One-on-One | Remembering James Gandolfini | Season 2022 | Episode 2534 | PBS

One-on-One

Remembering James Gandolfini

Season 2022 Episode 2534 | 27m 41sVideo has Closed Captions | CC

Remembering James Gandolfini

Aired 07/16/2022

One-on-One

Remembering James Gandolfini Season 2022 Episode 2534 | 27m 41sVideo has Closed Captions | CC

Remembering James Gandolfini

Join Steve Adubato and his Remember Them Co-host, Jacqui Tricarico, as they recognize Emmy Award-winning actor James Gandolfini, known for his iconic role in "The Sopranos."

Aired 07/16/2022

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One-on-One

Remembering James Gandolfini Season 2022 Episode 2534 | 27m 41sVideo has Closed Captions | CC

Join Steve Adubato and his Remember Them Co-host, Jacqui Tricarico, as they recognize Emmy Award-winning actor James Gandolfini, known for his iconic role in "The Sopranos."

Aired 07/16/2022

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Remembering James Gandolfini S2022 Ep2534

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- [Narrator] Funding for this edition of One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been provided by PSE&G, committed to providing safe, reliable energy now and in the future.

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Promotional support provided by New Jersey Globe.

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The magazine of the Garden State, available at newsstands.

- This is One-On-One.

- I'm an equal American just like you are.

- The way we change Presidents in this country is by voting.

- A quartet is already a jawn, it'’s just The New Jawn.

- January 6th was not some sort of violent, crazy outlier.

- I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are, there is always something to learn.

- I mean what other country sends comedians over to embedded military to make them feel better.

- People call me 'cause they feel nobody's paying attention.

-_ It'’s not all about memorizing and getting information, it'’s what you do with that information.

- (slowly) Start talking right now.

- That's a good question, high five.

(upbeat music) - Hi everyone.

Steve Adubato with my colleague Jacqui Tricarico.

Remember Them, Jacqui?

People see over my shoulder the iconic picture of James Gandolfini on my, over there on The Sopranos.

Hey Jacqui, you were saying, we were talking about this before when we were getting ready trying to figure out different people we were gonna feature on Remember Them.

You said, and I know you're very busy being our executive producer of this and Think Tank and being on the air.

You said that you and your husband, Rich, were gonna go back and look at some old, Soprano episodes.

Did you ever get a chance to do that?

- Yeah, some, you know, it's funny, we talked about this when the Sopranos first came out on HBO, it was a time when HBO you had to pay extra for, It was kind of a luxury back then.

I didn't really wasn't able to get it at that point but I watched it years later.

My husband was a huge lover of the Sopranos so we watched it together, but that was even many years ago.

So I said, hey, it would be fun to re-watch the episodes and then also fall along with them.

There's a podcast that two of the Sopranos, two of the actors in the Sopranos had done really like looking back into each episode, dissecting it, talking about things that had happened

during those, during the time of shooting those episodes.

So I thought that would be fun and something that we could- - And, and Jack, I'm sorry to interrupt, is that Steven Schirripa, who played Bobby Baccalieri, and Michael Imperioli - Michael

Imperioli Yes, yep, that'’s correct.

- Who played Christopher Moltisanti.

And both, by the way.

Tell folks, those are two Of the, I believe, five cast members we're gonna talk to in this special.

Go ahead.

- Yeah, we are.

Because when we talked about, hey let's remember James Gandolfini, we said, Steve you had the opportunity to just speak to so many of the other actors that were, were on The Sopranos.

Only one of them was before James Gandolfini passed away, but all the rest were after the fact.

And everyone had such great stories to share with you about James Gandolfini and working with him, and not just who he was as an actor, but who he was off camera and just all the amazing

things he did behind the scenes.

He, he was a very generous person.

And we get to hear it from Steve Schirripa, Steven Van Zandt, Michael Imperioli, Federico Castelluccio, and Vincent Curatola all talking about the great James Gandolfini.

James Gandolfini had a huge Rutgers connection.

Did you know that?

- Yes, I did.

Yeah.

He was a Rutgers University alumni.

He did a lot of things with them after the fact.

And you know, he also, you know just all those New Jersey roots grew up in New Jersey.

He also is part of the New Jersey Hall of Fame, Jacqui, talk about the role of the Hall of Fame and all this because I believe there's a clip a little bit later on.

People are gonna see that was produced and getting contributed to us by our partners at the New Jersey Hall of Fame, please, their role.

- Right.

So we, yeah, they, they've been fantastic partners with us, to help us remember some of these great New Jersey icons, that are part of the New Jersey Hall of Fame, inductees over the many

years that they've been doing this since 2008 New Jersey Hall of Fame has been around.

So we have a wonderful clip that they put together honoring James Gandolfini, that you'll see right before you see all those wonderful snippets of interviews that you've done with the cast

of The Sopranos.

And then on the back end too, you'll see when James Gandolfini's wife accepted the New Jersey Hall of Fame, award on her husband's behalf, and it was a really touching tribute and speech

that she gave.

