek cast member, Eugene Levy, flew from L.A. to New York to support him, but pandemic protocols have forced the comedian to watch the show from a clear, protective case.

Matt Damon (Season 44)

Matt Damon is the face behind many of the most amazing celebrity cameos in movies, but the Oscar-winning writer and star of Good Will Hunting has worked his magic on the small screen as well. For instance: his surprise appearance on SNL as Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a hilarious cold open recreating his senate hearing.

Julia Stiles (Season 49)

On “Weekend Update,” Chloe Fineman demonstrates her most romantic holiday gift idea: recreating the balletic performance from the end of one of the best dance movies, Save the Last Dance. Fineman and the crowd are suddenly starstruck when the film’s star, Julia Stiles, shows up to help bring the tribute to a grand finale.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Season 14)

When an overly excited Danny DeVito interrupts his monologue and requests to re-do the show’s opening, he asks his good friend and Twins co-star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to launch things with the famous catchphrase while he is sitting in the audience. The Terminator movies star would show up in the episode again to pay a visit to his cousins, Hans (Dana Carvey) and Franz (Kevin Nealon).

Bryan Cranston (Season 42) 

In a funny cold open, CNN reporter Jake Tapper announces that then-President Donald Trump has selected a new head of the DEA. The person in question is former high school chemistry teacher Walter White, played by former Breaking Bad cast member Bryan Cranston reprising his legendary, multi-Emmy-winning role.

Paul McCartney (Season 32) 

This sketch is already crawling with amazing cameos when Alec Baldwin, in the Platinum Lounge at SNL’s Five-Timers Club, runs into Martin Short (working as a server) and Steve Martin, who attempts to murder his It’s Complicated co-star under the impression he is tying his hosting record. However, the biggest surprise comes when Paul McCartney walks in, whom Martin initially mistakes for fellow club member, Paul Simon. 

Melissa McCarthy (Season 42)

One of SNL’s all-time best hosts, Melissa McCarthy, showed up to play then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer during an episode hosted by Kristen Stewart. While then-President Donald Trump did not care for the sketch, Spicer did not seem bothered by the impersonation (save McCarthy’s amount of gum chewing), and the big became one of SNL’s most popular YouTube clips, later inspiring the Oscar nominee to reprise the role once more.

The Office Cast (Season 44)

When an audience member interrupts Steve Carell’s third SNL monologue to ask if an Office reboot is in the works, he initially says the beloved NBC sitcom might be best left alone. However, fellow Office cast members Ellie Kemper, Ed Helms, and Jenna Fischer pop in to convince him otherwise.

Barry Gibb (Season 39)

Arguably Jimmy Fallon’s single funniest SNL sketch is “The Barry Gibb Talk Show,” in which he and Justin Timberlake, as Bee Gees members Barry and Robin Gibb, discuss pressing topics with public figures. One of the later editions featured Madonna appearing as herself, but when the real Barry Gibb shows up at the very end is an all-time classic moment.

Larry David (Season 41)

While he never was an SNL cast member (but did perform sketch comedy on Fridays), Larry David had a brief stint at Studio 8H as a writer years before returning to the show in a legendary way. In a cold open recreating the 2016 Election’s Democratic presidential debate, the Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator drove the crowd crazy with his first of many appearances as Bernie Sanders, who, it turns out, is a distant cousin of the comedian, as they would later discover (per Time). 

Brad Pitt (Season 24)

Brad Pitt is, surprisingly, one of many celebrities who have never hosted SNL, but he has popped in on the show a couple of times. The first time was in a cold open for an episode hosted by David Spade, as the Tommy Boy actor’s therapist, for some reason.

Alex Trebek (Season 27)

One of SNL’s best “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketches comes from Will Ferrell’s final episode as a cast member, particularly for the surprise guest at the very end. After Ferrell’s Alex Trebek announces the “Final Jeopardy!,” the real, late Alex Trebek appears to bid his impersonate adieu.

James Gandolfini (Season 30)

When reporting on then-New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey’s scandal on “Weekend Update,” Amy Poehler and Tina Fey introduce a native to New York’s neighboring state to comment on the topic. The guest turns out to be played by the late James Gandolfini of the Sopranos cast fame, whose commentary turns out to be filled with stereotypes at the expense of his own community and others.

Chris Rock (Season 42)

A highlight of Dave Chappelle’s Emmy-winning debut hosting gig was the appearance of his friend and collaborator, Chris Rock. The ‘90s SNL icon shows up in a sketch set on the night of the 2016 Presidential Election to bond with Chappelle’s character over their anticipation of the inevitable results.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Season 45)

One of the most dazzling cameos in one of John Mulaney’s best comedy specials, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch, was Jake Gyllenhaal as Mr. Music. The Academy Award nominee later reunited with the beloved comedian in one of Mulaney’s best musical SNL sketches as a pajama-clad traveler at LaGuardia Airport.

Janet Reno (Season 26)

Before Jane Lynch played Janet Reno in a true crime series, she was portrayed by Will Ferrell on SNL for years in “Janet Reno’s  Dance Party.” The final edition of the hard-partying sketch, amid the end of Reno’s sting as U.S. Attorney General, went out with a bang when the real Reno crashed through the wall to greet her doppelganger.

Mick Jagger (Season 49)

Musician and actor Bad Bunny’s SNL hosting debut was pretty cameo-heavy, including appearances by Pedro Pascal, former cast member Fred Armisen, and Lady Gaga. However, it was Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger who brought the house down with his bewildering parts in two sketches — first as a telenovela actor and later as a man posing as a nun.

Mark Zuckerberg (Season 36)

Host Jesse Eisenberg’s monologue is interrupted by Andy Samberg’s impersonation of Mark Zuckerberg, whom Eisenberg portrayed to Academy Award-nominated acclaim in the Social Network cast in 2010. Little do they know that the real Facebook founder is backstage, but goes against Lorne Michaels’ suggestions and joins Eisenberg onstage for an “awkberg” first meeting.

Sometimes what makes SNL really fun is waiting to see which celebrities might show up for a surprise appearance this time.

When it comes to those channels that we all need to pay a little extra for – such as Showtime, Starz, etc. – they all seem to produce some of the absolute best shows. But you want to know which channel I think has made stars even bigger? HBO. 

The channel, which stands for 'Home Box Office,' has produced some of the best TV shows of the last twenty or so years, and with that, several actors and actresses have come and gone and left their mark, earning plenty of awards recognition for their work in the shows. Today, we'll be going over 32 of them. 

Emilia Clarke (Game Of Thrones)

Of the Game of Thrones cast, Emilia Clarke probably became one of the most-known actresses in the world after her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen. On the show for the entirety of its eight seasons, Clarke earned plenty of awards recognition and was nominated several times for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the show, including her last nomination in the Lead Actress category. 

Jonathan Groff (Looking)

While Jonathan Groff never earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for his role in the LGBTQ+ show Looking, he did win plenty of other awards for his time on the show. Groff is known to be a triple threat with his acting, singing, and dancing talents. He was even a part of the original Hamilton cast, but his starring role in Looking brought on plenty of recognition.

Zendaya (Euphoria)

The Euphoria cast is filled with talent, but let's be honest – Zendaya is the main star we're all looking towards. Nominated several times for the show for a Primetime Emmy, Euphoria has taken this once Disney Channel star and given her the chance to show off her incredible acting skills, one I'm sure she'll continue to do. 

Peter Dinklage (Game Of Thrones)

Peter Dinklage has been around in movies and TV for some time, but everyone recognizes him as Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones, a performance he did for eight show seasons. Out of the entire cast, Dinklage was the one to be nominated for the most Primetime Emmys – and he won four times. 

Lena Dunham (Girls)

Girls lasted for six seasons and gave plenty of stars shining lights, such as Allison Williams, Adam Driver, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and more, but Lena Dunham was certainly the award-winner of the group. The actress, who also created the comedy for HBO, earned several nominations at the Primetime Emmys, the Golden Globes, and more. 

Tony Hale (Veep)

The Veep cast is highly talented, and Tony Hale is just one of many. And his role as Gary Walsh in Veep is undoubtedly one of his best. Among several other awards that he was nominated for this role, he won the Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series twice before the series ended. 

Bill Hader (Barry)

This show – especially Barry Season 4 – was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end, and Bill Hader's performance has been hailed as one of the best of the show. Hader has been nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards, and the show has also been nominated for Outstanding Comedy.  

Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under)

While Michael C. Hall gained a lot of fame for another role he did – the still rewatchable Dexter on Showtime – he gained a lot of fame at first for his role in Six Feet Under, where he played David, one of the brothers who owns a family-funeral home. His role in the show earned him several nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. 

Jeremy Strong (Succession)

Succession’s success is awesome to watch, growing larger and more prominent over the years, and one of the lead actors, Jeremy Strong, has gained a lot of award recognition throughout the series' four seasons. Among Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Drama Series, and more, Strong has also earned nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmys. 

Lena Headey (Game Of Thrones)

Cersei Lannister is undoubtedly one of the most-hated villains of Game of Thrones, but I don't think anyone could hate Lena Headey's performance. Throughout the series, the actress earned several nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, among several other awards at the Golden Globes, the Poppy Awards, and more. 

Anthony Carrigan (Barry)

I don't know where it came from, but NoHo Hank became my favorite character in Barry, and I think it's because of Anthony Carrigan's portrayal of him. While Carrigan's character didn't get as much hype at the beginning of Barry, the actor has earned several awards for his role in the show, including Primetime Emmy nominations. 

Diana Rigg (Game Of Thrones)

Olenna Tyrell had to be the best player in Game of Thrones, and I'm pretty sure we all were heartbroken when Diana Rigg passed away. The actress earned several nominations for her role in the show, including Primetime Emmys for her guest appearances. Who could ever forget Olenna? 

Brian Cox (Succession)

I don't think anyone could forget Brian Cox as the patriarch of the Roy family in Succession, Logan Roy, the leading man we were all following for years on end. And, of course, Cox earned plenty of praise for his portrayal in the show, including several Primetime Emmy nominations and wins. 

Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus And Euphoria)

Sydney Sweeney is an exceptional case on this list, as two of her shows on HBO have earned her nominations. She was a part of The White Lotus Season 1 cast, which earned her a Primetime Emmy nod, and for the second season of Euphoria, she also earned a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Both of which were certainly deserved. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

As the lead of Veep, I don't think we could get through a list like this without mentioning Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her role as Selina Meyer. The series, which ran from 2012 - 2019, was a massive success for her and earned the actress several nominations and wins for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy and the series for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys. 

James Gandolfini (The Sopranos)

We can only have an HBO list by mentioning James Gandolfini from The Sopranos. As the patriarch of the Soprano family, Tony, James Gandolfini won several awards over the series, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys three times. The show itself also won Outstanding Drama Series several times. 

Evan Peters (Mare Of Easttown)

Mare of Easttown was a limited series on HBO, and the entirety of the cast was incredibly impressive. Evan Peters has gained fame over the last decade for his roles in movies like X-Men and the anthology series American Horror Story, but his role as Detective Colin Zabel has been hailed as one of his best. His portrayal earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, among other awards. 

Henry Winkler (Barry)

Henry Winkler is a TV legend from Happy Days, but his role in Barry is one of my favorites. And the people who award these actors agreed too, as Winkler earned several awards for his character, Gene Cousineau, including Primetime Emmy wins. 

Kate Winslet (Mare Of Easttown)

Kate Winslet was the star of Mare of Easttown, a limited series on HBO, and out of everyone on the cast, she won the most awards for her time on the show. Some of her accomplishments include Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the Primetime Emmys, TV Film of Miniseries Lead Actress of the Year for the Gold Derby Awards, Best Television Movie or Miniseries Actress for the Critics Choice Awards, and more. 

Edie Falco (The Sopranos)

For the six seasons of the American crime series The Sopranos, my favorite out of the entire cast was Edie Falco. Carmela was possibly the best TV wife out there and was the only person who would keep up with Tony's mess. Falco's portrayal of her went down in history. The actress was nominated for (and won) several Primetime Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, and more. 

Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos)

Michael Imperioli played Christopher Moltisanti, the protégé of Tony in The Sopranos and someone who seemed to get some of the best storylines in the show. During his time on the series, Imperioli was nominated for his role in several awards, such as  Emmys, Golden Globes, Prism Awards, and more. 

Jake Lacy (The White Lotus Season 1)

The White Lotus cast for Season 1 had some impressive talent, but everyone seriously loved to hate Jake Lacy's character, Shane Patton. But everyone also loves his performance — which earned the actor several nominations across awards shows, including a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. 

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game Of Thrones)

Game of Thrones created several big names for Hollywood, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is another that we saw plenty of in the awards sphere. His character of Jamie Lannister is often credited as having one of the best character arcs in television and earned several award nominations, including the Primetime Emmys. Game of Thrones itself won Outstanding Drama Series several times. 

Sarah Snook (Succession)

The entire Succession cast is filled with talent, but one of my favorites has always been Sarah Snook, who played Shiv in the popular HBO series. Portraying the character for all four seasons, Snook has been nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. 

Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus, Season 1)

Daddario has been in the industry for some time, but her role in The White Lotus Season 1 is considered one of her best. The anthology series gave the actress the chance to shine as Rachel, and she was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the Primetime Emmys.  

Matthew McConaughey (True Detective, Season 1)

True Detective is an anthology series from HBO, and many lovers of the show agree that Season 1 had one of the best storylines, led by a captivating performance from Matthew McConaughey. The Academy Award-winning actor earned several awards for his lead performance in the first season, including a Crime Thriller Award, a Critics' Choice Award, a Primetime Emmy nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, and more. 

Issa Rae (Insecure)

Insecure is a comedy-drama from HBO, featuring co-creator Issa Rae in the show's lead role. The series was extremely well-received, and Rae was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys and Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. 

Kit Harrington (Game Of Thrones)

Jon Snow is probably the most known character from Game of Thrones aside from Daenerys and Tyrion – which is not surprising considering the character is getting his own Game of Thrones spinoff series. The actor behind him, Kit Harrington, was nominated for several awards during his time on the show, including the Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for the show's final season. 

Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus, Seasons 1 And 2)

While The White Lotus is an anthology series, Jennifer Coolidge was a part of the main cast for the first two seasons (and only the first two). And her time on the show as Tanya was exceptionally well-received and loved. Among many other awards, Coolidge won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series of Movies. 

Anthony Hopkins (Westworld)

Anthony Hopkins is one of the most critically acclaimed actors of our time, and of course, he has been praised for his TV performances. This time around, it's Westworld, where he earned several nominations from the Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, and more. The series was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Primetime Emmys. 

Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus Season 1)

Murray Bartlett was a part of The White Lotus Season 1 and he was honestly one of the show's funniest characters. For his performance as Armond, Bartlett earned several nominations. The show was also nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series for Season 1.

Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)

Jeffrey Wright is a great actor who has been in various movies and TV shows, but one of his most critically acclaimed roles was portraying Bernard Lowe in Westworld, a series he starred in for some time. Wright earned several nominations, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. 

There are so many amazing actors and actresses who have gone on to do incredible things. And truthfully, this makes me want to see all these shows again to see their talent. Is anyone up for a Game of Thrones rewatch?

It is not unusual for an actor just starting out in the business to film scenes for a movie that, ultimately, never see the light of the day. In fact, it's not out of the ordinary for that same thing to happen to an established A-lister either. See for yourself by taking a look at some of the biggest stars you did not realize were almost in some of your favorite film, if not for the magic of editing.

Ana De Armas (Yesterday)

Yesterday is a universe-altering movie that takes place in a reality in which the Beatles never existed. Coincidentally, there exists an alternate cut of the film featuring Ana de Armas as a Late Late Show guest Himesh Patel’s Jack Malik romantically sings “Something” to. Per writer, Richard Curtis explained that the character was cut to avoid making Jack’s relationship with Ellie (Lily James) any more complicated. Though De Armas did appear in the trailer, and fans pursued legal action against Universal over the marketing.

Kevin Costner (The Big Chill) 

In one of the best movies of the ‘80s, The Big Chill, a group of friends reunite for the funeral of their friend, Alex, who was supposed to be played by the future Oscar-winning star and director of Dances with Wolves (pictured), Kevin Costner. Star Jeff Goldblum told Yahoo! that the Yellowstone cast member was “wonderful” in a flashback scene that was ultimately cut from the 1983 ensemble dramedy, in which his character finds himself reluctant to carve a Thanksgiving turkey and ruin its perfection.

Christopher Lee (The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King)

One of the most important characters from the Lord of the Rings movies, Saruman, is not in the third installment, The Return of the King. Per Ain’t It Cool News, Peter Jackson felt his scene — which was originally shot for The Two Towers — served as more of a wrap-up to the previous film than a suitable beginning for this one. While appearing at University College Dublin, Saruman actor Christopher Lee shared how shocked he was to learn his scene from the Best Picture Oscar winner — in which he stands off against the Fellowship — was cut before recommending the crowd “buy the extended DVDs.”

Harrison Ford (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)

Steven Spielberg told EW that, as a favor to him and writer Melissa Mathison (also his then-girlfriend), Harrison Ford shot a scene for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as Elliot’s (Henry Thomas) school principal that can be found on YouTube today. It never made the final cut of the 1982 box office smash, but know that had it been included, the star of the Indiana Jones movies (pictured) still would have gone mostly unseen as the camera never shows his face.

Andy García (Dangerous Minds)

Andy García told BlogTalkRadio (via Express) that when he was approached to star in 1995’s Dangerous Minds as a love interest for Michelle Pfeiffer’s inner city teacher, Louanne Johnson, he openly expressed that he found the role unnecessary. Still, the star of Father of the Bride (pictured) shot the scenes that were written for him (but not included in the initial script). But they were indeed removed from the final cut.

James Gandolfini (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)

The late James Gandolfini shot scenes for 2011’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close as a man Sandra Bullock’s widowed character meets at a 9/11 victims support group meeting. The Sopranos cast member (pictured) was even credited on the Oscar-nominated drama’s poster. According to the LA Times — his role was removed following a poor test audience reception.

Eric Stoltz (Back to the Future)

One of the most infamous examples of an actor cut from a movie — save one frame — is Eric Stoltz, who led the Back to the Future cast for about a month before director Robert Zemeckis and others realized his “intense” approach to the role was not working. As Collider recalls, Zemeckis got approval to reshoot most of the movie and replace Stoltz with their initial choice, Michael J. Fox, whose performance in the time travel movie classic as Marty McFly is iconic.

Ashley Judd (Natural Born Killers)

In a sequence cut from Natural Born Killers (which can be found on YouTube), Ashley Judd plays Grace Mulberry — the sole survivor of Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox’s (Juliette Lewis) mass teenager murder. She appears in court to be personally cross-examined by Mickey, who then stabs her to death with a pencil on the stand. In an interview for Metrograph, director Oliver Stone recalls removing it for its “length, and violence,” but now believes the “touching” scene belongs in the controversial 1994 satire.

Tobey Maguire (Life Of Pi)

In 2012’s adaptation of the novel, Life of Pi, the title character (portrayed as an older man by Irrfan Khan) recalls his unbelievable story of survival to a writer, played by English actor, Rafe Spall. However, according to USA Today, the role was originally played by Tobey Maguire until director Ang Lee decided the sSpider-Man star (pictured) was too distractingly recognizable and opted for reshoots. 

Chris Cooper (The Ring)

Anyone who ever wondered who Naomi Watts’ Rachel passes the curse tape along to at the end of The Ring should know it was Chris Cooper. The Oscar-winning star of Adaptation. (pictured) told Sci-Fi Wire (via MovieHole) that he shot bookend scenes for the 2002 horror movie classic. One establishes his character as a serial killer and the other shows him receiving the tape. Both were cut for disrupting the flow.

Shailene Woodley (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

The Amazing Spider-Man franchise was meant to introduce of Shailene Woodley as Mary-Jane Watson to Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker. Per MovieWeb, the Divergent star did shoot a cameo for TASM 2, which was later cut so she could officially debut in the next film — a plan ruined when the franchise was cancelled completely.

Robert Pattinson (Vanity Fair)

Before Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson played lovers in Water for Elephants, they played mother and son in the 2004 period drama, Vanity Fair. But the then-teenage actor — who went on to hit it big in Twilight (pictured) — was cut from the move, which he discovered while attending the premiere, according to his 2017 W Magazine interview.

Skeet Ulrich (Cursed)

The 2005 werewolf movie, Cursed, marked a reunion for director Wes Craven, writer Kevin Williamson, and original Scream cast member Skeet Ulrich that audiences never saw. According to MovieHole (via Killer Movies), Ulrich — also known for Riverdale (pictured) — was removed in lieu of studio-optioned rewrites and reshoots. But in 2022, the Scream fan site, Hello Sidney, revealed his role via stills from an unreleased director's cut.

Michael Biehn (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

Despite Kyle Reese' death in 1984’s The Terminator, Michael Biehn reprised the role in the 1991 sequel, which is now regarded one of the greatest action movies of all time. However, according to ScreenRant, the sequence — in which he comes to Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in a dream — was cut from Terminator 2: Judgment Day to maintain a tighter pace, but was later restored for an extended special edition. 

Angela Bassett (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)

Technically, Angela Bassett is in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but her part as Brad Pitt’s boss was originally meant to be more than an uncredited voice role. On YouTube, you can find deleted scenes from Doug Liman’s 2004 romantic action-comedy with the two-time Oscar nominee appearing in person alongside Keith David as Father.

Adrien Brody (The Thin Red Line)

Several major actors had their roles were either severely trimmed or completely removed from Terrence Malick’s 1998 war epic, The Thin Red Line, like including Mickey Rourke and George Clooney, as ScreenRant recalls. However, Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody’s character, Cpl. Fife, was the central lead of James Jones' original novel and had even done press for the film when he discovered right before the premiere that he was barely in it, per The Independent (via Eskimo).

Mick Jagger (Fitzcarraldo)

Mick Jagger’s underrated acting skills were praised by Werner Herzog (per Playboy, via The Local), who cast the rock star in his 1982 adventure film, Fitzcarraldo. Unfortunately, according to Far Out, multiple problems facing the production — including star Jason Robards’ dysyntery, as the New York Times reported — caused a delay that interfered with The Rolling Stone's touring schedule. Thus, Herzog was forced to recast Robards’ title role with Klaus Kinski and write Jagger’s character out entirely.

Matt Damon (Ocean's 8)

Ocean’s 8 had some fun cameos from members of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven cast — namely Elliott Gould’s Rueben and Shaobo Qin as Yen — but we almost saw more. In addition to the late Carl Reiner telling Vanity Fair he filmed a scene with Sandra Bullock, THR reports that Matt Damon's cameo as Linus Caldwell from the 2001 heist favorite (pictured) was taken out due to “editorial and storytelling reasons,” as director Gary Ross claimed. The article does, however, mention a petition to remove Damon following comments he made about the #MeToo movement and Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Michelle Monaghan (Constantine, Syriana)

When Michelle Monaghan spoke to MovieHole to promote Mission: Impossible III, it was mentioned that she was removed from two different movies released in 2005: Constantine and Syriana. The fantasy comic book movie did preserve one of her scenes, but she's nowhere to be found in Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning political drama, which already had many storylines to juggle, as Monaghan herself mentioned.

Tim Roth (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

Tim Roth is in many of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies — including Pulp Fiction (pictured) — and came very close to joining 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But Tarantino was orced to remove Roth's part to avoid a five-hour runtime. Roth did share in an interview with Uproxx that he appreciated, at least, being mentioned in the credits as “cut.”

Ellen Pompeo (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) 

As a video essay by Film Radar demonstrates, if Ellen Pompeo role’s in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had not been removed, we would have seen Michel Gondry’s trippy romantic sci-fi dramedy in a whole different light. In deleted scenes, the Grey’s Anatomy star plays Naomi — the woman Jim Carrey’s Joel left for Clementine (Kate Winslet) and whom he reconciles with after his memory wipe. Though he leaves her again when he meets Clementine on the train, unaware he has done this before.

Paul Rudd (Bridesmaids)

The Bridesmaids cast included plenty of funny people, but did you know Paul Rudd was also part of it for a moment? Director Paul Feig told EW he “felt bad” cutting the Ant-Man actor’s darkly funny cameo as Annie’s (co-writer Kristen Wiig) deranged blind date, but did so to shave down the runtime and avoid distracting from Annie’s love triangle with Ted (Jon Hamm) and Rhodes (Chris O’Dowd).

Katherine Langford (Avengers: Endgame)

In a deleted scene from Avengers: Endgame, immediately after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) “snaps” Thanos (Josh Brolin) away, he is given the chance to say one final goodbye to an older version of his daughter, Morgan (Katherine Langford), in the Soulworld. At least the sequence’s omission gives Langford a chance to play a different Marvel character at some point, hopefully.

Uma Thurman (Savages) 

The 2012 crime drama Savages could have been touted as a reunion between John Travolta and Uma Thurman, who first worked together on Pulp Fiction (pictured), had the latter’s role as Ophelia’s (Blake Lively) mother not been removed. Director Oliver Stone revealed to Huff Post that Paqu was actually one of several character from Don Winslow’s novel did not make it into the movie due to time constraints.

Amy Poehler (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy)

When mentioning her axed cameo as a bank teller in 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy with Vulture, Amy Poehler admits she correctly predicted the movie was already too long to keep her scene, which also featured fellow SNL star Maya Rudolph as a gang leader. Thankfully, the Parks and Rec cast member did appear in the 2013 sequel alongside her buddy, Tina Fey.

Rachel Weisz (To The Wonder)

In 2012, Rachel Weisz spoke to La Stampa (via EW) about how she had the pleasure of working with Terrence Malick on To the Wonder, but would “not have the pleasure of seeing [her] work.” For unknown reasons, the Oscar-winning star of The Constant Gardener (pictured) was removed from the romantic drama starring Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko. And she wasn't alone, as IndieWire later reported that Barry Pepper, Michael Sheen and Amanda Peet were also missing from the final cut.

