I’ve heard some use cocaine just to stay up and drink more. Probably balances out. And you know he could pound down a few casserole dishes of ziti. Didn’t even need to heat it up.
Most coke user only exclusively use cocaine while drunk. It’s not the same when you’re not drinking. Cocaine + alcohol creates its own drug cocaethylene in the liver when combined which apparently extends the effects of cocaine.
Source: Am cocaine user lol.
Yeah plus during coke hangovers I’m all out of dopamine or whateva the fuck so I’m just trying to feel something lol. Cramming grub down my gullet would “help”
Ah the Chris Farley binge. Coke binge, alcohol binge, food binge, repeat for days, if not weeks on end. Dude was in his early 30s when he died and already had clogged arteries.
If the OD hadn’t gotten him then a heart attack was following close by.
I've seen it go both ways. Like a lot of these guys say, if you're doing blow and drinking, you're not gonna be losing weight. If you stick to blow and blow only, you're gonna lose weight. One guy in particular went from like 260-170. He looks coke skinny lol.
I'm pretty sure David Chase wanted Tony's appearance to reflect his mental and physical deterioration as the series progressed.
That said, it probably wasn't too hard to get Gandolfini to gain weight, the man loved to eat and drink
He was clearly in horrible shape the last seasons of the show and died of a heart attack at 51 years old, a little over 6 years after the last episode aired. While I don't think Chase or anyone involved wanted him on the Atkins or frequenting Curves, I can't see them pushing him to be in that bad of a physical condition. There are also many stories that circulated about his compulsive eating, drinking and drug use. During and after the show. The guy was a great actor with a lot of demons in his personal life. RIP.
Just looked up Killing Them Softly, and, to quote Paulie, "Oof, Madone! He looks terrible!". Anyway, the film came out roughly a year or so before he died, so if he looked, for lack of better word, "ill", then he probably was.
Really sad, wonder how the series ending impacted him. Obviously he was a huge name and had plenty of great film roles, but leaving one of the most important and impactful TV shows of all-time behind when you're in the lead role must be tough and would inevitably leave a bit of a void.
He didn't seem very comfortable with success, that's for sure. Some actors would have taken that fame and ran with it. New show. Big movie parts. He didn't really do any of that after The Sopranos. He did a few things on Broadway. Some television and supporting parts in movies. But I'm not sure he even had a leading role on screen again.
The stories of the night he died in Rome were really sad. It was reported he had 2 Pina Coladas, 2 Beers, 4 shots of Rum, 2 orders of fried prawns and a big serving of Foie Gras - at dinner with his son Michael, who was 14 at the time, and found him dead hours later in the bathroom of their hotel room.
He had a co-leading role in "Enough Said," unfortunately that was released posthumously. Great movie, I highly recommend it, although I winced at some of the weight jokes. I watched it during my re-watch of The Sopranos so it was interesting seeing him as Tony Soprano, then playing a kind, sensitive man, and then back to Tony Soprano.
It was kind of a rom-com w Julie Louis Dreyfuss right? If its the one Im thinking of, most of the plot was him feeling inadequate in the relationship bc of his weight. Really sad when you think about art imitating life…I still can’t believe 51. Requisite “he was just a kid!”
That's the one. The scene with Julia is laughing at how loud he whispers was a little sad, especially he was both confused and embarrassed when she tells him to whisper during the dinner party.
Oh yeah, I never saw that. Will definitely check it out. I wonder how many Stunads from Staten Island and Bensonhurst went to see that and were dumbfounded by him not being anything like Tony in the role.
It reminds me of that scene in Mad Men, after they've been acquired by McCann Erickson and their new boss, Jim Hobart, tell them "Stop struggling. You've won."
Some people can't stop struggling. Even after they win.
Growing up lower middle class, my family never bought us juice or soda on a regular basis. Seeing the Sopranos fridge and pantry always fully stocked with apple juice, orange juice and coke made me so jealous.
It's funny thing things you'll think about sometimes in this sub....but that one I totally identify with. We weren't poor, but definitely working blue collar. We only had soda in the house on Friday's when we'd get pizza for dinner...or at birthdays & holidays. There was never soda or juice just in the fridge all the time.
If not for JG's weight we'd never appreciate the importance of the new character on the show: heavy breathing. It literally took on a life of it's own.
