Jennifer Esposito reveals why she said no to 'The Sopranos'

Actress Jennifer Esposito declined multiple auditions for The Sopranos due to personal reasons.

The actress cited the show's portrayal of a character reminiscent of her own challenging experiences growing up among organized crime on Staten Island as the reason.

“I chose to not go up for it when they would call me in because it was like, ‘I can’t relive this,’” Esposito tells Variety.

“The only thing that used to make me crazy about the show when I did watch it was the character of Meadow because she was very nice. The girls I grew up around wanted to kill me, wanted to kill me every day. So it was PTSD.”

Esposito, known for her roles in shows like Spin City and Blue Bloods, reflects on the unchanged nature of Staten Island and its time warp effect.

However, Esposito has now channeled her own life into her writing and directorial debut, Fresh Kills, a drama set in the 1980s and 1990s about two sisters navigating their family's dynamics when their mafia boss father goes to prison.

This script had been with Esposito since she was 16, and she finally decided to take control of her career by bringing her vision to life on screen. The film is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16.