Viggo Mortenson (The Purple Rose Of Cairo)

One of the first movies Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortenson worked on was Woody Allen’s 1985 fantasy rom-com, The Purple Rose of Cairo. The star of the Lord of the Rings movies (pictured) spoke to ABC News' Peter Travers about how his frustrating experience shooting the film turned out to be meaningless since he was edited out the movie after it was released.

Matthew Fox (World War Z)

The 2013 adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z was plagued by rewrites and reshoots that resulted in an entirely new third act from what was intended. As a result, Lost cast member Matthew Fox’s role as a paratrooper was scaled down to just one line of dialogue, which may have been disappointing for the self-proclaimed fan of the OG book, per Huff Post.

Jack Whitehall (Frozen)

In a clip shared to Jack Whitehall’s official YouTube channel, the British comedian shares with an audience how his one-line role as a troll in Disney’s Oscar-winning animated film, Frozen, was reduced to a non-speaking part. The Jungle Cruise cast member and star of Clifford the Big Red Dog (pictured) goes on to say that, after discovering his line was removed when he first saw the movie, a friend of his found a photo of him at a Frozen press junket and meme-ified it. 

James Van Der Beek (Storytelling)

Tom Solondz’s 2002 anthology dramedy, Storytelling, consists of two segments dealing with various challenging topics, but there were original three. As EW reported, the omitted third chapter starred James Van Der Beek — known for being part of the Dawson’s Creek cast and Varsity Blues (pictured) — as a high school football player discovering he's gay.

Sienna Miller (Black Mass)

Before the 2015 crime thriller released, it was already confirmed tha Sienna Miller had been cut from Black Mass. She was cast as Catherine Greig, who had a relationship infamous gangster, Whitey Bulger (played by Johnny Depp in the film). Director Scott Cooper admitted to The Boston Globe that it was a difficult decision to remove the English actor -- then best known for American Sniper (pictured) -- but it ultimately “came down to narrative choices.”

Jena Malone (Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice)

Following previous rumors that she would play Robin, Jena Malone’s comic book movie debut in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actually never made it to the big screen. Luckily, her role as head S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Jenet Klyburn — first revealed in leaked footage —  would be included in the 2016 DC movie’s three-hour “Ultimate Cut."

So if your friends ever quiz you about has or hasn't starred in major movies, this list should provide you with some interesting loopholes.

James Gandolfini, known for his unforgettable portrayal of Anthony "Tony" Soprano in the groundbreaking HBO Crime Drama The Sopranos, is one of those rare actors whose work leaves a lasting impact for generations to come. On the tenth anniversary of Gandolfini's untimely passing, his fellow co-stars are taking a moment to remember him. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Imperioli, a beloved member of the Sopranos cast, recently shared heartfelt tributes, reminiscing about their experiences working alongside the immensely talented actor.

Although widely recognized for his portrayal of a tough New Jersey Mob Boss, the actor showed a completely different side according to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, his co-star in the romantic comedy-drama film Enough Said. In an interview with USA Today, the Black Widow actress shared her unique perspective on the late actor. Released three months after his passing, the 2013 film was one of his last and featured him as Albert, a kind-hearted and reserved single father. The plot revolves around Albert's blossoming relationship with Eva, a massage therapist played by Louis-Dreyfus. The talented Veep star expressed her deep admiration for the Cinema Verite actor, emphasizing:

The Seinfeld alum's words highlight the genuine and sensitive nature that the True Romance actor brought to his performances. And those attributes certainly resonated with audiences and fellow actors alike.

Michael Imperioli, who played the iconic character Christopher Moltisanti on the mob drama, took to Instagram to pay tribute to his late co-star. The Goodfellas actor shared a favorite photograph of himself and James Gandolfini, remembering his on-screen uncle in a heartfelt caption as the "Batman" to his "Robin." You can see the post below:

Years after the Zero Dark Thirty star’s death, his profound influence still resonates with his co-stars. The actor passed away unexpectedly while in Italy for the 59th Taormina Film Festival, leaving Hollywood shocked. Michael Imperioli, like others, carries the lasting impact of James Gandolfini's presence, a testament to the enduring effect he had on those who knew and admired him.

His portrayal of mob boss Tony in the critically acclaimed series earned him multiple Emmy awards over the course of six seasons. In a recent Vanity Fair article, several of the actor’s colleagues and friends, including Edie Falco and Julianna Margulies, shared their heartfelt recollections of working with the actor. They revealed that while he was renowned for his role as a criminal on and off camera, he was a warm and generous individual. In fact, some of his fellow Sopranos cast members recall him splitting one of his initial bonus checks among the entire cast, highlighting his kindness and generosity.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus joins forces once again with her Enough Said writer and director Nicole Holofcener for their latest film, You Hurt My Feelings, which is now showing in theaters as part of the 2023 movie release schedule. She’s also set to return as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in upcoming Marvel Movies. Meanwhile, The Many Saints of Newark actor received well-deserved acclaim for his portrayal of Dominic Di Grasso in HBO's The White Lotus season 2, a performance that is bound to leave a lasting impression. However, fans of The Sopranos will likely always hold Imperioli in high regard for his memorable role as Christopher. It's worth noting, though, that fans should think twice before making this unsettling requests to the actor.

One would think that James Gandolfini would be incredibly happy for his colleague and what they've achieved. And in turn, I would imagine that they'll continue to hold his spirit close as they continue to produce art as he once did.

For those longing to revisit some of late star's finest work, the entire series of The Sopranos is available for streaming with a Max subscription, offering the opportunity to relish his remarkable performances.

Michael Imperioli has been making a splash through his role on The White Lotus Season 2 as of late, and there’s a chance he may get some awards consideration come next year. Of course, the veteran actor is no stranger to prestige TV on HBO as, years ago, he rose to fame as a member of the Sopranos cast. It was clear even from the pilot episode that the star had strong acting chops, and his Emmy-winning performance as Christopher Moltisanti only improved from there. However, things got off to a bit of a bumpy start for the actor because, on his first day, he apparently got into an on-set car accident with co-star James Gandolfini. And the late Tony Soprano actor had an interesting response to the harzardous situation.

Michael Imperioli’s Christopher was quickly established as having a very close relationship with his “uncle” Tony and, during the early portion of the series, the hot-headed young man served as Soprano’s chauffeur. That proved to be a challenge for Imperioli, as the actor didn’t actually have a driver’s license at the time. The star recently recalled that on his very first day on set, he had to perform a tricky-sounding maneuver during a scene with James Gandolfini. Unfortunately, things eventually took a dangerous turn: 

I can’t imagine being an actor and getting into an automobile accident amid my very first day of work. Add on the fact that said situation also involved the production’s lead star, and you have yourself in quite the pickle. Michael Imperioli, who reflected on the crash while appearing on Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? (via People) went on to say that his actions caused some on-set chaos. But what really stands out for him over two decades later is the reaction that James Gandolfini had amid the ordeal:

The three-time Emmy winner certainly did have an interesting sense of humor but, if anything, his laughter likely indicated to his co-star that he was fine after the accident. And to his then-31-year-old colleague’s credit, he did eventually nail the scene. It was actually part of a chase sequence that’s regarded as one of the most iconic moments in the Sopranos pilot. Take a look at the brutal, and somewhat humorous, scene below:

Like their characters, Michael Imperioli and James Gandolfini became quite close during six seasons worth of work on the beloved HBO drama. Imperioli has spoken highly of Gandolfini in the years following his sudden passing at the age of 51 in 2013 as have their co-stars. Adriana La Cerva actress Drea de Matteo once recalled how Gandolfini cut his colleagues big checks after learning that they hadn’t received their due following contract negotiations. The celebrated actor is absolutely missed by his fans and collaborators, and it’s always lovely when people like Imperioli and de Matteo share stories involving him.

I’m glad that Michael Imperioli and James Gandolfini emerged from that car crash in good shape – and not merely because they went on to produce some incredible work. One can only imagine how scary it was for Imperioli at the time but, today, it’s honestly a pretty delightful behind-the-scenes anecdote regarding one of the most impeccable shows to ever grace a TV screen.

All six seasons of The Sopranos are available to stream using an HBO Max subscription. Those looking for more current small-screen fare can hop over to CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule.

Today, Lin-Manuel Miranda is widely known as an award-winning playwright, singer, songwriter, actor and director. But long before the writer of the hit Encanto song “We Don't Talk About Bruno” birthed the highly profitable Hamilton, he was an actor simply trying to make his way in Hollywood. Miranda snagged a number of roles during those early days, but his most high-profile gig came in the form of a role on The Sopranos. The actor still remembers the experience quite vividly and, according to him, those who are now finding out about the part shouldn’t consider it a “cameo.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared during the final season of the acclaimed mob drama (which can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription). In the Season 6 episode, titled “Remember When,” Miranda appears as a bellman working at a hotel that Tony Soprano and Paulie Gualtieri stop by during a road trip. The actor is only a screen for a brief amount of time, which is why he said, while being interviewed for the Judd Apatow-written book Sicker in the Head: More Conversations About Life and Comedy (via IndieWire), that he doesn’t even think it can be classified as a cameo:

Given his star status today, it’s only natural that fans would now note that the one and only Lin-Manuel Miranda cameoed on HBO’s The Sopranos. In the context of 2007 though, his appearance wasn’t nearly as significant as the cameos Martin Scorsese, Annette Bening and others made on the series during its run. Check out his performance on the show in the clip down below:

Regardless of the size of the role, Miranda was just happy to have the work, and he relished his time on the set. In the same interview, he even went on to divulge a sweet memory of the show’s leading man, James Gandolfini:

The late James Gandolfini may be known for his acclaimed TV work and successful film career but, in the years since his death in 2013, many have also made note of his immense kindness. Fellow series alum Drea de Matteo once revealed that Gandolfini personally saw to it that his co-stars were reimbursed after being screwed out of money. But aside from gestures like that, it seems the cast of The Sopranos simply loved working with him and appreciated his collaborative spirit. Based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s comments, he was the beneficiary of such support as well.

It’s amazing to see how things have unfolded for the man who crafted the critically acclaimed In the Heights, and he’s still showing no signs of slowing down. He’s had a number of great moments in the years since his TV debut, though one would think that he’ll continue to hold his time on the set of David Chase’s iconic show close to his heart, regardless of whether his role is considered a cameo.

The Sopranos is arguably one of, if not the, greatest American television show to ever exist. The HBO mafia hit came to an end in 2007 and one of the best mysteries is still being talked about today: what became of James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano. And now the creator, David Chase, is revealing how the original ending handled his fate as opposed to the alternate ending, the one that was used.

In the final minutes of the series finale, all seemed well as the Sopranos meet at a diner, listening to “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. Meadow arrives late, having parking troubles, and when she enters the diner, the bell rings, Tony looks up and the screen cuts to black. No fade out, no voice overs, nothing. It was a risky move and fans are still upset they never saw what actually happened, which is the supposed death of Tony.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, David Chase explained the original scene he had in mind:

It's definitely interesting to know that there was a different ending for The Sopranos and it could have made all the more difference for how people would view the series. The cut to black ending was all people talked about at the time in 2007 and David Chase mentioned that it was simply because people wanted to see what had happened to Tony, they wanted confirmation:

There have been plenty of series finales that either didn’t satisfy fans or didn’t get that same reaction that other episodes have gotten. The Sopranos series finale was beautifully done and the ending only proved how risky the series is. While it’s not the original ending that David Chase planned on, it only made fans want more and talk about the series even more. Not everything works as planned but sometimes it’s for the better.

Lora Somoza, the ex-fiancée of late actor James Gandolfini, has reportedly died. While news of the sex therapist’s passing has only now just been made known to the public, Somoza actually died last year. Reports sadly indicate that her passing was the result of a “terrible accident” that occurred while she was at her mother’s house. She was only 51 at the time of her death.

According to the information that’s been revealed, she was at the home of her parents when the incident occurred on July 5, 2020. Lora Somoza was apparently by the couple’s swimming pool when she slipped and injured herself. Details of her death were revealed to The Sun by her friend, astrologist Zoe Moon, who told the news outlet:

Aside from her work as a sex therapist, she was quite active on social media and also hosted her own podcast. The show, titled Between the Sheets, lasted for six years from 2010 to 2016. Over the course of the 272 episodes, she regaled listeners with advice on intimacy while also injecting some of her own personal experiences into the conversations. She also established a presence on Instagram, on which she’d share personal photos, specifically of her dog. In 2019, she marked her birthday with a funny and sweet post:

Lora Somoza reportedly first met James Gandolfini, known by many at the time for his role as Tony Soprano on HBO’s The Sopranos, while working on 2001’s The Mexican. Somoza was working as a production assistant on the film, which saw Gandolfini star alongside Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. The two eventually became engaged in 2003 but broke things off two years later. 