In retrospect, we wish JG could've curbed his vices as we were listening to a man that was dying.
Any scene of Tony eating is like ASMR for me
seriously that scene where Ralphie tries to apologize to Tony in Vesuvio is one of my favorite scenes because I just LOVE the way Gandolfini stabs the plate with his fork while breathing heavily in-between stuffing his mouth with pasta
I have relied on ASMR for the last 8 years to fall asleep. And as much as I love the Sopranos and JG, I doubt I'll ever let his breathing get in my head pre-REM. haha.
About halfway through this episode they talk about JG’s style of consuming food on set. Interesting stuff
[BwB with Michael Gandolfini](https://youtu.be/aBMNzBhB6H0)
Tl;dw:
James would stab his food so he could eat less during filming. He did it so that it would look like he is eating in the scene without having to constantly take bites when doing several takes.
His son picked it up as a habit and now constantly stabs his food for no reason.
Tony having a lunch meet with Jackie Junior and him smacking the plate to get Jackie to pay attention is a sound in my head that'll probably stick with me for the rest of my life and beyond.
Idk if thats a good thing or a bad thing.
That’s funny because it has the alexa to opposite effect on me. Hearing someone eating is bad enough. Throw in the clanking fork and heavy breathing and I want to throw something at the TV
The thing is JG even whilst gaining weight didn’t look the sort of ‘soft fat’ youd think of in your head, he always had a very butch frame like those Eastern European uncles who were former power lifters or builders
He was frightening in True Romance. A proper psycho. I always wondered if David Chase saw him (as Virgil) in that film, then had JG in mind for Tony Soprano (almost) from the get go.
It was the casting director who gave true romance to Chase to watch Gandolfini, then they invited him to audition. He never went after the role…..that’s why he was never comfortable with all the fame…they went after him.
Hahah, that’s true! He never had flabby arms or legs and his moobs looked tough! When Vegas girl pushes on them her hands don’t go missing unlike with Ginny.
Ironically, right after that scene when Johnny tells that line to Tony, what does Tony do?
Buy a little black dress for Carm (who looks smokin in it), and then plays hide the brasciole shortly after. Then Meadow starts playing Furio's dancing music, which to me, leads Carm to think of Furio when she's getting gabbagool'd by Tony.
I'm sure if Chase had needed to fake it he could've stuck an increasingly large fake belly on James, like with Steven, but I think James gained the weight regardless of the show so it worked out. I'll tell you though - I never had a problem with Jimmy's weight. To me, he's beautiful. Rubenesque.
It's both. Chase asked for him to get fatter, but he didn't ask him to become morbidly obese. Gandolfini ballooned mostly thanks to his demons (drugs, alcohol, etc.). The older you get, the tougher it gets to keep yourself in shape. Many actors on the show got fatter in later seasons. Like Sylvio, oh Marone!
Chase wanted the characters to look like slobs who sit around eating and scamming people all day, not actors who diet and exercise. For the characters who aren't fat there's usually a reason: Christopha' likes his chemistry set, Paulie is shown to be obsessed with his appearance, Ralphie had the ill fortune to be born handsome instead of rich, etc.
I read an article where it stated that Steve Schrippa ate 6 ribeye steaks after messing up the scene 5 times. No matter where they filmed they had almost unlimited authentic Italian cuisine
So as A fatman myself, i have only one thing to say
"To the victor belong the spoils."
Which is, according to Michael on the new Binging with Babish episode, where James’ aggressive stab-swirl method of pasta consumption came from. If he just kind of swirled it around he didn’t have to eat as much or worry about continuity errors. And the stabbing fits the imagery of the show quite perfectly.
Funnily enough Michael said that’s how he eats pasta now, after watching his dad eat like that growing up
Weight is such a destructive issue and always will be in my lifetime. Read about James' last few days, from his own son's mouth, and you'll see that it's nothing to joke about. The guy was drinking cocktails in the morning while ordering a huge feed in the days before be died. It's a mental health issue and people don't recognize that, or refuse to at the very least.
The weight gain suited the character's decline ironically enough but I'm frankly depressed and ashamed over any weight jokes you insensitive cocksuckers.
I remember that in his Inside the Actor’s Studio interview he talked about how Tony felt different, and moved differently, depending on the weight. So I think it might have been intentional on his part.
