‘Sopranos’ showrunner finally addresses rumors James Gandolfini kept ‘going missing’ from set

“The Sopranos” showrunner and creator David Chase has confirmed nan rumors that James Gandolfini kept “going missing” from group while filming nan deed crime drama.

Chase addressed nan reports and opened up astir his moving narration pinch nan precocious Tony Soprano character during an question and reply pinch nan Guardian published Friday.

“Well, fortunately, I wasn’t nan 1 who dealt pinch him going missing,” he explained. “That was Ilene Landress, our statement manager. She was nan 1 who recovered retired wherever he was and did everything that needed to beryllium done.”

However, nan 80-year-old Emmy victor besides acknowledged that Gandolfini wasn’t ever happy filming “The Sopranos,” which aired connected HBO for six seasons from 1999 to 2007.

“I mean, he asked to meet maine a mates of times, erstwhile connected nan banks of nan Hudson River erstwhile he didn’t want to spell to work, and he was truthful unhappy,” Chase told nan outlet.

He added, “This happened 3 aliases 4 times, and we talked and talked and talked, but I was ne'er nan 1 who had to find retired wherever he was.”

Reports that Gandolfini would spell missing from nan “Sopranos” group first surfaced successful James Bailey’s 2025 curriculum vitae of nan precocious actor, “Gandolfini: Jim, Tony and nan Life of a Legend.”

Phil Abraham, nan show’s cinematographer, told Bailey that Gandolfini’s absences became specified a problem that nan web started fining nan character hundreds of thousands of dollars each clip he didn’t show up to work.

“I can’t opportunity I’ve ever been connected a show wherever thing for illustration that has gone on, but this was benignant of a different beast,” Abraham explained.

“At a definite point, HBO was fining him 250 expansive a day,” nan cinematographer added. “And he would say, ‘F–k it. I can’t travel successful to work.’ So we knew then, it’s not conscionable him doing a batch of rustle and drinking, and he’s not getting up because he doesn’t want to get up. No, it was deeper than that.”

Like Abraham, Chase acknowledged that Gandolfini’s issues didn’t person thing to do pinch nan show itself.

“He ne'er refused to do anything,” Chase noted. “He ne'er said, ‘I’m gonna spell hold successful my trailer, and erstwhile you’re fresh to sprout it nan measurement I want it, travel get me.’ That ne'er happened.”

Gandolfini, who went connected to triumph 3 Emmys for his capacity arsenic Tony Soprano, tragically died of a bosom attack successful June 2013 while connected picnic successful Rome. He was 51.

He opened up astir “The Sopranos” and really he felt “insane” during a candid chat pinch NJ.com years earlier successful 2001, while betwixt Seasons 3 and 4.

“Oh, I’m not sane astatine each erstwhile I’m doing nan show,” he said during nan interview. “I’m wholly insane erstwhile I’m doing nan show. But my family, my friends – I’ve sewage immoderate bully friends – they each help.”

He added, “I sewage successful astatine a precocious age, truthful I’m nether nary delusions astir what each this is about. Well, I’m judge I person immoderate delusions. But you know, fundamentally it’s a job. You activity hard, and you get tired a small bit, but that’s each it is.”

Mark Kamine, who worked arsenic a location scout connected “The Sopranos,” explained really Gandolfini’s individual demons caused chaos during nan last seasons of the deed HBO show in his arguable book, “On Locations: Lessons Learned from My Life On Set pinch The Sopranos and successful nan Film Industry.”

“I americium astatine nan edifice barroom erstwhile nan unit personnel closest to Jim asks if I want to spell down to Atlantic City pinch Jim and a fewer others. It’s complete an hr away. I decline,” Kamine writes of 1 Season 5 incident. “The adjacent morning, I’m not amazed erstwhile Jim cannot beryllium roused.”

Kamine went connected to constitute that Gandolfini yet showed up to group “cursing his measurement done his half-learned lines, doing return aft take, drinking coffees and bottles of water, alternatively sheepish and churlish, nan measurement he ever is erstwhile he f–ks up.”