Zoe Moon described their relationship to The Sun, saying that the two were “just madly, insanely in love when they were together.” With this, Moon said it was “a sad thing” when the two parted ways. The astrologist claims the couple ultimately split due to differing ideas for their potential future, though Moon asserted her belief that they “were still in love with each other” even after they broke up. James Gandolfini passed away in 2013, also at the age of 51, and his former fiancée mourned his passing, just as much of the public did, fans and celebrities alike.

The astrology blogger also shared some sweet thoughts on her late friend, calling her “smart and very witty,” which was on full display during her podcasts. She continued:

We here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts to the family and loved ones of Lora Somoza as they continue to recover from this tragic incident.

Do mobsters choose a life of crime, or does the criminal lifestyle choose them? That philosophical debate is one of several lurking just beneath the surface of The Many Saints of Newark, David Chase and Alan Taylor’s narrative-feature prequel to The Sopranos that fills in gaps we didn’t know we needed about some beloved, brutal characters and beefs up motivations for a lot of the actions that played out in the award-winning HBO series. Though Many Saints mostly tells the tragic story of Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), that history informs the development of young Anthony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini), the teenager who’ll grow up to become the infamous anti-hero we grow attached to in The Sopranos.

Chase ended his HBO series back in 2007 with the twenty-first episode of season six, titled “Made in America.” By this point, the final sequence is pop-culture famous, an open-ended denouement for Mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he ate dinner with his family, possibly meeting his end at the hands of a suspicious-looking gentleman in a Members Only jacket. As much as fans debated, Chase preferred not to publicly answer the question of whether Tony died in that restaurant, Holsten’s. He didn’t think the point of the scene, or of the show, was to answer the question. And he’s right. The Sopranos is much bigger than just that one sequence. But fans really wanted a definitive answer, and I believe he gives it in The Many Saints of Newark. 

Tony Soprano died in the finale. 

Here’s how David Chase tells us this. Holsten’s is a location used in The Many Saints of Newark, during a pivotal scene. Throughout the film, young Tony has been seeking a father figure. His own father, Johnny (Jon Bernthal), has been absentee, thanks to time served in the joint on multiple occasions. Tony instead finds solace and guidance from his Uncle Dick (Nivola), a made man with the power to recruit Tony into "The Life," or to steer him clear. It’s made known through The Many Saints that Tony’s much smarter than he lets on, and has an aptitude for leadership. He’s more interested in the stolen goods his Uncle Dickie procures, and the tough-guy posturing that keeps you alive on the streets of Newark, New Jersey. 

Sensing that there’s more to Tony, however, and at the urging of the imprisoned Salvatore “Sally” Moltisanti, Dickie cuts Tony out of his life. He doesn’t take his calls. He ignores when Tony shows up outside the vending machine company, pounding on the door looking for some contact with his “adopted” father. Dickie actually sits at his desk inside the facility and weeps, knowing that Tony’s persistence is going to carry him into The Life, no matter how hard he tries to keep him clean. Dickie believes it when young Silvio Dante (John Magaro) says:

That’s the righteous path, the one that we know Tony Soprano’s not destined to walk down. Because we’ve seen The Sopranos, we know where this story eventually goes, but it still stings when an emotionally devastated Tony returns home to his bedroom and, overwhelmed by Dickie’s rejection, begins throwing out records and stereo equipment his uncle gave him as a gift. The fact that it lands at the feet of Johnny, Tony’s actual father, adds a layer of irony to Tony’s short-lived rejection of Dickie’s promise. When Tony screams:       

He’s almost rejecting the reality of the criminal lifestyle that he knows comes with being a member of this family. In this moment, Tony Soprano is ALMOST out of The Life. But as Al Pacino once famously stated, in a movie that Tony probably watched too many times, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” 

Dickie Moltisanti does just that. He pulls Tony back in, passing a message to the young kid through Silvio to meet him at Holsten’s, for a meeting that we assume will officially make him a “soldier” in the Moltisanti army. Only, Dickie never makes it. He’s assassinated, on order by Corrado John “Junior” Soprano (Corey Stoll), leaving Tony waiting by himself in Holsten’s for the father he desperately needs to show up. 

This moment, to me, is the “birth” of Tony Soprano. If Anthony had any other option to walk down a straighter path, it disappeared the minute Dickie failed to arrive at Holsten’s for their meeting. As The Many Saints of Newark concludes, the entire family gathers at Dickie’s wake. And with Tony standing over the body of his mentor, Alabama 3’s classic theme song for The Sopranos begins to play. Young Anthony is now Tony Soprano. He’s not The Boss yet, but he’s fully on the journey that will lead him to the man we meet in The Sopranos.

And if Tony is “born” in Holsten’s on that day, then it only makes sense that David Chase was bringing his story full circle and staging that scene in the same spot where Tony dies. To me, this is Chase’s way of finally admitting, “Yes, I killed Tony Soprano off in that famous scene. It might not matter too much exactly HOW I did it. But he definitely died in Holsten’s, and didn’t enter witness protection, or rot in a prison cell.” 

That’s my interpretation of the closing sequences of The Many Saints of Newark. To me, it also makes sense that David Chase would use this feature as the way to answer the lingering question about Tony’s fate. He wanted to keep it ambiguous. But fans pestered him for more than a decade, so he let them know. Do you agree?

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

After more than 14 years, fans of HBO’s The Sopranos will finally be able to dive back into David Chase’s mafia-filled world through The Many Saints of Newark. Set in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the film primarily focuses on new characters, but it also features a number of familiar faces from the original series, including the one and only Tony Soprano. However, this incarnation of the character is much younger and played by Michael Gandolfini, who’s taking over for his late father, James Gandolfini. As you can imagine the up-and-coming actor did a lot to prepare for the role, and there was one aspect of the process that made him particularly “concerned.”

Tony Soprano is one of the most recognizable characters in all of pop culture, so Michael Gandolfini had the challenging task of nailing the various aspects of the role his father made famous. Through watching the series, Gandolfini was able to get a sense of Tony’s mannerisms, from his posture to facial expressions (which probably wasn’t hard given how much the actor resembles his dad). However, when I spoke to the rising star about his preparation for The Many Saints of Newark, he explained that the character’s accent proved to be a real challenge:

Those who’ve seen The Sopranos know that Tony Soprano does indeed have a distinct way of speaking. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s actually a major piece of continuity, one that Michael Gandolfini clearly put a lot of thought into.

Though there were certain elements of the character that needed to remain consistent, Michael Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano is quite different from his father’s. The Many Saints of Newark presents Tony as a jovial -- and somewhat mischievous -- young man, who is still years away from becoming the hardened mob boss viewers watched on The Sopranos. You can check out the entire series by streaming it on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.

Michael Gandolfini deserves a lot of credit for choosing to take on the job. Of course, he’s stepping into the shoes of an iconic character, but there’s also the fact that he’s taking over for his own dad, which one would imagine is somewhat bittersweet. But having seen the film, I can say that Gandolfini certainly nails the role and deftly honors his father’s legacy in the process.

The Many Saints of Newark hits both theaters and HBO Max on October 1.

Back in 1999, there was a TV show that ruled HBO until its end in 2007: The Sopranos. The hit crime drama revolved around Tony Soprano, an Italian-American mobster, and his family, and the difficulties of trying to keep his role as the leader of a criminal organization while also trying to stay a family man.

The Sopranos is regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time, and became a huge part of pop culture. Big careers were launched, from James Gandolfini to Edie Falco, and many more. Fans might wonder where the stars of this famous show have gone. This is what The Sopranos cast has been up to.

James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano)

As the patriarch of the Soprano family, anyone who watched The Sopranos could relate to how he would try to constantly keep his own life in check, and the story of Tony Soprano will live on forever due to the amazing performance of James Gandolfini, for which he won an Emmy multiple times.

Sadly, Gandolfini passed away in 2013, at age 51, from a heart attack. Before his death, he had parts such as a voice role in Where The Wild Things Are, as well as in Zero Dark Thirty and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Two posthumous releases came out in Enough Said and The Drop, but even so, no one will quite grace screens again like Gandolfini.

Lorraine Bracco (Jennifer Melfi)

Before The Sopranos, she was known as Karen Hill from Goodfellas, but she took over as the therapist who seemed to see into our own lives from the TV screen. Jennifer Melfi ruled, and the reason for that was Lorraine Bracco and her amazing performance.

After the show, Bracco didn’t do much movie work, but as of 2021, she does have a thriller coming out titled The Birthday Cake, and another film, Jacir, so the next year is looking really good for the former The Sopranos actress.

In regards to television, one of her more recent roles has been portraying Mayor Margaery Button on the CBS drama Blue Bloods. Bracco has also had a couple of guest appearances on multiple hit crime shows, such as Law and Order. But, besides that, she’s appeared on reality TV shows, too, such as Top Chef. For fans of crime drama, she returned to the mob scene as the narrator of the series I Married a Mobster, back in 2011.

Edie Falco (Carmela Soprano)

I feel like everyone can relate to Carmela Soprano at certain points on The Sopranos. And Edie Falco did an excellent job of showing what it’s like to be a mother to two children of a mob boss.

Since her role in The Sopranos, Falco took on another big-time role which led to multiple awards, in Nurse Jackie on Showtime. In 2016, she portrayed a defense attorney in Law & Order: True Crime and was nominated for another Emmy – talk about talented.

Falco has also had some film roles, such as in The Comedian and The Viper Club, but she is going to be stepping into the big-time cinema light soon, as she will have a part in the next two Avatar sequels as General Ardmore. The next few years will likely be good for the Emmy-winning actress.

Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti)

Christopher was someone that you wanted to root for but also lowkey hated at the same time. Even so, that doesn’t mean that Michael Imperioli didn’t do a great job portraying the protégé of Tony Soprano.

Imperioli actually had a role in Goodfellas (the same movie as Lorraine Bracco) as Spider, but after his role on The Sopranos, Imperioli received plenty of work.

Imperioli had a part in the animated Dreamworks film Shark Tale as Frankie, as well as a dramatic role in The Lovely Bones. Some of his more recent work has seen him playing Jay Ford in The Last Full Measure, Alan Denado in The Call, and Angelo Dundee in the 2020 Amazon Studios film One Night in Miami. Imperioli has also had a couple of guest appearances on TV shows, like the NBC comedy The Office, and Chopped, the reality cooking show.

Dominic Chianese (Corrado “Junior” Soprano)

I feel like Junior was one of those characters we hated in Season 1, but shared a kinship for his sudden compassion in the later seasons. Dominic Chianese was the man behind it.

At the beginning of his career, Chianese actually had a minor role in The Godfather Part II as Johnny Ola, but he got famous due to the popularity of The Sopranos.

Chianese has been in some mainstream films since the end of The Sopranos, including Mr. Popper’s Penguins back in 2011, but he hasn’t done any film work since 2017. Even so, Chianese has had a couple of guest appearances on TV, on shows such as Blue Bloods and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Now that's a range in acting.

Chianese had even more prominent recurring roles in the hit TV shows Boardwalk Empire and The Good Wife, so it’s not like he was gone from TV for very long.

The actor does have a movie coming out titled Umberto D., a remake of the classic film of the same name, but there isn’t any set release date yet. Even then, it’s good to see Junior still active, especially on our TV screens.

Vincent Pastore (Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero)

Another member of the DiMeo crime family in The Sopranos, Salvatore (in my opinion) was one of the good guys on this show who was unfortunately taken too soon.

Vincent Pastore, the man behind “Big Pussy,” has had a relatively lowkey career since his time on The Sopranos. He also had a part in Shark Tale, but most of his films have been indie titles. However, Pastore has had plenty of other ventures in the entertainment world. He participated in big reality shows on TV, such as Celebrity Fit Club and Celebrity Apprentice, as well as the entrepreneur show, Shark Tank, where he investing in a contestant's product.

One of his most recent ventures has been the launch of a tomato sauce, “Vincent Pastore’s Italian Sauce.” So, if you’re planning on making a pizza anytime soon, maybe check out Pastore’s new sauce.

(Fun fact: Pastore also had a very minor role in Goodfellas as well. I’m beginning to see a trend here.)

Steven Van Zandt (Silvio Dante)

Another long-timer on the show, Silvio Dante’s story was a roller coaster from beginning to end. Music legend Steven Van Zandt kept the same amount of awesomeness throughout his whole tenure on the show, and the actor has been keeping himself busy post-The Sopranos.

Van Zandt was actually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band, the backing band to Bruce Springsteen. Even so, while Van Zandt is known more for his music than his acting, he's had a couple of really good parts since The Sopranos.

He starred in Lilyhammer, a show which he produced, about a former NY gangster who is trying to start a new life in Lillehammer, Norway. He’s also done the Netflix films, The Christmas Chronicles, and The Irishman (another return to mob stories).

Van Zandt has also released two albums since the end of The Sopranos, “Soulfire” and “Summer of Sorcery." Currently, Van Zandt is working on a film called Iron Terry Malone, which is in pre-production, but not much is known about this venture yet. Hopefully, it will be just as good as some of his more recent work in the acting world.

