Jamie-Lynn Sigler regrets telling a story about her Sopranos co-star and onscreen father, James Gandolfini.
The actress revealed in her new candid memoir that she was unprepared during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Before her appearance, a producer for the show asked Sigler if she had any stand-out stories to speak about from set.
“I drew a blank,” she recalled in her memoir, And So It Is… A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope. “It really wasn’t that kind of blooper-reel set. I didn’t yet realize that no matter what the reality is, part of your job as an actor is to collect stories to have in your back pocket for moments just like this.”
“In my naivety, I shared the only thing that came to mind: that sometimes, to prepare for a scene, Jim would make these funny animal noises— squeals and grunts to get out of his head and into his body to prepare himself to go deep into Tony’s mind. I admired this and didn’t think it was a big deal,” Sigler wrote, adding that “the producer kept pushing” for such anecdotes about Gandolfini.
In hindsight, she said it was a “transgression” and a “betrayal of Jim’s trust.”
“I loved and respected him. The last thing I wanted to do was make a joke at his expense. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I wanted to take them back. I left the show feeling terrible—terrible for Jim and angry at myself.”
The TV actress said that she and Gandolfini ultimately never discussed the Leno incident.
Sigler, 45, played Meadow Soprano, daughter of mob boss Gandolfini’s character Tony Soprano, on the HBO series from 1999 to 2007.
For his role on The Sopranos, Gandolfini won critical acclaim and several accolades, including three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. Gandolfini died of a heart attack at age 51.
Sigler praised and memorialized her co-star in her book, writing, “He was larger than life. His energy filled the room. Sometimes I think he hated that power. But it was just part of him. He was magnetic—so big, so beautiful. His presence took up space in the most brilliant way. Jim was humble and present. He cared.”
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