Now that the Sopranos is over allow me to vent about the obnoxious cast of this show. I can’t stand how they have, almost universally, shown such contempt and distain for the being a part of the show that made thier careers. The only other recent example of this kind of situation I can think of for comparison is David Duchovny in the X Files. From almost the second that show became popular, the cast, has acted like they couldn’t wait to get away from the show. In every appearance or interview they gave off the vibe that making the show was such a chore, they hated to be identified with the characters, they couldn’t wait to move on to other projects, they were so above speculating about who would get whacked next, etc. This phenomena was most exemplified with the 1.5-2 year hiatus between seasons. After every season finale I used to joke to my girlfriend that we would be in a retirement home when the next season came out (I’m 25.) Don’t get me wrong, I liked the show, though I don’t think it was God’s gift to television the way some people acted. But thank the lord that I won’t have to see the obnoxious cast of this show anymore. Fuck you Gandolfini, good luck when you realize that *The Mexican * was the high point of your non-Sopranos acting career. To the other cast members, fuck your whining about how much of a toll making the show was. You’ll have plenty of time to rest now that your post-Sopranos career will tank worse than the cast of Sienfeld.
Why do you say, “cast”, when you really mean Gandolfini? The other cast members would have crawled through broken glass for a chance to do another season.
You know, he IS the main person that I’ve gotten that impression from. But while I agree with you that the rest of the cast, in general, wanted to stay with the show, I think it only would have been on thier terms. Meaning, most likely even longer ridiculous hiatuses between seasons. And while I can’t find it online, there was an article in my newspaper this weekend about Michael Imperioli where he talked about being very happy that the series had concluded as well. Really, the only cast member who didn’t come across like a self important ass, in my estimation, was Eddie Falco.
I’m not sure if any of the actors’ outside projects have anything to do with the long hiatuses. Other big stars do outside projects on their downtime and the hiatuses are not nearly as long. The filming schedule is set by the production company/HBO, taking into account outside projects, but generally not catering to them.
Who’s Eddie Falco? 
Her lesser known male cousin. He starred in the short lived *Sopranos * Musical. 
I have nothing against Gandolfini or anyone else in the cast. Each of them has spent the last 8 or so years creating a character and in many cases- Imperioli and Gandolfini, for instance- taking that character through the gamut of emotions and behaviors in order to stretch the acting muscle. None of them want to be pigeon-holed into playing the same character for the rest of their careers, although for people like Tony Sirico- Paulie Walnuts- I imagine he’s something of a one-trick pony.
They’re actors, and they want to branch out and move on to other things, other characters, different opportunities. They’ve taken those roles as far as they can go, and unless they move on, they’re spending their careers rehashing the same situations over and over again.
The series got them notoriety and respectability as actors, now it’s time to explore a little and take advantage of the credibility they’ve achieved.
I agree with what you’re saying. But at the same time, recognize when you have a good thing going. The Sopranos has been one of the most highly regarded shows of the last decade. To bring up Seinfeld again, most of the actors from that show, and even the co-creator, have essentially been trying to go back to that show since it ended. I know stuff gets old and people want to try new things, but, again, don’t be so quick to get away from something great, because you may not find it again. Its not only that, but the fact that it seems like many in the cast have been talking about wanting to get away for so long. I have heard talk like that for what seems like the past 5 seasons. If I recall correctly, getting everyone back for these past two seasons has been like pulling teeth.
Plus, when I most actors crying about how tough making a show is, it falls on deaf ears. I know that during the season they put in very long hours, but its nothing comparted to actors in Soap Operas. They make an hour long show 5 days a week, and some of the actors have been on those shows for decades.
Isn’t he the guy that did that “Rock Me Amadeus” song?
And it shows on their faces. I’ve got some tapes of All My Children from 1988 and most of the actors on it look like they’ve been taking scotch-and-cigarette breaks every 10 minutes for the past decade.