Robert Iler (Anthony “A.J.” Soprano Jr.)

While A.J. did have a prominent role in The Sopranos, actor, Robert Iler, mostly left Hollywood after the show ended.

Iler had a bit of film work during his time on the show, such as in Daredevil and Tadpole, and some guest appearances on Law & Order: SUV, and the original Law & Order. Other than that, he’s all but retired from acting.

Iler moved to Vegas at one point to try and become a professional poker player, and then, in 2019, moved to L.A. and began a podcast called Pajama Pants with his Sopranos co-star, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and YouTube comedian, Kassem G. So, while he’s stepped away from the spotlight, he’s still keeping busy.

Jaime-Lynn Sigler (Meadow Soprano)

Meadow Soprano changed much throughout her time on The Sopranos, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler helped make the character memorable for the entire run of the series.

Sigler has stayed relatively under the radar with her films, starring in many lower-budget or indie movies, as many of the actors and actresses here have done. But, she has had some TV appearances, mainly in voice work, such as voicing Princess Rebeca on Elena of Avalor and Ms. Fern in Higglytown Heroes. Sigler also had a recurring role as herself on the hit show Entourage, for a time.

Her main venture has been doing the podcast, Pajama Pants, with her Sopranos co-star. Sigler does, however, have a couple of projects coming up that are either in post-production or filming, so there’s no doubt that the daughter of the famous mob boss is staying on her toes in Hollywood.

Tony Sirico (Peter “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri)

Peter was one of those characters that you want to have on your side in this world. While he was violent, he was fiercely loyal. Tony Sirico signed up for the show on one condition – saying that he didn’t want his character to become a “rat,” and that’s exactly what he got.

Sirico’s list of popular movie credits post-The Sopranos have been in films by Woody Allen, Café Society, and the drama Wonder Wheel, but other than those two big ones he's stuck to smaller parts. In regards to television, Sirico has had multiple guest appearances on big shows like The Fairly OddParents and Family Guy, where he had recurring voice roles. Sirico also appeared in Lilyhammer. Since 2017, though, he hasn’t had any TV appearances.

Sirico has a couple of films coming up, but none have set dates for release yet, so we’re going to have to wait to find out what’s going on with this member of the mob family.

Drea de Matteo (Adriana La Cerva)

It really is a shame what happened to Adriana La Cerva. Drea de Matteo, who stayed in the role until the show’s final season, even won an Emmy for her work, so there’s no doubt she’s a great actress.

Matteo has had a couple of film roles since the ending of The Sopranos, but most are hard to find if you'd like to watch, due to them being indies. In regards to TV, however, Matteo has had multiple parts, such as playing one of Joey's sisters in the Friends spinoff, Joey, and a recurring role (which later turned into a leading part) in the AMC hit Sons of Anarchy.

Currently, Matteo has a recurring role in A Million Little Things on ABC, but has a couple of other projects that are in post-production and currently filming – a TV series titled Paradise City, and a film called The Latin in Manhattan.

It’s amazing what one TV series can do for its cast. What are you excited to see that has stars of The Sopranos in it?

The anniversary of James Gandolfini's death recently passed, and those who knew the star of one of HBO's best dramas memorialized him. Former Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli also took a moment to remember his former co-star and a man who he considered a friend.

Imperioli posted a heartfelt post to James Gandolfini on his Instagram, and among other things, talked about the relationship the two shared while working together:

Sounds like James Gandolfini left quite an impact on Michael Imperioli long after his untimely death back in 2013. Gandolfini was in Italy to be a part of the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily when he died of a heart attack. The actor was 51, and news of his death sent shock waves across Hollywood.

Michael Imperioli has to have James Gandolfini and Tony Soprano on the brain a lot as of late, as the actor has teamed up with other former Sopranos actor Steve Schirripa for Talking Sopranos. The podcast, which is referenced in the tribute post below, features the two actors going through all the old episodes of the HBO series and sharing behind-the-scenes information and interviews with former cast and crew of the show.

The two actors still have a long way to go before wrapping the podcast, but I can only imagine there are plenty of great stories coming out of it regarding The Sopranos and James Gandolfini. Many stories of Gandolfini's kindness had rolled out in the years since his passing, and one could imagine more are still to come as the release of The Sopranos movie draws near.

Tony Soprano will be in The Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark but will be played by James Gandolfini's son, Michael. Michael Imperioli will not be in the film, of course, given his character Christopher would presumably be unborn or a baby at that time. That's a bit of a downer though, anyone hoping to see Tony and Christopher go round and round all over again can always binge the show via streaming platform.

The Sopranos is currently available to stream on HBO Max. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest news happening in the world of television and movies.

As he’d never seen an episode of his father James Gandolfini’s legendary HBO show The Sopranos before preparing to star in its prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark, actor Michael Gandolfini had a lot of catching up to do. Now, as the film is in full swing and preparing for a release later next year, Gandolfini has started to reflect on his big catch-up session with the show that dominated pop culture at the beginning of our modern century.

In his binge of all six Sopranos seasons, there were two particular scenes that the actor really took to heart. These moments were the ones that most reminded him of his father James, and when talking about the show in a recent interview, one of those moments was revealed to be the following:

Considering how the whole point of his marathon binge of The Sopranos was to get himself more acquainted with James Gandolfini’s performance as the older variant of Tony Soprano, it’s not surprising that there would be a couple moments that really got to Michael Gandolfini.

As he’s playing the teenage version of Tony in The Many Saints of Newark, he’s been getting as close to the character as he possibly could. Which also explains why during his process to really nail the mannerisms that would go with his natural carbon copy looks, Michael actually had a crazy dream where his hands became his father’s hands.

The other moment of Sopranos history that Michael Gandolfini found it a little hard to take was a scene between Tony and his son A.J. Gandolfini described that scene in his interview with Esquire as follows:

It’s bittersweet to know that after losing his father at the beginning of his teen years, Michael Gandolfini will be playing a younger version of the role that made him such a fixture in the entertainment industry. In a way, this experience seems to have brought the young actor closer to the memory of his father than he’s been in some time.

The end result sounds like it will not only impress the world with Michael Gandolfini’s performance in the Alan Taylor-directed film, but it could also have a sort of emotional catharsis waiting for Gandolfini when all is said and done.

The Many Saints of Newark take to the streets on September 25, 2020. As for Michael Gandolfini, you can see him in the final season of HBO’s The Deuce when it premieres on Monday, September 9 at 9 PM ET.

Family resemblance can be a hell of a thing, and that statement only becomes more true the closer the resemblance hews between any two people. Michael Gandolfini’s resemblance to his father, the late James Gandolfini, makes him pitch perfect to be playing the teenaged version of Tony Soprano in the new prequel film to The Sopranos, entitled The Many Saints of Newark.

This casting decision was made despite Michael having never watched his father’s iconic performance on The Sopranos as it was airing. It took a lot of research into the lore and the story of the series, but the younger Gandolfini sounds very confident that he’s nailed it; and he’s had the crazy dreams to prove it.

To properly set the context for said crazy dreams, we first have to delve into the part of the story where Michael Gandolfini describes how he first experienced The Sopranos for himself, as you’ll read below:

As The Sopranos ran between 1999 and 2007, and Gandolfini practically grew up with the show as he was born in the same year his father James burst onto the scene as Tony Soprano. Not having seen the show’s contents until now is not only reasonable, it’s good parenting.

But with The Many Saints of Newark requiring Michael Gandolfini to step into the metaphorical shoes of his father, he obviously needs to nail the look and feel of Tony by studying those episodes really carefully. The end result is a performance that James Gandolfini fans will undoubtedly be looking forward to, but one that also left Michael having a dream apt to the character he’s playing.

That dream, and the process that lead to it, was described by Gandofini himself below, as he spoke to Esquire in a recent interview:

Strangely enough, Michael Gandolfini’s dream sounds like something that Tony Soprano would have dreamed up during the later seasons of The Sopranos’ six season run. Perhaps, that’s a good sign, as those dreams definitely seem to indicate that Michael is ready to bring Tony to the masses yet again. And with one of the original series’ directors, Alan Taylor, behind the camera, the resemblance between this prequel and the David Chase series that followed promises to be even more impressive.

We’ll have to wait and see, as The Many Saints Of Newark is set to hit theaters, and anyone who dares to move against the family, on September 25th, 2020.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for something to go see at the movies, you’ll want to head to our 2019 release schedule to see what films are making their debuts in the near future.

In The Sopranos, the Bada Bing strip club served as one of the base of operations for Tony's work throughout the course of the show. The location was shown to have some illegal activity during its fictional history, and now the actual strip club its based on was found to have some illegal happenings of its own. That's right, the real-life strip club used in the series as the Bada Bing, Satin Dolls, has been closed following a six-year investigation of criminal activity.

Satin Dolls, whose fictional club name in The Sopranos is based on a line uttered by Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, was shut down after authorities allege the club was engaging in a solicitation for prostitution and lewd activity. Authorities also allege that the owners of the club, the Cardinalle family, have failed to account for large sums of money moving in and out of the business. For this reason, EW states New Jersey's Satin Dolls and the Cardinalle family's other strip club A.J.'s has been shut down.

This isn't the first time Satin Dolls has found itself in trouble. In fact, the strip club's legal troubles even predate The Sopranos. Club owner Anthony Cardinalle plead guilty to federal tax evasion in 1995 after failing to report cash payments from his club. In 2013, Cardinalle pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit extortion, which was the same year actor James Gandolfini would pass away. In 2014, it was reported that Cardinalle was cooperating with authorities and would become a mob-informant on the others he was involved with in an effort to reduce his sentence.

The club and parking lot scenes of the Bada Bing seen in The Sopranos were actually shot at Satin Dolls. As for the back room segments where Tony Soprano conducted a lot of his business on the show, those were filmed at a separate location. In 2007, Satin Dolls put many of the items in the club up for auction in an effort to profit off of The Sopranos, following the show's conclusion in June of that year. This included selling the actual poles the dancers used, which the club stated had been featured in nearly every episode.

The Sopranos is available to stream on HBO Now and HBO Go. Those looking for other shows to stream before the year is up should head on over to our fall premiere guide and see what's left to watch in 2017. For a look at what's coming in the new year and when all the best shows of this year will make their return, head on over to our midseason premiere guide. For a look at some shows that didn't quite make the mark and were sent to "sleep with the fishes," be sure to visit our cancellation guide.

A lot of times when celebrities die, the public decides to remember that actor or actress in the best light, regardless of past shortcomings. According to his Sopranos co-star Drea de Matteo, James Gandolfini was a fierce champion for those he cared about, and he really cared about everyone he worked with on HBO’s hit show. He cared about them so much, he took money from his own pocket to help his co-workers when they were screwed out of some money by the subscription cable network. Here’s what happened.

Back in the day, when Gandolfini signed on to star in The Sopranos, he worked out a contract that included getting a cut of the show’s DVD sales. Unfortunately, not everyone who signed contracts to appear in The Sopranos thought about profits from DVDs. Actress Drea de Matteo, who played Adriana on the series, says that Gandolfini made a big gesture when he found out the actors weren't getting a payout.

Matteo had a big role on the series, but when you think about all of the people who had roles as big as Matteo’s in The Sopranos, the list is pretty lengthy. So, to imagine him cutting large checks to all of those individuals shows a level of care and compassion beyond what most people would be willing to give. But Matteo also mentions that big, grand gestures were just a part of Gandolfini’s nature.

Who knew the man known for playing the violent and quick to anger Tony Soprano was actually a big softie at heart? Oh wait, everyone. While he wasn’t without his share of regrettable incidents, he’s also the guy who helped dig cars out of snow banks in New York City when the going got rough. He even helped John Travolta to get over the death of his son. The story regarding the DVD money isn’t shocking, but it does give us a idea of what it must have been like to be around the man on set.

You can read more about Drea de Matteo, as well as her roles on The Sopranos and Sons of Anarchy, in her full Reddit AMA.

The short story Animal Rescue proved to be the launchpad for The Drop, the final film of the decorated career of the beloved James Gandolfini. The Sopranos legend has a supporting role in this Michael Roskam-directed film headlined by Tom Hardy, which like its inspiration is penned by Dennis Lehane. And now we have a trailer for The Drop, which opens on September 19th.

And, well... this sure looks like a bleak September film. Hardy appears to be the soft-spoken bartender at a dirty New York establishment where mobsters exchange dirty laundry for filthy cash. Eventually, however, Hardy seems to have his fill of the corruption and the chaos, and he takes action to curtail their actions, though this inspires conflict with the bar owner played by Gandolfini. Presumably there is an injured puppy at the heart of the conflict, one that he and Noomi Rapace adopt. And if you do a Google search, you can find eleventy billion pictures of Hardy and Rapace and that dog and THEY ARE ADORABLE.

