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The Sopranosis often praised for kickstarting the Second Golden Age of Television or Prestige TV. An extensive section of viewers and critics even consider it the greatest TV show ever. Even Steve Buscemi, the Tony B actor and one of the show’s significant directors, agreed to it. But he claimed that the HBO show had to end early as it took a toll on the late James Gandolfini.
It is notable thatThe Sopranos, with 86 episodes, is bigger than shows likeBreaking Bad(62) andGame of Thrones(73). Still, many viewers wondered what forced the show to end when most of the co-stars wanted to continue the show. Steve Buscemi confessed that it was due to the late Tony Soprano actor who thought he had done more than enough withThe Sopranos.
The late James Gandolfini could not withstandThe Sopranosafter a point
James Gandolfini‘s performance as the mafia bossTony Sopranois considered among the greatest works in TV history. Fans still cannot get over the charismatic aura possessed by the character. However, after a certain point, Gandolfini could not continue it anymore. He had invested a significant part of himself in the show and was satisfied with its ending, unlike the others.
Steve Buscemiwas also a significant part ofThe Sopranosduring its 6 season run. Even before joining the main cast as Tony Blundetto in Season 5, he had already directed some of the most iconic episodes of the David Chase series.
The Show Even ‘The Sopranos’ Producer Had to Stop from Airing at the Same Time to Avoid a Clash
During an interview with PBS’Charlie Rose(viaX) theReservoir Dogsactor asserted that no movie or series can ever topThe Sopranos. He added that some co-stars wanted the show to run for more episodes but it was harder for James Gandolfini to continue. As the role took a heavy toll on him, he was satisfied with the ending.
It got harder for Jimmy [James Gandolfini]. I think that character really took a lot out of him, and he invested so much of himself in it. And I think it was hard for him to sustain that. So I think in some ways he was really okay with it ending. I think some of the other cast members wanted it to continue.
Just as Steve Buscemi described,The Sopranoshad an incredible run with its performances, casting, and writing till the end. Unlike many shows that often fail to conquer theThroneof success by messing up their finale,The Sopranos‘cut-to-black endingis still regarded as one of the most iconic TV scenes ever.
How did Steve Buscemi’s career choices take a turn followingThe Sopranos?
Notably, the late Gandolfini was not the only one affected byThe Sopranos‘ run. Even Steve Buscemi’s choices of roles also saw a substantial contrast following the hit series. The gangster-drama series along with some other projects significantly decreased his tolerance level for violence.
Before being killed by Tony Soprano inThe Sopranos, Steve Buscemi had a brutal ending in a wood-chipper inFargo. Following the Tony Soprano saga, Buscemi also reunited with HBO for another crime drama seriesBoardwalk Empire. In the show, his character Nucky Thompson had a brutal scene where he shot a teenager in the back of his head.
“You gotta stop, you’re gonna get sick!’”: James Gandolfini Binge-eating a Dessert on ‘The Sopranos’ Put Him in a ‘sugar coma’ and Totally Destroyed the Shoot
In a 2020 interview withGQ, Steve Buscemi admitted that such a long association with violence has affected his mental health and he cannot do it anymore- “I don’t have the tolerance for violence that I used to.”
ThusBoardwalk Empirewas his last character to feature any violent aspect. Recently, he was also spotted as Starscream in the animatedTransformers Onefilm with an upcoming Taika Waititi film under his collar.
The Sopranoscan be streamed on Max.
Subham Mandal
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1461
Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.
