'The Sopranos' stars recall James Gandolfini's struggle near end of show

James Gandolfini’s The Sopranos costars are protecting his legacy.

Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa hosted Talking Sopranos, a rewatch podcast which covered all six seasons of the show. It ran from 2020 to 2021.

The duo are recalling working with the beloved late actor and noting that they avoided sharing any sensitive information about him in their podcast to protect his legacy.

The actor was struggling with depression and sddictions during the last months of filming the show. In various documentaries about Gandolfini, they revealed that he threatened to quit many times, and didn’t show up to the set sometimes, which cost him $250,000 each time.

"Look, Jim was a brilliant actor and a wonderful guy, but not without problem," says Schirripa.

"You’re working 16-hour days, you’re making a lot of money, and you have no life. And the fame snuck up on him, and he didn’t expect it. He was very nice to people, to fans, but he wasn’t one of those guys who could hide away," he added.

When asked whether the actor channeled his issues into his performance, both Schirripa and Imperioli disagreed.

"I think there were times Jim felt that way, that the series was mirroring some of his life," said Schirripa.

"But I didn’t see that [translate to his performance]." Imperioli agreed, "No, that darkness was necessary to show the karmic debt of all this criminality and amorality."

The Sopranos ended in 2007 after six seasons and Gandolfini died in 2013 of a heart attack.