The cast includes Matthias Schoenaerts and John Ortiz, and even though it's got a pretty harsh New York milieu, you hope they don't take any shortcuts. Director Roksam last helmed the Belgian thriller Bullhead starring Schoenaerts, and you hope he understands the atmosphere better than the recent Blood Ties. That film, which takes place in 1970's New York, starred Schoenaerts, Clive Owen and Marion Cotillard as New Yorkers, a mistake that ultimately crippled a decent cops-and-robbers thriller from French filmmaker Guillaume Canet.

Fox Searchlight has had this one finished for awhile (hence, Gandolfini's appearance) and they presumably have higher, possibly awards-themed expectations for the film. Maybe they'll launch an awards campaign for Hardy's sort-of ridiculous, high-pitched New Yorker accent, like he's playing a brutish bartender like John Cazale. Oh, Tom. You and the accents.

James Gandolfini's death on June 19 this year felt sudden, not only because the iconic Sopranos star was only 51, but because he was working so much it seemed impossible he could ever just vanish. Not only does he have two more movies that have yet to be released, including a reportedly revealing turn in Animal Rescue, but he had filmed a pilot for a limited-run series called Criminal Justice, which would have returned him to HBO.

Originally conceived and turned down as a series, Criminal Justice was being retooled as a seven-part limited series, with author Richard Price writing and Oscar winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian directing. Only the pilot had been shot though, and during a panel discussion with television press HBO's programming president Michael Lombardo confirmed that they don't entirely know what to do with Criminal Justice, but the pilot that Gandolfini filmed will never be aired:

Loosely based on a BBC series of the same name-- much in the way Netflix's acclaimed House of Cards was adapted from a similar British series-- Criminal Jutice would have starred Gandolfini as a sleazy New York City attorney who takes on the case of defending a Pakistani man (Riz Ahmed) caused of murder. Gandolfini was by far the biggest name attached to the series in front of the camera, but with heavy-hitters like Price-- who wrote many episodes of The Wire-- and Zaillian behind the scenes, Criminal Justice still has plenty of prestige that would make it a good fit on HBO even with a different actor in the lead role. As much as the executives at HBO may genuinely be mourning Gandolfini's death, the real concern here seems to be more of a PR one. Will they get flak for going forward with the series with a different actor, accused of not respecting Gandolfini's memory? Is it worth the risk for a show they didn't even like enough to order to a complete series?

If I had to guess I'd predict that Criminal Justice is over. HBO has shown no fear in commissioning work from high-profile people only to cut their losses when the problems racked up-- just look at the chaos on Tilda, a show loosely based on Deadline Hollywood's Nikki Finke that would have starred Diane Keaton. When the network fired show runner Cynthia Mort they tried to pick up the pieces, but the network eventually decided not to go forward with the pilot. Even though Criminal Justice still has plenty of potential behind it, the network may decide that making the show with Gandolfini's ghost looming over it is too much risk. And as important as Gandolfini's Sopranos performance was to HBO's current success, they probably can't go far enough to honor the guy's legacy.

Here at Cinema Blend we're still reeling from the sudden death of James Gandolfini, who recently passed away from a heart attack at 51. Of course, he was best known for his celebrated starring role in The Sopranos, but his contribution to film has been so fantastic that many of us have been hard-pressed to pick our favorite performance. Maybe it was his corkscrew-threatening thug in True Romance. Or his anti-war general in In the Loop? His maniacal hitman in Killing Them Softly? Or his emotional monster in Where the Wild Things Are? But it may be too soon to decide.

Two of the late Gandolfini's films will be released posthumously, Animal Rescue written by detective novelist Dennis Lehane, and Nicole Holofcener's upcoming comedy Enough Said. Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Gandolfini's Enough Said co-star Toni Collette for The Way, Way Back, and I asked her to tell me about her experience on the film—which was previously untitled—and working with "Jim." Her answer could easily be counted among some of the most eloquent words said about the star:

Written and directed by Holofcener, Enough Said centers on a divorced woman suffering from empty nest (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) whose pursuit of a charming man (Gandolfini) is complicated when she realizes he is the ex-husband of a new friend (Catherine Keener). Collette told me she plays another of Louis-Dreyfus's friend in the film. But where Louis-Dreyfus's character is divorcing and dealing with sending her kid to college, Collette and onscreen spouse Ben Falcone are just at the beginning of their marriage and kid-raising troubles.

Collette's description of Gandolfini's character in the film seems a real change of pace from the glaring tough guys roles he was known for. But it also sounds like it might be the closest a film role has come to capturing the captivating man who has made us root for bad guys for decades. I never met Gandolfini, much less knew him, but I suspect that it's this charm and sweetness that everyone who did speaks of so often that is the key to even his bleakest roles. Because no matter how bad the guy he plays, he was oddly charming. There was a twinkle in his eye. And thankfully for those of us who've loved his work, there's more to come and a great legacy to revisit.

Enough Said is completed but has not yet announced a release date. The Way, Way Back opens Friday.

Most of us are probably still reeling over the news that actor James Gandolfini died in Italy earlier this week. At 51 years old, it's unlikely anyone could have expected this, and given the actor's contributions to film and television, his death is a great loss to the industry. The latest update on the situation confirms that Gandolfini died of a heart attack, of natural causes.

Deadline shared the statement issued by Michael Kobold, a spokesperson for the Gandolfini family, which explains that the actor was in Rome the day he died, on vacation with his family. On the day of his death, he visited the Vatican and later had dinner at the hotel with his son, who was awaiting the arrival of his sister. The statement says he had a wonderful day, which may be of some comfort to his family, friends and loved ones in their time of grief, though they are all likely devastated by his loss.

Th autopsy confirms that the cause of death was a heart attack, and that there was nothing else found in his system. That confirms initial reports of the actor's death, which suggested a heart attack was the cause, but could not confirm anything. It's truly sad news, and everything we've read so far suggests this was sudden and not something anyone saw coming. The shock of the whole situation may take a while to adjust to. In the meantime, those of us who only knew him through the screen will mourn his absence. And our thoughts go out to his friends and family in their time of loss.

Katey took a look back at some of Gandolfini's most memorable movie moments, and then, of course, there's The Sopranos. The role of Tony Soprano put Gandolfini on the map, taking him from character actor to leading male and one of modern TV's most iconic characters, not to mention an excellently memorable antihero.

HBO was one of the official sources to confirm the actor's death earlier this week, and the premium cable network has since shared this brief tribute to the actor, which reminds of of Gandolfini's Tony Soprano years. Watch it below:

John Travolta and James Gandolfini had known each other well before they starred together in films, via growing up nearby communities. In fact Travolta’s dad sold tires to Gandolfini’s father. At the time, Travolta was already well into the world of acting and his father had pictures up on the walls related to his son’s work. Travolta credits this as having inspired Gandolfini to become an actor.

Travolta headed to the set of ABC’s early morning program Good Morning America on Thursday. He was there to promote his new movie Killing Season, but invariably the man wanted to speak more about his friend and frequent co-star James Gandolfini, who was pronounced dead in Italy on Wednesday. An autopsy will be undergone, but early reports indicate the 51-year-old actor likely died of a heart attack.

Travolta shared plenty of anecdotal stories and information about his friend and co-star, who popped up together in movies as diverse as Get Shorty, Lonely Hearts, and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. However, the most compelling thing he noted had to do with Gandolfini’s personality, which the actor says was warm and people-oriented.

Travolta wasn’t the only actor who has worked with Gandolfini to speak out at length and with adequacy about the popular Sopranos star. Gandolfini’s Sopranos co-star Edie Falco also spoke out at length on Thursday in a statement that also spoke of the actor’s people skills.

Gandolfini’s death was a surprise and a shock to many. The man leaves numerous projects in his wake, including the HBO project Bone Wars with Incredible Burt Wonderstone co-star Steve Carell. Gandolfini leaves behind a wife, Deborah Lin, and two children, Michael and Liliana.

The loss of James Gandolfini has been felt hardest by fans of The Sopranos, the HBO series that transformed our perception of how good a TV show could be, and which made a star out of veteran character actor Gandolfini at the unlikely age of 38. But a talent as large as Gandolfini's was never going to be limited to a single role or medium, and though he never played another character as long as he played Tony Soprano, he made a huge impact on film as well, playing all manner of gruff, tough men whose souls couldn't help but peek through.

It feels crazy to write about Gandolfini's acting, though, when you can watch the man talk about it himself, in this full episode of Inside the Actor's Studio (hat tip Moises Chiullan).

Gandolfini's passing seems all the more sudden because of how busy he's been recently, appearing in no fewer than three films last fall-- Zero Dark Thirty, Killing Them Softly and Not Fade Away, which reunited him with Sopranos creator David Chase, and cast Gandolfini in a role based strongly on Chase's own father. The film's trailer focuses mostly on the kids, but you can see Gandolfini in stern father mode:

But you don't have to look hard to find beloved Gandolfini performances across two entire decades, both before and after The Sopranos made him such a recognizable star. When I learned of his death I immediately thought of the blistering 2008 comedy In The Loop, in which Gandolfini plays an American general trying to avoid a pointless war. He's a stern, tough presence in a movie that's full of them, and when he finally meets the film's amoral center-- the profanity-spewing Scottish political fixer Malcolm Tucker-- it's the film's foul-mouthed highlight. When Gandolfini smiles and admits that he's killed people… it's hard to imagine anybody else pulling off that combination so well.

Playing a tough military guy was familiar work for Gandolfini, of course. Here he is standing up to Robert Redford in 2001's The Last Castle, one of the clips that our managing editor Kelly West picked when asked about her own favorite Gandolfini scenes.

And finally, remembering his roots as a character actor, here's one of his scenes from True Romance. As Virgil, Gandolfini didn't spend a lot of time on screen, but he was an active participant in what is easily one of the most memorable scenes in True Romance. The practically-inseparable lovers Alabama (Patricia Arquette) and Clarence (Christian Slater) were separated just long enough for Alabama to walk straight into Virgil's ambush, which leads to him brutally beating her and might have ended with her murder. But she fought back. A lot.

Share your own memories of his career in the comments below, including any clips we might have missed. The man had a stunning career, even though it ended so soon; he's left us a lot to remember.

In what is certainly shocking and very sad news, actor James Gandolfini has passed away today. Reports state that the 51-year-old actor died today in Italy of a suspected heart attack. Gandolfini is best known for his starring role on HBO's The Sopranos, which earned him several Golden Globe and Emmy Awards and nominations.

Deadline writes that the actor was in Italy when he passed and that he "died suddenly" of a suspected heart attack. TMZ says he was in Italy for the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily and he was supposed to participate in a festival event this weekend.

Gandolfini's acting career goes back to the 80's, with an uncredited role in The Last Boy Scout among his earliest listed credits. After that, he played roles in a number of features, including True Romance, Angie, Get Shorty, The Juror and a TV version of 12 Angry Men. But he didn't hit it big until the late 90s, when he was cast as lead character Tony Soprano for The Sopranos, an HBO drama that would set the standard for original dramas at the premium cable channel, and make Gandolfini a household name.

One of the things that worked so well about Tony Soprano was that he was a dark character with a likable side. We've seen that blend of characteristics in a number of great TV shows in the years since The Sopranos' run. Among the great antiheroes of modern television, Tony Soprano ranks highly and may very well top the list. Much of the credit there goes to Gandolfini's ability to bring humanity and likability to a character who sometimes did bad things. He could go from charming and attractive to intimidating and scary with seeming ease.

In the years since The Sopranos finished up, Gandolfini went back to feature work, with roles in Zero Dark Thirty and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone among his recent credits. It was also looking like we might see him back on television - and HBO - however, the pilot in which he starred, Criminal Justice, didn't go to series at HBO.

His death is truly a loss to the entertainment industry, and given his age, it's sure to be a shock for fans. But he won't soon be forgotten.

Steve Carell may seem like an unlikely choice for an HBO film, but he’s signed on for a brand new project opposite The Sopranos’ James Gandolfini. The two men recently appeared together in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and they apparently had such a good time, they are ready to work together on an equally oddball project. The two men have signed on for HBO’s Bone Wars, which will fittingly follow two paleontologists.

Set in the period just after the Civil War, Bone Wars will follow two men who are racing to be the first to find fossils of various dinosaur species. The TV movie will follow the real-life trajectories of the two men, Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh, which spans multiple decades and, according to Deadline, led to the discovery of over 160 dinosaurs. Unfortunately, strife as intense as a feud between two men can also lead to plenty of personal problems. Still, Bone Wars is described as a comedy.

Carell is set to take on the role of Cope and Gandolfini will play Marsh in the project. Both men will also executive produce the TV movie, along with Thom Hinkle and Alexandra Ryan. Currently, the project is still looking for a writer, so it could be a while before we hear more details about Bone Wars.

Bone Wars is the third full-length TV project HBO has greenlighted in just a couple of days. Yesterday, the subscription cable network announced it would put together a Mikhail Gorbachev project with the help of Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio and Gorbachev himself. Today, HBO also announced it would create a documentary about Nora Ephron’s life. We'll keep you updated as Bone Wars moves forward at the network.