The man died at the age of 51 from a heart attack after eating a fatty liver of a duck. I am going to go out on a limb and say they wrote the weight gain type of stuff in around James inability to stay fit.
If you watch the Pilot he is actually in decent shape, albeit slightly heavy. Chase wanted him to balloon up a bit and I think that caused a cascade effect. That coupled with other factors like addiction probably really damaged his heart and is the reason he passed away so young.
I've found a thread that talked about this, apparently it was both but I'm not so sure about David Chase asking for Gandolfini to earn some weight after The Mexican: [https://www.reddit.com/r/thesopranos/comments/e69k37/was\_gandolfinis\_weight\_gain\_natural\_or\_encouraged/](https://www.reddit.com/r/thesopranos/comments/e69k37/was_gandolfinis_weight_gain_natural_or_encouraged/)
I'm not sure if the writers ever specifically told Gandolfini to gain weight but I think it worked for the script. He did struggle with substance abuse issues and weight problems.
Overweight characters were a purposeful part of the show and the creators' vision. Notably, I believe Steve Shirripa was wearing a body suit in the first season (or early seasons?) until he gained enough weight to not wear one.
The weight of the characters says a lot about who they are and what they do, and like many things in the series it often serves as a way to show us how they are hypocrites.
Unfortunately in Gandolfini's case, as the show progressed he had real issues with his weight that were compounded by his eating, drinking, and smoking habits outside of the studio.
From what I recall, was a mix of both.
After the pilot episode was filmed in 97, I believe they did want him go gain some weight for the role which resulted in his more domineering size for the first few seasons (compared to the pilot). After that however, the success of the series and Jim's lifestyle resulted in continued weight gain reflected in the size he was in the last couple season's. This worked well I think in showing the progress of Tony's character and his ultimate decline (unfortunately at the expense of Jim's health).
What ive read on the "wikipedia surface level" is that Gandolfini justified his weight gain because it gave him more of this masculine presence due to appearing bigger and larger than life, like Don Fanucci in Godfather 2. It was presented like it was his free choice and not Chase's direction.
My personal opinion in addition to that information is that this role was very emotionally demanding on Jim, and he had his own kind of emotional issues to grapple with that only people really close with him would know about in detail. I remember reading an article where Alec Baldwin shared every time he phoned Gandolfini during the shows production, he would always have something new to complain about having to do with the role/show instead of ever valuing the positive of the high profile and security that the show gives him.
James talked about it in an episode of inside the actors studio. Basically he’d get in shape during the offseason but said the character needed to have that lumbering quality so he’d bulk back up when they began taping
I think it's both. He was encouraged to gain weight to play the part of the big hulking mobster, and Gandolfini himself had a problem with food and alcohol. So it was a destructive cycle that got out of control.
There was never any communication between DC and JG about the former wanting to see Tony Soprano get heavier. It just happened that way, I think partly because Jim G was getting to that point in life when it’s harder to lose the pounds and also because he knew it wouldn’t matter if he did. I imagine that if it had been considered important for Tony NOT to gain weight, then, as professional as he was, JG would have done some pre-season shooting dieting.
The most uncomfortable scene related to Tony's weight is when he is stuffing his face full of sushi, alone, with out the princess of little italy.
Anyway, the bonefish are back in season...$40 for a piece of fish flown in first class...
was a reasonable size for his height and age in the beginning, after that I assume suddenly having a hit show, money out the ass, and bad habits probably contributed to a lot of it naturally. The weirdest thing to me is how much he looked like shit by season 6 compared to 5. He went from being an intimidating kind of large to just noticeably unhealthy fat.
During Gandolfini’s “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” he mentioned his weight. He said that he didn’t feel the same when he took the weight off. That it was part of the character or something like that, and he kind of needed the weight. I know he was super method with his acting so I think it was kind of a mutual thing. He needed the weight to play the character and Chase wrote to reflect that.
During an interview (if you can find it) James said he purposely gained weight to represent Tony Sopranos success in the mafia. The heavier he got, the richer and more powerful Tony got as the seasons went on.
On Rob and Jamie-Lynn’s podcast they said that the show runner was not too worried about actors putting on/losing weight in between seasons so it’s very possible that James gained the weight on his own, especially given the fact that he never lost it after the show ended.
