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The Sopranosis one of the most critically acclaimed shows of all time, and for good reason. Be it James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano or the excellent twist on the mafia/crime genre, the series managed to stand out during a time when there was no lack of such projects.
Over the course of its many seasons, the series became more and more iconic, being consistently good despite running for almost a decade. However, it would seem that working on the series wasn’t easy for Gandolfini because of one very big personal reason.
James Gandolfini Was Fighting His Own War
James Gandolfiniplayed the role of Tony Soprano for six seasons, being at the very center of the series and having audiences completely hooked. There was no low point in his performance over the years, and the actor managed to create a legacy that still stands strong, years after his passing.
However, many might be surprised to know that during the height of the series’ success, he was facing a very serious personal crisis. In journalist Brett Martin’s book,Difficult Men(viaGQ), it was revealed that during Gandolfini’s divorce from Marcy Wudarski in 2002, he was having some very personal struggles.
In papers related to a divorce filing at the end of 2002, Gandolfini’s wife described increasingly serious issues with drugs and alcohol, as well as arguments during which the actor would repeatedly punch himself in the face out of frustration.
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In fact, she described her former husband as seriously struggling with substance abuse who even fits of self-harm when overwhelmed. One can imagine that facing this on its own would be overwhelming for anyone; however, Gandolfini was doing it while working on the beloved series.
James Gandolfini Went MIA OnThe Sopranos
There is no denying that James Gandolfini’s personal struggles were not reflected in his character onThe Sopranos.However, it would seem that at one point, it did affect his professional life and the production of the series. Brett Martin revealed that in the winter of 2002, there was one point when the actor did not show up on the set of the series for three days.
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In a normal situation, the production could have gotten very upset and even reprimanded the actor for his behavior. However, Gandolfini was a very beloved part of the cast, and there is no denying that someone must have taken note of what he was struggling with.
It would seem that everyone on set got very worried for his well-being and started to figure out what was going on. On the fourth day of his disappearance, the actor turned up at a beauty salon in Brooklyn and found his way back through there.
The Sopranosis available for streaming on Hulu.
Ananya Godboley
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2219
Ananya Godboley is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 2,000 articles published. She has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology from K.R. Mangalam University, Ananya also likes to fangirl as a full-time job. She covers news and analyses on anything from Rick and Morty to Hannibal and even Arcane. In between these lines, she also enjoys superheroes and Taylor Swift.A philosophy enthusiast, Ananya enjoys digging deeper into the media she consumes, trying to understand the root of her favorite characters' behavior.
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James GandolfiniThe Sopranos