Even before James Gandolfini spent years winning a slew of awards and engaging audiences as Tony Soprano, one of TV’s most ruthless and entertaining characters, he was usually cast as a henchman or a big hulking baddie, in films such as Get Shorty and True Romance. But after The Sopranos went off the air? Fuhgeddaboudit! There’s no escaping the crime life for Gandolfini.

For his next role, Variety reports he’ll next don his criminal duds for Animal Rescue, a crime film that will soon begin production through Fox Searchlight. This will be the second feature directed by Michaël R. Roskam, who last released the Belgian crime drama Bullhead. Gandolfini will join Bullhead’s star, Matthias Schoenaerts, who is also in both the Belgian and American remake of the mystery drama The Loft. Also starring in the film are Tom Hardy, who will next be stepping into the titular Mad Max role, and Noomi Rapace, who can currently be seen in Niels Arden Oplev’s Dead Man Down.

Animal Rescue was based on a short story from author Dennis Lehane that appeared in the anthology Boston Noir. Lehane himself also wrote the screenplay, which centers on how a downward spiral of events - including a lost pit bull, a murder, and a heist gone wrong – pull a man right back into the life of crime he was trying to put behind him. The story was not specific about which actors would be playing which roles.

Gandolfini, who kept his 2012 busy with solid roles in Zero Dark Thirty,Not Fade Away and Killing Them Softly, can next be seen this Friday as a cranky casino owner in The Amazing Burt Wonderstone.

Even with the prospect of James Gandolfini returning to premium cable isn't enough to secure a pilot a guaranteed series order, as evidenced by HBO's decision to pass on the drama pilot Criminal Justice. This news follows the announcement earlier this month that HBO has given Damon Lindelof's series adaptation of Tom Perrotta's rapture novel The Leftovers a pilot order.

We'll go out of order and start with the bad news first. Deadline says HBO has passed on Criminal Justice, the drama pilot from Richard Price, which was loosely based on Peter Moffat's BBC series. Gandolfini was set to star in the New York-set drama, which would have marked a return for the Sopranos star to a starring role and to the pay-cable network that once played host to the popular organized crime series.

Gandolfini is great and I'd love to see him back on television. And it sounds like there was a lot of talent behind Criminal Justice with Price writing and Steven Zaillian directing. But given the choice between novel adaptations and shows remade from other shows, I'll take the former over the latter. So if it came down to Criminal Justice vs. The Leftovers, I'd take the latter and try Moffat's series out via Netflix. There may not be a direct correlation between these two dramas, other than that they were both in contention at HBO, and one has been scrapped, while the other inches forward. On the subject of The Leftovers, there was good news for the project earlier this month. Deadline says the adaptation, which has been in development since the summer, has been given a pilot order.

I'm especially interested to hear details on what Lindelof and Perrotta have in mind for this potential series. The book follows the characters left behind after a rapture-like event causes part of the world's population to up and vanish into thin air. The drastically altered reality of civilization in the story includes a cult called the Guilty Remnant, which consists of non-speaking chain-smokers who wander around giving people the creeps, a shady prophet called Holy Wayne who's also collecting followers, and the mayor of a small town, who's trying to help his community move on after the "rapture" drastically alters the lives of its residents.

Perrotta's story is pretty self-contained, but there's certainly room for the plot to be opened up a bit to suit a serial format. With Lost's Lindelof on board, we might expect something particularly creative with this adaptation. And with HBO as the network, there's a ton of potential to expand the story and really dig into the character drama. So I'm hopeful things will work out better for The Leftovers than they have for Criminal Justice and this one actually makes it to air.

Kathryn Bigelow's cast for Zero Dark Thirty is filled with some incredibly talented actors, but nobody should be surprised by that. After all, who would pass up the chance to work with an Academy Award winning director and screenwriter? The film has already been completed and features performances from Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Mark Strong, Jennifer Ehle, Jason Clark, Scott Adkins, Taylor Kinney, Harold Perrineau and Kyle Chandler among others. But apparently one bit of casting news has been kept off the radar and has finally been revealed.

Entertainment Weekly has learned that Sopranos star James Gandolfini is also in Zero Dark Thirty and will be playing Leon Panetta, one of the most important figures in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, as he was the head of the CIA when SEAL Team Six found and killed their target (he is currently the Secretary of Defense). In addition to learning information about the character, the magazine has also released the first image the character and you can check that out below.

This is shaping up to be a pretty big year for Gandolfini, even though he's yet to have a film out in 2012. Adding Zero Dark Thirty he now has three movies set to come out this fall, the other two being Killing Them Softly with Bradd Pitt and Not Fade Away, David Chase's feature directorial debut.

Zero Dark Thirty, due out December 19th, follows SEAL Team Six on the long hunt for Osama bin Laden following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Head over to our Blend Film Database to see more from the movie.

James Gandolfini has been in a few comedies over the course of his career, with roles in movies like Get Shorty, In The Loop, and Surviving Christmas, but they are hardly what he's known for. Thanks to his enormous stature, he has made a career out of playing mafiosos and muscle men, most notably during six seasons of The Sopranos, but now he's apparently ready to make people laugh again.

Showbiz 411 recently caught up with Gandolfini at a big HBO gala and learned that the actor is currently developing a new comedy with Steve Carell called The Bone Men. Set up at Carell's production company, the movie will reportedly feature the two actors as paleontologists working in the late 1800s. Apparently Fox 2000 and HBO are already interested in the project, which Gandolfini simply described as "very funny."

But while that film may be in the earliest stages of development, it won't be long until we get to see Carell and Gandolfini on the big screen together. Next year both actors will appear in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, a new comedy from 30 Rock director Don Scardino about rival magicians battling to be the top act in Las Vegas. Carell will be playing the titular role in the movie while Gandolfini will play Doug Munney, the owner of the casino where Wonderstone hosts his act. That movie will be in theaters December 31, 2013.

Gandolfini will next be seen in Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly - in which he once again plays the muscle man role - and is currently in production on the new untitled Nicole Holofcener film with Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Next week, one of TV’s ultimate dads returns to television. ABC has Last Man Standing set to make it’s debut next Tuesday night, which brings Tim Allen back to television as family man and father. Recalling Allen’s days as Tim Taylor on Home Improvement had us thinking about some of our other favorite TV dads, inspiring us to make a list of the actors we’d love to see back on television in a dad-like role.

Bryan Cranston’s dadding it up on Breaking Bad, although there’s barely a trace of his character Hal from Malcolm in the Middle in his part as Walter White. Meanwhile Ed O’Neill is both father and grandfather in Modern Family. Which other actors would we love to see back on TV playing a father once again?

John Goodman

(by Leslie Kasperowicz)

In spite of the shrieking, looming shadow of Roseanne, Dan Connor remains one of the most memorable fathers in TV history. He was the working class everyman who always did whatever it took to keep his family’s heads above water. Dan was a softie with a gruff exterior and a dreamer who was without real ambition to move beyond his simple life. He was a dad who could take things in stride but whose anger was something to behold when his lines were crossed. He reminded me of my own father, and I’m sure I am not the only one. A return to television playing a father – perhaps a father to much older children – for John Goodman would be a must-see for me. What Goodman brings to the screen is the feeling that he isn’t really acting; even in some of his more over-the-top roles (The Big Lebowski), he is simply believable. Goodman just looks like the kind of father who has your back, who gives the best hugs, and knows when a raised eyebrow is enough. Whether in comedy or in a drama, Goodman can create the kind of father role people can’t help but gravitate towards – he’s the TV dad TV is really missing right now.

James Gandolfini

(by Scott Heisel)

The Tony Soprano character's claim to fame isn't exactly exclusively based on his status as a father but that doesn't take a thing away from James Gandolfini's fantastic portrayal of the mobster dad. Not only is The Sopranos one of the greatest achievements in television, Gandolfini's character is one of the most original and well-played fathers in recent memory. The show dedicated an admirable amount of its content to addressing Tony's fatherly dilemmas, many of which focused specifically on his two children. We also got to see Tony playing an entirely different kind of father for his mobster nephew and the evolving relationship with his wife. Anyone who would attempt to argue that Tony is a good father would have some serious work cut out for them --there can be little doubt of the danger his career put his entire family in and the transgressions of his children were likely to send him into fits of rage-- but he is not nearly as bad as he might have been, being capable of brief moments of wisdom and honesty. We're missing James Gandolfini on television in general, and most definitely as a father.

Bob Saget

(by Mack Rawden)

With his cleaning obsession, awesome job at Wake Up, San Francisco and unending hatred for Kimmy Gibbler, Bob Saget’s Danny Tanner raised three lovely girls and kept his house of obnoxious hooligans in order for eight seasons on Full House. I still can’t get enough, probably because I watched every episode so many times as a child. I still laugh every time Joey makes one of his awful jokes, still smile every time Michele says, “You got it, dude” and still secretly wish I could watch Bob Saget play a dad again on television. He already does, in a way, on How I Met Your Mother, but his voice just isn’t enough to satiate my craving. Many stand-up comedy fans probably know in real life the actor is world renowned for his filthy, almost sociopathic mind, which is why I see this show blending Danny Tanner’s G-rated persona and Saget’s vile putrescence. He could play a married, involved husband and father who handles domestic issues with grace and tact, only to hit up the bars once a weekend for nights of aggressive debauchery.

Richard Jenkins

(by Jessica Grabert)

Richard Jenkins is not a man to shy away from a father role. He has played a wry father, a slightly muddled dad, a good dad, and a remarried dad just looking to catch a break from his thirty-something son. He’s lit up film performances for over thirty years and he generally always brings something to the table, whether he’s playing any given father or a Buddhist hippie opposite Julia Roberts. What he hasn’t really been is a fan of television. In thirty years Jenkins has managed recurring roles in the eighties cop franchise Miami Vice and a role as a dead father on the HBO program Six Feet Under. As Nathaniel Fisher, Jenkins achieved the near impossible: In twenty episodes he fed life into a cigarette-loving, dead character, and he figured out the quirks and mechanisms of a hallucinated dude who, for practical purposes, couldn’t take himself too seriously. If Jenkins can play a dead father to such high esteem, just think what he could do as a fleshed-out TV dad. I know I would tune in to watch.

Loudon Wainwright III

(by Jesse Carp)

You may know him as Loudon Wainwright III, folk singer and father of Rufus, Martha and Lucy. I know him as Hal Karp, father to Jay Baruchel's Steven on Judd Apatow's short-lived sitcom Undeclared. He's the funniest thing on a show with Baruchel, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Carla Gallo and Timm Sharp not to mention cameos from Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell (among others). Singing the horrifyingly embarrassing 'Baby I'm a Man,' in front of Sandler et all in "The Assistant" sums up my love for Hal, the recently separated, walking mid-life crisis and cause of endless awkwardness for his ever patient son. Oh, but Hal's got a great heart too, even if he comes on way too strong and says the wrong thing. That's the Apatow stamp, a lot of crude, cringeworthy comedy but also a lot of heart. I would love to see Wainwright return to TV in a fatherly role (a one-hour dramedy seems perfect) because he's just a great showman. I also find it interesting that a man who apparently had quite a distant relationship with his own children could also play one of my favorite TV dads of all-time. All in only 17 episodes.

Enrico Colantoni

(by Kelly West)

Enrico Colantoni’s role as Keith Mars proved to be one of the best things about Veronica Mars. Serving as both a father and the boss to teen detective Veronica, Keith Mars was the kind of dad who used humor to lighten the mood when times were tough, but stepped up as an authority figure whenever Veronica crossed the line, which she had a tendency to do. He balanced authority with love and friendship perfectly, rising up when necessary and proving to be the kind of father who would, quite literally, walk through fire to protect his daughter if push came to shove. Colantoni is technically a father on his current series Flashpoint, however it would be great to see him star in a TV role that has fatherhood among his primary responsibilities. The Mars family wasn’t a big family, being made up of just two people, but Keith Mars was a family man and it worked for the show. It’d be great to see Colantoni in another role that has him tackling the challenges of fatherhood with with humor and heart as he did on VM.

If you're following the coverage from the Toronto Film Festival-- including mine!-- you know that the 2011 Oscar season has really already started. But if you want to get a jump on the next one, here's a date to mark on your calendars-- October 19, 2012. That's when Paramount is planning, according to Deadline, to release a little movie with the production title Twylight Zones. More significantly, it's the directorial debut of David Chase, who completely transformed television when he created The Sopranos.

Not only that, but the movie will reunite Chase with Sopranos patriarch James Gandolfini, in a cast that also includes Brad Garrett, Christopher McDonald and Lisa Lampanelli. The story also brings Chase back to Jersey, in a story about a group of friends who form a garage rock band in the 60s. Gandolfini, obviously not really of rock star age, plays a parent on the wrong side of the generation gap "who has worked hard to give his son everything he didn’t have but now feels some jealousy about the free-wheeling life the boy gets to experience." Basically it's James Gandolfini playing a regular guy, not the terrifying badass we're used to; that enough is reason to start the countdown.