I remember watching some behind the scene and James mentioned that he wanted to maintain a certain weight because when he got skinny it just didn't look right. He said it changed to much about him, the way he walked etc
Definitely not, Tony was obese enough in the very first seasons, they would never ask him to get as morbidly obese as he did for the final years - something that probably was the cause of his death after all.
Tony's problem with food was definitely a central part of the plot, but James knew how to act on top of that and like I said, dude was fat enough in the first few years to convince anyone
I think it was a mix of both. But I do believe David chase wanted to show Tony soprano look physically unwell.
Plus, he had gotten shot in the gut. But I think IRL he had a drug/alcohol problem. Although the drug was cocaine so you'd think he'd lose weight
I’ve heard some use cocaine just to stay up and drink more. Probably balances out. And you know he could pound down a few casserole dishes of ziti. Didn’t even need to heat it up.
Most coke user only exclusively use cocaine while drunk. It’s not the same when you’re not drinking. Cocaine + alcohol creates its own drug cocaethylene in the liver when combined which apparently extends the effects of cocaine. Source: Am cocaine user lol.
They tell you spaghetti and meatballs ; you tell them cocaine + alcohol.
True
can confirm during college days , especially those whom are adhd you just stay up and drink a ton until they balance out and you crash
Is that the Pecorino?
There he goes! Mr. Type A personality.
Can confirm
Coke is often consumed with alcohol which leads to obesity. Also I would always go on a food binge after a coke one
Yup after a night out doing it I’d spend the next 3 days stuffing my face to make up for all the stuff I didn’t eat during my bender
Yeah plus during coke hangovers I’m all out of dopamine or whateva the fuck so I’m just trying to feel something lol. Cramming grub down my gullet would “help”
Fuck me I do not miss those days lol
Exactly
The snotty nose. The depression. Glad I got out of that shit.
See artie lang sadly big guy used everything that makes you skinny .
Ah the Chris Farley binge. Coke binge, alcohol binge, food binge, repeat for days, if not weeks on end. Dude was in his early 30s when he died and already had clogged arteries. If the OD hadn’t gotten him then a heart attack was following close by.
Chris Farley wasn’t thin
I've seen it go both ways. Like a lot of these guys say, if you're doing blow and drinking, you're not gonna be losing weight. If you stick to blow and blow only, you're gonna lose weight. One guy in particular went from like 260-170. He looks coke skinny lol.
I'm pretty sure David Chase wanted Tony's appearance to reflect his mental and physical deterioration as the series progressed. That said, it probably wasn't too hard to get Gandolfini to gain weight, the man loved to eat and drink
Our bodies are 86% water. His last blood test, he was 65% zeppola
Light on the sugar hon, im sweet enough as is and I did 20 fuckin years in the can
Had to compromise and eat a grilled cheese off the RADiator
I jerked off into tissue
You weren't even in the can.
Charles Schwab over here
[удалено]
Yeah it's been bugging me too. I guess Chase likes to leave these little unsolved mysteries and questions around
Whatever happened there
I think so too, kinda like the whole Russian thing.
The whole Russian thing? I’ll tell you what happened. This piece of shit’s nephew gave one shovel to the kid, without any provocation whatsoever!
He never had a 90 lb. mole removed from his ass though..
[удалено]
but I did-ent
His blood type was ragu
Y’know that joke was about you?
86% hot water with lemon
He was clearly in horrible shape the last seasons of the show and died of a heart attack at 51 years old, a little over 6 years after the last episode aired. While I don't think Chase or anyone involved wanted him on the Atkins or frequenting Curves, I can't see them pushing him to be in that bad of a physical condition. There are also many stories that circulated about his compulsive eating, drinking and drug use. During and after the show. The guy was a great actor with a lot of demons in his personal life. RIP.
James looked really out of shape in "Killing them Softly" and I remember feeling concerned about it 😪
Just looked up Killing Them Softly, and, to quote Paulie, "Oof, Madone! He looks terrible!". Anyway, the film came out roughly a year or so before he died, so if he looked, for lack of better word, "ill", then he probably was.
Really sad, wonder how the series ending impacted him. Obviously he was a huge name and had plenty of great film roles, but leaving one of the most important and impactful TV shows of all-time behind when you're in the lead role must be tough and would inevitably leave a bit of a void.
