# RIP James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409 "2013-06-19T23:31:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/121 "2014-01-20T15:05:25Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > A well-spent five hours at [Archive of American Television – David Chase](http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/david-chase) would let you decide better for yourself. I was up until almost 3:00 this morning (started yesterday early afternoon) listening again to the Chase interview. If you want to skip straight to talk about _The Sopranos_ skip up to [Part 4](http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/david-chase#), and use the little synopsis on the side as a guide for topics. There are occasional tangential comments about the show sprinkled here and there in earlier segments, but the rest of the 5-hour jaunt has to do with the rest of Chase’s career up to that point, which would have been late 2008-early 2009. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/122 "2014-01-20T15:25:03Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Did you have a single facorite episode? No, not really. They were all good. Well, I did sort of like the one early on where Tony’s taken Meadow to college interviews and has to take care of mob business including a hit in between being Dad. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/123 "2014-01-20T16:15:18Z")
I really love the one where Janice whacks Richie Aprile. “What … are you gonna cry now?” Bad move, Richie! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/124 "2014-01-20T17:01:15Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Sorry if you have answered this somewhere else, but were you actually a cameraman on the Sopranos? Can you tell us for how long and what that was like (as much or little detail as possible, as you think appropriate.). How much interaction did you have with the actors on the show? I was what is called a day player. If a scene require the use of a Steadicam I came in to do the shots. I worked on a handful of episodes in season 2 and season 3. The actors were consummate professionals and worked very hard. Similarly the crew with staffed with absolute top drawer talent. Those were very gratifying days at work. It is fair to say James set the tone on the set. Hard working, professional, focused. A superb environment in which to deliver your best work! My interaction was very much in your face- the kind of camera work I did requiresd me to be just a few feet from the actors at all times. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/125 "2014-01-20T17:14:01Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Especially for Robert Iler, who has really stuck out to me as a very week link in the cast. Of course, he was only about 14 when the series started, so it would have been difficult to predict how he would develop as an actor - or physically. As it was, A.J. turned out to be the _Sopranos_ version of Fredo Corleone (without the compensation of having more capable brothers). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/126 "2014-01-20T21:49:24Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > I was what is called a day player. If a scene require the use of a Steadicam I came in to do the shots. I worked on a handful of episodes in season 2 and season 3. > > The actors were consummate professionals and worked very hard. Similarly the crew with staffed with absolute top drawer talent. Those were very gratifying days at work. > > It is fair to say James set the tone on the set. Hard working, professional, focused. A superb environment in which to deliver your best work! > > My interaction was very much in your face- the kind of camera work I did requiresd me to be just a few feet from the actors at all times. Cool! Thanks for sharing this with us. I’m envious. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/127 "2014-01-21T09:56:00Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Cool! Thanks for sharing this with us. I’m envious. Me too! Thanks for sharing that… What a cool way to make a living ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/128 "2014-02-03T14:02:39Z")
I do love my job. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409.md?page=6)