The first chronicles the cultural impact of The Sopranos and the ways in which the series catapulted a relatively little-known character actor to a level of celebrity few reach. What about the very notion of being the first successful pay television network? Or, most obvious, original series programming, which revitalized episodic shows that had been widely considered stale, even moribund.īeyond all that, is there a single image, figure, or frontage that can instantly symbolize HBO to the world? Of the many contenders for top trope, one surely emerges: the fascinating, cherubic, contrarian image of James Gandolfini, dominating and irresistible star of HBO’s crown jewel, The Sopranos.īelow are two excerpts from my new book Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers. Or sports: HBO lifted boxing off the canvas and let it live once more, long after it was pronounced dead. Perhaps the disruptive and transformational work HBO did in documentaries, or maybe movies - either producing its own spectacles or having a major impact on the financing of others. Will it be technology? HBO utilized satellite transmission before either ESPN or the Turner networks did. When I set out to chronicle a book-of-record on the 49-year history of HBO, I was met with a multitude of choices to make - especially when searching for a “spine” to hold it all together. Gandolfini later died of a heart attack in 2013.Photo-Illustration: Vulture Photos by Fred Conrad/The New York Times/Redux and HBO "It cost a lot of money and was hard on the other actors' schedules," he continued, adding that he "didn't pressure" Albrecht about Gandolfini missing work because he "thought Jimmy was embarrassed."Īlbrecht even revealed that executives, along with some friends and family members of Gandolfini's, once held an intervention for the troubled actor that ended up being a "disaster." We had to stop production," former HBO CEO Jeff Bewkes revealed in the book. Occasionally he would go on a bender or a coke binge. "We were concerned about Gandolfini staying alive. "He would say, 'I just want to thank you for sticking by me.' And he handed you the envelope," Schirripa recalled.Įlsewhere in the book, executives remembered being worried about Gandolfini's wellbeing amid the actor's mental health struggles. In an interview with Insider earlier this year, Schirripa said that when Gandolfini gifted his costars the money, he called each of them into his trailer one by one. Once his contract was finalized, the actor wrote each of his fellow "Sopranos" cast members a check for $33,000, the book describes. James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano on season one of "The Sopranos." HBO We gave him a million an episode," Albrecht added in the book. Gandolfini, who was concerned about the cast and crew, then agreed to accept HBO's rate of $13 million per season. Per "Tinderbox," Chris Albrecht, another former HBO executive, realized that an effective way to end the standoff would be to stop production on "The Sopranos," leaving the cast and crew effectively unemployed. "Jim was a brilliant actor but a complicated guy to deal with," former HBO president of programming Mike Lombardo recalled in the book. HBO then countersued, leading to a stalemate between the two parties. However, after HBO executives doubled Gandolfini's salary following the show's successful third season, the "Enough Said" star and his representatives continued to request higher compensation, the book detailed, even filing a breach of contract suit in Los Angeles. The late actor's costar Steve Schirripa previously spoke about the late actor's generous gift, but a new book, "Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers," gave further context to the incident.Īccording to "Tinderbox," Gandolfini had originally signed a contract for $5 million per season when he was initially cast as Tony Soprano. James Gandolfini once gave each of his "Sopranos" costars a check for $33,000, following tense contract negotiations with HBO. Gandolfini was apparently upset that the contract talks paused work on the HBO drama.Īnd according to the book "Tinderbox," which gives new details, the late actor made up for it with a gift. James Gandolfini once gave his "Sopranos" costars $33,000 following tense contract negotiations.
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