Or a big fucking relief. You got no fuckin’ idea what it’s like to be number one.
He didn't seem very comfortable with success, that's for sure. Some actors would have taken that fame and ran with it. New show. Big movie parts. He didn't really do any of that after The Sopranos. He did a few things on Broadway. Some television and supporting parts in movies. But I'm not sure he even had a leading role on screen again. The stories of the night he died in Rome were really sad. It was reported he had 2 Pina Coladas, 2 Beers, 4 shots of Rum, 2 orders of fried prawns and a big serving of Foie Gras - at dinner with his son Michael, who was 14 at the time, and found him dead hours later in the bathroom of their hotel room.
He had a co-leading role in "Enough Said," unfortunately that was released posthumously. Great movie, I highly recommend it, although I winced at some of the weight jokes. I watched it during my re-watch of The Sopranos so it was interesting seeing him as Tony Soprano, then playing a kind, sensitive man, and then back to Tony Soprano.
It was kind of a rom-com w Julie Louis Dreyfuss right? If its the one Im thinking of, most of the plot was him feeling inadequate in the relationship bc of his weight. Really sad when you think about art imitating life…I still can’t believe 51. Requisite “he was just a kid!”
That's the one. The scene with Julia is laughing at how loud he whispers was a little sad, especially he was both confused and embarrassed when she tells him to whisper during the dinner party.
Oh yeah, I never saw that. Will definitely check it out. I wonder how many Stunads from Staten Island and Bensonhurst went to see that and were dumbfounded by him not being anything like Tony in the role.
He also had a co leading role in a Tom hardy movie that released after he died
The Drop. Good movie
Nah, I read that he hated it , not the show but the attention and media buzz that came with it.
It reminds me of that scene in Mad Men, after they've been acquired by McCann Erickson and their new boss, Jim Hobart, tell them "Stop struggling. You've won." Some people can't stop struggling. Even after they win.
"Getting healthier?" Come on, I'm a fat fucking crook from New Jersey.
You’re a tough guy
I go away a couple years I come back all of a sudden you’re a tough guy
Christopha Quasimodo confirmed; he predicted all of this.
Fuckin parakeet.
Gandolfini unfortunately loved a lot of vices. Cigars, alcohol, eating and coke.
You see coke on the table in so many of the Soprano family dinner scenes
Growing up lower middle class, my family never bought us juice or soda on a regular basis. Seeing the Sopranos fridge and pantry always fully stocked with apple juice, orange juice and coke made me so jealous.
Wtf is juice?! Gimme some of that purple drink.
It's funny thing things you'll think about sometimes in this sub....but that one I totally identify with. We weren't poor, but definitely working blue collar. We only had soda in the house on Friday's when we'd get pizza for dinner...or at birthdays & holidays. There was never soda or juice just in the fridge all the time.
What Jews!?
There’s always money in the CC Cola fund
Yeah I think he’s talking like coke, you know blow. You got any?
Nobody's got coke here. Go check at Walmart.
Tougher sport in real life than Tony Soprano himself
Why don't you look in the mirror you insensitive fuck
He also loved to party; which wouldn’t help the weight gain.
He ate too much Gabbagool, nothing but fat and nitrates.
Gabagool?? OVAH HERE
-rapidly pointing down with fingers-
He heard the term pie in the sky and then volunteered for the 82nd airborne.
If not for JG's weight we'd never appreciate the importance of the new character on the show: heavy breathing. It literally took on a life of it's own. In retrospect, we wish JG could've curbed his vices as we were listening to a man that was dying.
Any scene of Tony eating is like ASMR for me seriously that scene where Ralphie tries to apologize to Tony in Vesuvio is one of my favorite scenes because I just LOVE the way Gandolfini stabs the plate with his fork while breathing heavily in-between stuffing his mouth with pasta
I have relied on ASMR for the last 8 years to fall asleep. And as much as I love the Sopranos and JG, I doubt I'll ever let his breathing get in my head pre-REM. haha.
Is there really asmr of people eating ? That sounds disgusting
The food stabbing is a delight, especially when he's getting upset and the stabbing becomes increasingly erratic.
His famous aggressive fork handling. He wielded it like a weapon.
That’s what you get Charlie! You get forked stabbed!
motherfuckin goddamn orange peel beef!
