Bold opening: The piece you provided is a vivid snapshot of The Sopranos era and its cast, but it needs a fresh English rewrite that preserves every key detail while sounding anew. Here is a fully unique version that expands slightly for clarity and accessibility, while keeping the original meaning intact.
Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa: ‘People call The Sopranos their comfort food—despite it centering on killers and drug addicts’
It’s striking to imagine that, under different circumstances, a seventh season of The Sopranos might have existed—an alternate reality where David Chase’s audacious mob epic, and James Gandolfini’s formidable Tony Soprano, could have returned for one final run. “There was talk of us coming back,” recalls Imperioli, who earned an Emmy for his portrayal of Tony’s troublemaking nephew Christopher. The idea of a revival first surfaced around 2012, five years after the show wrapped.
“There was even talk of a prequel, with us in it—which, given our ages, didn’t really make sense,” Imperioli adds, speaking from a hotel room’s shadowy alcove. “I remember Jim asking, ‘What are we going to do? Wear wigs and girdles like Star Trek?’” He chuckles at the memory.
Any chance of a reunion was ultimately quashed when Gandolfini died at 51 from a heart attack a year later. “I think he would have pursued it for the right price and the right script, but after his passing, it wouldn’t have made sense without Jim,” Schirripa notes in a separate call, Zooming from home, where framed photos line the wall behind him—some of him in Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri gear, others with legends like Clint Eastwood, Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Tony Danza, and Tony Bennett.
And so, aside from a spin-off film that didn’t feature the original ensemble—2021’s The Many Saints of Newark—the Sopranos endures as a singular moment in television history: six seasons of intricate, razor-sharp storytelling that continue to fuel debate decades later. The rewatch podcast Talking Sopranos, hosted by Imperioli and Schirripa during the pandemic when audiences flocked to revivals and newcomers discovered the series, stands as a case in point. “People say it’s their comfort food,” Imperioli observes, “which is funny because it’s about killers and drug addicts. Yet there are fans who have watched it since it premiered and remember Sunday rituals with family and friends. It holds a special place for them.”
Schirripa and Imperioli bring their podcast to the UK for the first time this month. On air, the two complement each other: Schirripa brings warmth and laughter, while Imperioli maintains a more restrained gravitas. It wasn’t immediate harmony, as Schirripa concedes. “People thought we didn’t like each other at first,” he says. “The initial five episodes were a bit rough, but we found our rhythm. It was a big challenge.”
Indeed, a tall order. If the fans of The Sopranos weren’t already engaged, they would certainly make their voices heard. The show’s legacy is such that fans remain fiercely devoted, even though social media did not exist during its original run. Retroactive accounts celebrate its fashion—garish and decadent—and its dialogue—sharp, funny, and touching. The “Christopher in a Neckbrace” costume has become a Halloween staple.
One admirer once approached Imperioli in Central Park to show him a calf tattoo of Christopher. Imperioli replies with warmth: “I became an actor because I was a fan of great performers—Al Pacino, Jon Voight, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep. Musicians, too. I still feel that deep connection.” He clarifies he doesn’t have an Al Pacino tattoo himself, but he understands the intense fandom.
To say The Sopranos inspired intense devotion would be an understatement. The show’s behind-the-scenes lore is legendary, including dual endings for Adriana’s fate in season five to keep the press from leaks. By the series’ end, actors were guarding their own pages and, as Schirripa notes, a leak on set suggested someone was selling information; the culprit was never caught.
Talking Sopranos abounds with such anecdotes, yet Imperioli and Schirripa keep on-set drama at arm’s length. “I never say anything bad about anyone,” Imperioli states. “I could, but I won’t. People probably say negative things about me, but we’ve kept things classy.”
They also guard Gandolfini’s memory. In the years since his passing, behind-the-scenes stories have highlighted the actor’s brilliant talent amid personal struggle: long, grueling days, bouts of absence from set, and the overwhelming weight of fame. Schirripa recalls that Jim wasn’t one of those who could easily disappear, while Imperioli emphasizes that the darkness in Tony’s world mirrored the moral consequences of crime rather than mirroring Gandolfini’s life.
Off-camera, the pair remember their Sopranos years fondly. “It wasn’t Hollywood—it had a grassroots energy,” Schirripa says. “Jim set the tone, and if anyone acted like a diva, it would be corrected quickly. David wouldn’t tolerate it, and Jim wouldn’t either.”
As for the characters’ immigrant backgrounds, Schirripa jokes that many might surprisingly lean toward supporting Donald Trump. The Sopranos’ influence persists in part because it portrayed the American dream through the lens of newcomers. Imperioli reflects that if the show were rebooted today, it would likely explore current US attitudes toward immigrants and the pressures they face, including those who arrived under precarious circumstances.
In 2024, the cast and crew reunited at Da Nico, a Little Italy staple in New York, to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary. Lorraine Bracco, Dominic Chianese, Aida Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Drea de Matteo, and others joined, though Gandolfini’s absence was keenly felt, as was Tony Sirico’s, who had passed away years earlier after a dementia diagnosis. Will there be a 30th celebration? “We’re all aging,” Schirripa observes. “Time changes everything, but hopefully there will be another gathering.” Imperioli likens those six years on set to hanging out with friends; Schirripa adds, “We’d go out after work, staying out late and having a fantastic time. We were younger then, and we enjoyed every moment together.”
Talking Sopranos UK tour begins in Belfast tonight (15 February) and runs through 2 March. Tickets: live nation UK.