So we get to see a little bit of that too.

- James Gandolfini was in fact inducted in 2014.

Thank you Usame, and our team behind the scenes.

(Jacqui laughing) Let me, let me, let me try this.

What struck me was that Gandolfini, while he was Tony Soprano, he, he tried some other things.

He tried, he, he was in some movies, he was in a movie with Brad Pitt, He was, he was a hired, assassin in it, but wasn't simply a mob guy.

He was a more complicated figure.

And then I believe with Julie Louis Dreyfus, his last movie, he never broke out in the movies, did he Jacqui?

- No, not as much.

And he also did some things on Broadway as well after The Sopranos.

And I think, you know, even, even James Gandolfini said it, because he was that character for so long, Tony Soprano, he said there was a lot of him in Tony Soprano, a lot of Tony Soprano in

James Gandolfini, a lot of Janes Gandolfini in Tony Soprano, you know, and that character, he just, the character itself was just so phenomenal to watch the evolution of that character.

I mean, he was lovable, but he was brutal, and repulsive, but then was a family man.

And there was just, it was so complex and it was just a character that he beloved so much.

And, you know, was, was for so many years in his career.

- You know, before we go to this this series of interviews with, as Jacqui said Steven Schirripa, who played, who played Bobby Baccalieri.

That's from 2015, I'm looking at the dates here.

Steven Van Zandt, from 2021, by the way, Steven Van Zandt from, not just the Sopranos who played Sylvio Dante but we're talking Stevie Van Zandt, in the E Street Band with Bruce Springsteen.

Michael Imperioli, one of my favorites, played Christopher Moltisanti, Federico Castelluccio played Furio in the Sopranos.

And also Vincent Curatola who played Johnny Sack, in The Sopranos.

let's take a look at some of these interviews and then Jacqui and I will clear some things up.

Listen, the iconic, extraordinary, talented, died way too young, I believe at the age of only 51.

James Gandolfini.

We remember him now.

- (Voice one) You did a scene with Jimmy Gandolfini and you walked away a better actor.

- (Voice Two)I don't think he knew how valuable he was to other people.

How much what he did for them mattered.

- (Voice Three) Jimmy had that combinationof being very down to earth and also larger than life.

- (Narrator) James Gandolfini was born on September 18th, 1961 in Westwood, New Jersey.

He grew up in Park Ridge and went to Rutgers University.

- I don't think anybody else could have played Tony Soprano and made him that character.

I mean, it's so much of who Jim was, was Tony.

- Tony Soprano had all the best qualities of Jimmy, and it's why we loved him so much.

- (Narrator) James's gift for shedding light on the vulnerable side of such a ruthless character helped him flourish as Tony Soprano.

- To my son, Michael, I promised I would do this.

(Blows raspberry) You just do things.

And that's that's the way he was.

If he thought that he could be helpful, then he just did it.

- (Narrator) Gandolfini made numerous trips to soldiers overseas.

- He could go over there and just talk to the soldiers.

And in talking to them and talking to them like a friend, they felt important.

They felt wanted, they felt respected.

Many people think of Jim only as a film actor, but Jim has an extraordinary career making documentaries.

Jim wanted to do something to help the country understand the sacrifices of the soldiers and to honor them.

- People like James Gandolfini don't come along frequently in life, and the fact that our lives intersected was just a complete gift, and...

I'm really happy about it.

James passed away in June of 2013 at the age of 51.

He left behind his wife, Deborah, and two children, Michael and Liliana.

- We go months, many months, sometimes just missing each other, you know.

And that's how I'm treating it in my mind.

You know, we just missing each other.

Eventually, we'll catch up.

TELL ME ABOUT JAMES GANDOLFINI.

HE'S A PLEASURE.

WHY?

JIMMY'S A PLEASURE.

I HAD MET JIMMY I GUESS ABOUT SIX YEARS BEFORE THE SHOW BEGAN PRODUCTION.

AND JUST YOU KNOW WE STILL HANG OUT DOWNTOWN IN A PLACE CALLED "MARY LOU'S" ON WEST 9TH STREET.

WAS VINCENT PASTORE THERE AS WELL?

VINNY WAS THERE.

TONY SIRICO WAS THERE.

JIMMY WAS THERE.

A LOT OF GUYS THAT YOU SEE ON TELEVISION, AND VERY SWEET GUY, VERY UNASSUMING.

AND I RECALL THAT WHEN I DID THE 1ST EPISODE I HAD TO BROKER A DEAL FOR HIM.

WITH UNCLE JUNIOR AND HESH.

THIS WAS IN SEASON ONE.

AND I SAID "OH MY GOD!

IT'S YOU!"

HE SAID "YEAH REALLY!"

[LAUGHTER] "I'M FROM THREE O CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON THURSDAYS!

I DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS IN THE SHOW!"

JIMMY HAS STOOD UP FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.