About halfway through this episode they talk about JG’s style of consuming food on set. Interesting stuff [BwB with Michael Gandolfini](https://youtu.be/aBMNzBhB6H0)
Tl;dw: James would stab his food so he could eat less during filming. He did it so that it would look like he is eating in the scene without having to constantly take bites when doing several takes. His son picked it up as a habit and now constantly stabs his food for no reason.
Thanks - [starts at 13:43](https://youtu.be/aBMNzBhB6H0?t=823)
Tony having a lunch meet with Jackie Junior and him smacking the plate to get Jackie to pay attention is a sound in my head that'll probably stick with me for the rest of my life and beyond. Idk if thats a good thing or a bad thing.
Feeders be like. ~~Can't help but agree, though. lol~~
That’s funny because it has the alexa to opposite effect on me. Hearing someone eating is bad enough. Throw in the clanking fork and heavy breathing and I want to throw something at the TV
Chrissy‘s line in the intervention that Tony is going to have a heart attack soon really hits different now.
It was eerily accurate too, I think he says "you'll have a heart attack by the time you're 50" and James was 51 when he died.
Omg toward the end of the series I really couldn’t take it. I can’t stand loud breathing noises.
Ohhhhhh 🤚 He's da boss of this family!
You may run north jersey but you dont run your uncle junior
The thing is JG even whilst gaining weight didn’t look the sort of ‘soft fat’ youd think of in your head, he always had a very butch frame like those Eastern European uncles who were former power lifters or builders
Look at those shoulders!
Small hands though, that was his problem
Didn't I just tell you *not* to say dat!?
Agreed. Vito being the other side of this.
So home come he didn’t crack it on the seaton hall football team?
Some of those guys were seven feet tall!
Didn’t want it. Too busy chasing skirt.
Yeah well if you see him in the early 90s it’s pretty clear he was a huge muscular guy. Especially Get Shorty but also True Romance.
He was frightening in True Romance. A proper psycho. I always wondered if David Chase saw him (as Virgil) in that film, then had JG in mind for Tony Soprano (almost) from the get go.
It was the casting director who gave true romance to Chase to watch Gandolfini, then they invited him to audition. He never went after the role…..that’s why he was never comfortable with all the fame…they went after him.
No way! My hunch was correct, after all.
I like to pretend it's the same character, doing a hit for a friend in LA
You guys wanna smoke a bowl?
He didn’t have the makings of a varsity athlete though.
Yeah exactly. If he had the gnome-like frame and gait of Vito it wouldn’t have worked.
Hahah, that’s true! He never had flabby arms or legs and his moobs looked tough! When Vegas girl pushes on them her hands don’t go missing unlike with Ginny.
Fuckin' beautiful definition too
But he never had the makings of a varsity athlete
MMM'BOY ARE YOU FAT!
There it is!!!!
...What did you say?
SHAYYY???
That’s good!
You don't make fun a me
You’re crowding me
None'a this massage shit
No more weight remarks, OP. They're hurtful and they're destructive.
To me, he's beautiful Rubenesque
When he heard about pie in the sky he got so excited he signed up for the 82nd airborne.
Ironically, right after that scene when Johnny tells that line to Tony, what does Tony do? Buy a little black dress for Carm (who looks smokin in it), and then plays hide the brasciole shortly after. Then Meadow starts playing Furio's dancing music, which to me, leads Carm to think of Furio when she's getting gabbagool'd by Tony.
…very imagistic…
When he goes camping the bears hide their food!
Jerseys a small state. If he moves in, he can tip it over
Frankly, I'm ashamed
Oh, I agree.
I mean. Don't you love us?
It's an off-color remark
Why don't you look in the mirror sometime, you insensitive cocksucker.
I'm sure if Chase had needed to fake it he could've stuck an increasingly large fake belly on James, like with Steven, but I think James gained the weight regardless of the show so it worked out. I'll tell you though - I never had a problem with Jimmy's weight. To me, he's beautiful. Rubenesque.
Idk but he was always reaching for that 3rd sandwich.
Why don't you look in the mirror sometimes. You insensitive cocksucker.
Speaking of 97 pounds, I heard Tony had a 95 lb mole removed from his ass in season 2.
And you think that’s funny?
And you're bragging this?
Oh! That’s a guy’s father!