It's very rare to see a first-time director with such amazing credits already to his name from television, and it will be fascinating to see Chase transform his signature style to the more compressed feature format. Obviously paramount thinks so too-- the October 19 release date puts the film, which is technically untitled, smack dab in the middle of Oscar season. Sure you're excited about The Descendants and War Horse right now for Oscar prospects-- but to get ahead of the game you gotta start talking David Chase.

It’s quite obvious that a key element of a family drama is the family aspect. Some actors are talented enough to make that dynamic seem real even though it might be far from it, but why put yourself through all the work when you can just develop a real life family-like relationship with your co-cast? It certainly worked for the cast of Jake Scott’s Welcome to the Rileys.

The film stars James Gandolfini as Doug, a man who hasn’t been the same since the passing of his daughter. The same goes for his wife Lois (Melissa Leo) and in her case, the pain is rather debilitating. She’s agoraphobic and refuses to step foot out of their house. While on a business trip to New Orleans, Doug winds up meeting a young stripper named Mallory (Kristen Stewart). Rather than leaving their business at the strip club, even though Doug had no intentions of getting on to any real business to begin with, he winds up driving her home and leaving with her for a bit. He takes it upon himself to try and help her disheveled house and her act, too.

In honor of the film’s October 29th release, Gandolfini, Leo, Stewart and Scott attended a press conference to remember their time working on the production in New Orleans. Not only do they look back on the gig fondly, particularly when it came to working with one another, but they still maintain the relationships they built on the set today. Check out all the details on the prep process, their characters and experience working with one another in the interview below.

James, how did you figure out the back-story? Your Southern accent from Indianapolis was a little surprising.

James Gandolfini: Yeah, to me too.

Is this guy going through a classic midlife crisis?

Gandolfini: Actually, I’ve reached an age where you look back and you question how did I get here and with me it’s mostly good, with him it’s not what I expected, it’s not what the man expected. He has to go back in his mind and go somewhere and try to figure out what to do now. I think a lot of people do that; they just can’t really go anywhere or just disappear and I think he just takes the opportunity to try to figure things out.

And the accent?

Gandolfini: Please. Sometimes you make choices, [laughs] and you look back and you wonder, just like we were talking about, and I really don’t know what else to say about that.

Do you think there is a part of Doug that blames Lois for what happened to their daughter?

Gandolfini: Yeah, sure.

Leo: Oh! [Laughs]

Gandolfini: How’s that? [Laughs]

What surprised you the most about making this film?

Leo: How much fun a Brit could be. [Laughs]

Gandolfini: A what could be?

Jake Scott: The one who made you do the accent.

Gandolfini: [Laughs] Actually, yeah. How kind and smart and special to the actors he was. How different his set was from his uncle and his father. [Laughs] I never worked for his father. How smart [Kristen] was. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I mean for a young girl. Really, for a young woman how together and how smart and how she’s doing this all for the right reasons and how well we got along and how wonderful it was. I had a great time with her and I don’t necessarily think acting is fun, but I had a really good experience on this.

Leo: What comes to my mind was when I read the script and you turn each page going, ‘Oh, he’s going to fuck that girl.’ [Laughs] ‘Oh yeah, he’s going to fuck her,’ and he never does!

Gandolfini: I was hoping that, too. [Laughs]

Kristen, those bruises were makeup, right?

Kristen Stewart: Yeah, they were. I got the bruises initially in rehearsal. I learned how to pole dance, you never really see it in the movie – you do for a second, it’s like in silhouette in the background - but it really hurts and you don’t realize that, of course, it’s going to show. There were so many that I wasn’t sure do you keep all of them or is that too much? I think what surprised me most was the fact that I was so unaware of the fact that I was walking down the street with my robe open and wearing fishnets and not caring at all. I had no inhibitions. I wasn’t scared and I’d known about this for a while before it got up and running and I’m really glad that it took a while to do so because I think that I was old enough to play the part as opposed to not ready. I think I would have shied away from too much. So it was shocking to find myself in situations like that and being completely fine with them.

How old were you?

Stewart: 18.

Kristin, how’d you prepare for the role?

Stewart: I went to my first strip club with this [Jake] and upon entering the guy was like, “You’ll have to come back later if you want a job.” [Laughs] They must have thought that [Jake] was my pimp. [Jake] was also really on me about that as well, you’ve got to do some work before you’re going to be able to do this. He gave me a couple books that really helped. Raised by Wolves was the one that really got me like where you have really candid stories. This guy endeared himself to this group of runaway kids in Hollywood and they really just let it all out. Then just pole dancing and stuff like that, but basically we didn’t have that much time and it was really comforting to know that it validated me, it made me feel like I’ve done enough to do the part, but at the same time everything was in the script so once we started shooting luckily feel like I didn’t have to add a thing. It was just doing it justice. It wasn’t like I had to add real elements; it was already there.

What was it like shooting in New Orleans?

Leo: I’ll start of because a month and a half after I worked with Jake, Kristen and Jimmy I found myself back in New Orleans where I do the HBO Treme show, when I really go to know New Orleans. When I was there with Jake, Lois has never been there before. She doesn’t particularly like being there when she’s there, so they housed me at the Windsor Court and if you’re at all familiar with New Orleans, it’s actually got a gated drive, so it’s walled and you go in behind the gate and get out of the car and never have to actually be really in public. They had a lovely young man they hired to drive me and pull up in front of the Windsor Court, pick me up and take me to set and a handful of times he took me to the grocery store and otherwise I just isolated myself in my glorious room so I didn’t get a chance to know New Orleans at all and that aided my performance, but I’m very grateful I got to know the town a bit.

You all have very different ways of preparing for roles and didn’t do a lot of rehearsal, so how did you establish that you were a married couple?

Gandolfini: I like her. We just did it very professional and also she’s pretty good looking, which helps. It’s in the work. Where are you from? You’re from New York State, right?

Leo: New York City.

Gandolfini: Honestly that stuff helps; it just gives you a shorthand. I enjoyed it. I just want to say something about the places [Jake] picked in New Orleans. It’s an incredible city for its lack of rules, it’s lack of regulation and lack of everything being on top of you and I think that’s why [Kristen] can walk down the street dressed as [she was] and it seemed easy. I remember the strip club that you picked and you’re walking up the steps of the strip club and there’s a circular step and there was hairs hanging off the bottom of the stairs.

Stewart: Like a lot.

Gandolfini: Like people’s hairs have fallen off and they stepped on it and you could see it these steps hadn’t been cleaned for hundreds of years and just the whole feel of it really really helped. He didn’t pick places and dirty them up; we just went to the places so that helped a lot.

Leo: I just want to say also in response about working with Jimmy, I still have the engagement ring that Lois wore. I wear it quite a bit. That likability and just sort of hitting it off, it’s an amazing thing when you work with a really terrific actor and you can just together pretend and I think the willingness on both of our parts and the warmth that I felt from Jim right from the beginning in meeting him, it was so easily done and it’s hard to find words for it.

When you’re working on a film this small with just three of you, there’s a sense of being a surrogate family on the set. So what kind of family did develop during the making of this film?

Gandolfini: I think that’s any small film you do and we’re all trying to do the same thing. I think you’re not out hanging out every night, you’re working 14 hours, 15 hours. I guess there’s a sense of family, you’re doing all this stuff together and we had a few evenings together, which were fun.

Leo: It really is a relationship that’s developed in the work. Socializing is of very little importance to us when we’re shooting. It is a working environmental and I know that I’ll always have a mother’s love for Kristen and a wife’s love for Jimmy. I’ll carry that with me for the rest of my days.

Kristen, do you have a process for coming out of a role, especially going from playing Bella in Twilight to Mallory and back to shooting New Moon?

Stewart: No, the few things I’ve done in between the Twilight movies have just coincidently been very different, but I haven’t been like I’m going to shock everybody right now and just do this because it’s totally different. It’s always been totally informed. Something speaks to you and you need to do it and that’s what it is. Also, I’m really lucky to have my cast on the series. You always think that it’s going to be hard to get back there, but it’s not because we’ve all wanted to tell the story for so long an it’s finally going to come to fruition and it always just sort of falls out luckily.

Kristen, how hard was it to really let go of Mallory? Do you still have her in you in a way?

Stewart: You probably have that with everything. It’s not just parts you play, it’s sort of every experience you have in life shapes you and makes you who you are and when some of the biggest most monumental experiences have been working on films and playing parts, and this one more so than, I don’t want to compare them, but really more than normal, I think it’s had an effect on me.

Kristen, your character is in many ways a mystery. What did you imagine was her back-story and why she’s such an angry person?

Stewart: Obviously this was something that was really important to us and Jake had a few ideas about what those details were and they weren’t so defined to be honest, but it was just enough. It’s weird to talk about. One of the first things that he told me when we met on the movie was that some of the stories, and I don’t know if this will sound bad, but a lot of these girls’ stories are really typical. A few things add up to being able to do something like that as a job and we sort of inserted those little bits, a few little details. I know where she’s from, I know that she’s not lying when she says to Doug where she’s from and I know that would never come across in the movie, but little things like that. But to go into it would be really weird.

How much does your character’s wardrobe effect how you portray her?

Stewart: It helps. I guess it seems like the most obvious thing; if I was wearing …

Gandolfini: If you were naked.

Stewart: [Laughs] Anyway, I think what was cool about the costume was that you think stripper – I don’t really think a whole lot when I think stripper, to be honest. A lot of people have certain ideas about how they must be and I really didn’t have any, but I always sort of imagined that they’d be kind of sexy at least or something because that’s sort of their job. On the contrary, you’re exposed so often that you’re entrenched the entire time. Literally, imagine never wanting to take off a trench coat, but living in New Orleans and it’s hot and so that was interesting. And also the stuff was really dirty and everything helps like makeup, sets obviously, anything to make you feel more like you’re there.

Can you talk a little about filming in New Orleans and what you missed the most about your respective hometowns?

Stewart: I’m not being deadly serious about this, but I tend to really offend people that are in my life when I go and especially on this one because it was the first time I’d ever been alone on a movie and I loved stomping around the city like it was mine and that’s totally what Mallory was supposed to do, so I didn’t really miss too much. I was having a great time.

Gandolfini: I missed my son and my wife as we say and New York food because I had heartburn for six weeks. It’s great food, but, man, you know?

Leo: I loved working on this movie. It was very happy times. My son is now 23 and there’s no husband to worry about at home so I very happily go and relocate myself wherever the work brings me and hunker down for the duration of being there and tend to not miss home although I love getting back up to the Catskills when I get there.

Back in the summer we got ourselves all excited to hear that Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges might team up to play a struggling married couple, only to be thoroughly disappointed when Bridges backed out. Apparently Streep and third player Philip Seymour Hoffman (playing a marriage counselor) were willing to stick with the Mike Nichols-directed project, though, and now Vulture reports she may have found a new husband: James Gandolfini.

All three actors reportedly gathered for a table read not long ago, and if they can get it together in time, Streep will be ready to team up with the two come March. Several studios want to distribute the film already without a minute of film shot, because, I mean, of course they do-- this sucker has Oscar potential written all over it, and will be considered in the running for any year's race until proven otherwise. Meryl Streep is gonna win that third Oscar one of these days, dagnabbit, and this isn't such a bad way to go for it. Bonus points if the movie is actually any good.

Believe it or not, Alexis Bledel is 29 years old as of September 16, and yet the Gilmore Girls star looks like she'll be getting consistent work playing a teenager until her mid-40s. The latest role to come her way is opposite Saoirse Ronan in Violet and Daisy, in which we're assuming Bledel will play a fellow teenage hitgirl on a mission that seemed easy but gets extremely complicated. Variety doesn't specify which role Bledel will play, but with shooting starting next week in New York, odds are she's snagged that second lead.

James Gandolfini is also starring in the film, presumably as yet another spin on the Tony Soprano gangster figure, with Precious writer (and Oscar winner) Geoffrey Fletcher writing and directing. After hitting what was to be career rock bottom with the intolerable comedy Post Grad, Bledel has been popping up all kinds of unexpected places, from a small role in Robert Redford's The Conspirator (which debuted in Toronto and is coming at some point next year) and now as a teen assassin. I've never exactly bought her as a especially talented actress, much as I may like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, but good on her for keeping that teen dream alive even as she pushes 30. We should all be so lucky to stay young forever.

Next April, director Joe Wright will present Saoirse Ronan, best known for her roles in The Lovely Bones and Atonement, in a whole new light as a cold-hearted killer. But while that film will see her character trying to rid herself of her murderous ways, she will pick them right back up in Violet & Daisy.

Variety reports that Ronan and James Gandolfini have joined the cast of the film, written and directed by Oscar winner Geoffrey Fletcher. As previously reported back in April when Ronan was first rumored for the part, the actress will play one of two teenage assassins who sign on to do what they think is an easy job, but soon find it to be the exact opposite.

The film has been described as "Thelma and Louise meets Superbad and Pulp Fiction," which makes me think that there will be quite a bit of humor involved. Here's hoping that Gandolfini is the actor playing the girl's target. Who wouldn't want to watch Tony Soprano go mano-a-mano with two teenage girls? That's the definition of awesome.