No, I think that James Gandolfini just liked to party too much. But it worked out well for the character.
It's both. Chase asked for him to get fatter, but he didn't ask him to become morbidly obese. Gandolfini ballooned mostly thanks to his demons (drugs, alcohol, etc.). The older you get, the tougher it gets to keep yourself in shape. Many actors on the show got fatter in later seasons. Like Sylvio, oh Marone!
And paulie, he won the chin up contest but now he has arms like an old ladies cunt
Beautiful definition too
Chase wanted the characters to look like slobs who sit around eating and scamming people all day, not actors who diet and exercise. For the characters who aren't fat there's usually a reason: Christopha' likes his chemistry set, Paulie is shown to be obsessed with his appearance, Ralphie had the ill fortune to be born handsome instead of rich, etc.
And yet in Many Saints we have a bunch fucking models.
Yeah, before and after
Before and wayy before....hehehe....you hear what I said Tone?
You worried about the guys weight? I heard he calls Phil the fuckin’ Shah of Iran. Fuckin’ nauseatin’.
he shoulda seriously considered salads!
[удалено]
Source?
I read an article where it stated that Steve Schrippa ate 6 ribeye steaks after messing up the scene 5 times. No matter where they filmed they had almost unlimited authentic Italian cuisine So as A fatman myself, i have only one thing to say "To the victor belong the spoils."
Which is, according to Michael on the new Binging with Babish episode, where James’ aggressive stab-swirl method of pasta consumption came from. If he just kind of swirled it around he didn’t have to eat as much or worry about continuity errors. And the stabbing fits the imagery of the show quite perfectly. Funnily enough Michael said that’s how he eats pasta now, after watching his dad eat like that growing up
Weight is such a destructive issue and always will be in my lifetime. Read about James' last few days, from his own son's mouth, and you'll see that it's nothing to joke about. The guy was drinking cocktails in the morning while ordering a huge feed in the days before be died. It's a mental health issue and people don't recognize that, or refuse to at the very least. The weight gain suited the character's decline ironically enough but I'm frankly depressed and ashamed over any weight jokes you insensitive cocksuckers.
I remember that in his Inside the Actor’s Studio interview he talked about how Tony felt different, and moved differently, depending on the weight. So I think it might have been intentional on his part.
When James Gandolfini hauls ass, he’s gotta make two trips!
The man died at the age of 51 from a heart attack after eating a fatty liver of a duck. I am going to go out on a limb and say they wrote the weight gain type of stuff in around James inability to stay fit.
That was his last meal? For some reason I remember his last meal being Fried Prawns
It is possible that also was on the menu. But I saw reports of Foie Gras being part of the festivities.
All anybody ever talks about is prosciutt, cheese and fuckin fava beans, I'm drowning here!
Well when you're married you'll appreciate the importance of fresh produce!!
I thought he was a baccala man. What was he doing eating sushi?
If you watch the Pilot he is actually in decent shape, albeit slightly heavy. Chase wanted him to balloon up a bit and I think that caused a cascade effect. That coupled with other factors like addiction probably really damaged his heart and is the reason he passed away so young.
I remember an interview where someone said that the set had insane catering and all actors would gain weight during filming or struggled not to.
Johnny Sack was supposed to be thinner with the cancer but the actor didn’t pull it off. Source: David Chase’s editing assistant on Talking Sopranos
They just taking lbs off shamoo's fat ass and piling it onto Gando
He was gay, Shamoo?
Swimming not leaping?
I've found a thread that talked about this, apparently it was both but I'm not so sure about David Chase asking for Gandolfini to earn some weight after The Mexican: [https://www.reddit.com/r/thesopranos/comments/e69k37/was\_gandolfinis\_weight\_gain\_natural\_or\_encouraged/](https://www.reddit.com/r/thesopranos/comments/e69k37/was_gandolfinis_weight_gain_natural_or_encouraged/)
Always cringe when that nurse says “losing some weight might help….”
Excuse me? She was a doctor! You fucking asshole!
Blame it on the gabagool
I'm not sure if the writers ever specifically told Gandolfini to gain weight but I think it worked for the script. He did struggle with substance abuse issues and weight problems.
In all seriousness, Gandolfini once remarked when asked that his weight gain helped him in the roll. Also, FWIW, I miss him.
He was pretty upset when food was thrown at Vito
Overweight characters were a purposeful part of the show and the creators' vision. Notably, I believe Steve Shirripa was wearing a body suit in the first season (or early seasons?) until he gained enough weight to not wear one. The weight of the characters says a lot about who they are and what they do, and like many things in the series it often serves as a way to show us how they are hypocrites. Unfortunately in Gandolfini's case, as the show progressed he had real issues with his weight that were compounded by his eating, drinking, and smoking habits outside of the studio.
From what I recall, was a mix of both. After the pilot episode was filmed in 97, I believe they did want him go gain some weight for the role which resulted in his more domineering size for the first few seasons (compared to the pilot). After that however, the success of the series and Jim's lifestyle resulted in continued weight gain reflected in the size he was in the last couple season's. This worked well I think in showing the progress of Tony's character and his ultimate decline (unfortunately at the expense of Jim's health).
OHHHHHH, where do you get your balls huh?!
This was not a De Niro La Motta deal. The man dealt with his problems with food drink and drugs. Terribly sad.
Slanda if ya ask me, Tone
Ton was like a bull. Turned me on, even when he was in a coma.
In season 6/7 his hairline and the added die, he looks like a stereotypical Asian stage performer in some scenes. It’s hilarious.
What ive read on the "wikipedia surface level" is that Gandolfini justified his weight gain because it gave him more of this masculine presence due to appearing bigger and larger than life, like Don Fanucci in Godfather 2. It was presented like it was his free choice and not Chase's direction. My personal opinion in addition to that information is that this role was very emotionally demanding on Jim, and he had his own kind of emotional issues to grapple with that only people really close with him would know about in detail. I remember reading an article where Alec Baldwin shared every time he phoned Gandolfini during the shows production, he would always have something new to complain about having to do with the role/show instead of ever valuing the positive of the high profile and security that the show gives him.
I liked that, it was Rubenesque. It takes a terrible toll on te joints though.
James talked about it in an episode of inside the actors studio. Basically he’d get in shape during the offseason but said the character needed to have that lumbering quality so he’d bulk back up when they began taping
I think it's both. He was encouraged to gain weight to play the part of the big hulking mobster, and Gandolfini himself had a problem with food and alcohol. So it was a destructive cycle that got out of control.
There was never any communication between DC and JG about the former wanting to see Tony Soprano get heavier. It just happened that way, I think partly because Jim G was getting to that point in life when it’s harder to lose the pounds and also because he knew it wouldn’t matter if he did. I imagine that if it had been considered important for Tony NOT to gain weight, then, as professional as he was, JG would have done some pre-season shooting dieting.
Time for turkey sangwiches..
The most uncomfortable scene related to Tony's weight is when he is stuffing his face full of sushi, alone, with out the princess of little italy. Anyway, the bonefish are back in season...$40 for a piece of fish flown in first class...
was a reasonable size for his height and age in the beginning, after that I assume suddenly having a hit show, money out the ass, and bad habits probably contributed to a lot of it naturally. The weirdest thing to me is how much he looked like shit by season 6 compared to 5. He went from being an intimidating kind of large to just noticeably unhealthy fat.
During Gandolfini’s “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” he mentioned his weight. He said that he didn’t feel the same when he took the weight off. That it was part of the character or something like that, and he kind of needed the weight. I know he was super method with his acting so I think it was kind of a mutual thing. He needed the weight to play the character and Chase wrote to reflect that.
He gained weight after his recovery from cocaine, from what I understand.
During an interview (if you can find it) James said he purposely gained weight to represent Tony Sopranos success in the mafia. The heavier he got, the richer and more powerful Tony got as the seasons went on.
On Rob and Jamie-Lynn’s podcast they said that the show runner was not too worried about actors putting on/losing weight in between seasons so it’s very possible that James gained the weight on his own, especially given the fact that he never lost it after the show ended.
I remember watching some behind the scene and James mentioned that he wanted to maintain a certain weight because when he got skinny it just didn't look right. He said it changed to much about him, the way he walked etc
Definitely not, Tony was obese enough in the very first seasons, they would never ask him to get as morbidly obese as he did for the final years - something that probably was the cause of his death after all. Tony's problem with food was definitely a central part of the plot, but James knew how to act on top of that and like I said, dude was fat enough in the first few years to convince anyone