WE HAD SOME YEAH NEGOTIATING THINGS WITH HBO ALONG THE WAY THAT WERE NOT PLEASANT SO I READ YEAH.

JIMMY ALSO FORMED A PRODUCTION COMPANY.

WHERE AT ONE POINT HE GAVE ABOUT EIGHT OF US FROM THE SHOW A PIECE OF HIS PRODUCTION COMPANY.

HE DID NOT HAVE TO AND THAT CAME WITH A VERY BIG CHECK.

THE MAN IS YOU KNOW WITHOUT US, HE DOESN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING.

AT THE TIME.

IN OTHER WORDS HE STOOD UP.

AND I RECALL VERY VIVIDLY THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO FLY OUT THE NEXT DAY WITH OUR WIVES AND TO GO TO L.A. TO STAY AT THE PENINSULA HOTEL IT WAS FOR THE... WE WERE NOMINATED FOR A SCREEN ACTOR

GUILD AWARD ENSEMBE.

MANY TIMES.

WE WON IT QUITE A FEW TIMES.

AND THE NIGHT BEFORE WE HAD ALL GOTTEN FAXES FROM HBO SAYING "AS YOU MAY KNOW MR. GANDOLFINI IS NOT NEGOTIATING IN GOOD FAITH WITH REGARD TO THE NEXT SEASON AND WE WANT YOU TO JUST LOOK AT

THE FORCE MAJEURE CLOSING OF CONTRACTS.

SO IF YOU CAN BE REASONABLE ALL OF YOU TOGETHER AND SPEAK WITH HIM ON THIS WEEKEND WITH WE'RE PROVIDING FOR YOU" SO WE ALL GOT TOGETHER IN THE HOTEL THE NEXT DAY.

AND TALKED ABOUT THIS FAX.

JIMMY'S VERY COOL.

HE SAID "OKAY" NEXT DAY SUNDAY THEY SEND ALL LIMOUSINES TO THE PENINSULA HOTEL.

WE GET IN.

WE GET TO THE KODAK CENTER.

WHATEVER IT WAS.

IN HOLLYWOOD.

NOT ONE OF US STOPPED FOR A REPORTER.

NOT ONE OF US STOPPED FOR A PICTURE.

WE ALL STOOD TOGETHER.

WENT INTO THE THEATER.

AND TOOK OUR SEATS.

ONE.

AND AT THE HBO RECEPTION AFTERWARD, HARDLY ANY OF THE EXECS EVEN BOTHERED LOOKING OUR WAY.

WE STOOD WITH HIM BECAUSE HE STANDS WITH US.

SO IF WE WEREN'T GONNA GO TO WORK AGAIN, THAT'S LIFE.

BUT FOR A GUY LIKE HIM, YOU PUT YOUR... YOU TAKE YOUR HEART OUT EACH OF US, YOU PUT IT ON IN A very self effacing, humble, really humble man of the people.

And I have a strange feeling that Jim were with us in the flesh tonight, he'd probably say, what are you doing?

Go home.

This is not for me.

Some years ago when governor Chris Christie appointed me to the commission of the New Jersey Hall of Fame, Jimmy and I were at something in Manhattan, screening whatever it was.

And he said to me, so how's it going?

And I was, I said, good.

You know, I'm on a commission and they're doing nice things.

They're doing great things.

I said, you know something, Jim?

You would be the perfect inductee.

He said, no, not me.

I'm not for that.

You know, why would they want me?

I said, but you know something, I said, you never know what God has in store.

So here we are tonight.

We're inducting James Gandolfini into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

JAMES GANDOLFINI WHAT KIND OF GUY?

>>GOOD GUY, MAN.

YOU KNOW, CLOSE FRIEND, GOOD GUY, MATTER OF FACT HE WAS IN MY MOVIE, NICKY DEUCE THAT WAS ON NICKELODEON HE FLEW ALL THE WAY OUT, JUST FR ONE DAY'S WORK, AND FLEW ALL THE WAY BACK TO L.A.

CAME UP TO MONTREAL FOR ME.

LAST TIME I SAW HIM WAS THE PREMIERE OF THAT IN L.A. ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY.

GENEROUS GUY GOOD GUY, REGULAR GUY, I MEAN WHAT CAN YOU SAY?

I MEAN, BESIDS HIS TALENT, I MEAN HE WAS A REAY REALLY GOOD GUY.

I'VE TOLD THE STORY WHERE HE GAVE 16 CAST MEMBERS 33,000 DOLLARS A PIECE HE CALLED EVERYONE INTO HIS TRAILER, HE GAVE EVERYBODY A CHECK, YOU KNOW, ALL THE REGULARS, A CHECK.

HE SAID "THANKS FOR STICKING BY ME" HE WAS GOING THROUGH A CONTRACT DISPUTE.

I MEAN THAT'SA LOT OF MONEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'SA LOT OF PEOPLE THAT MADE A LOT MORE MONEY THAN HIM THAT DIDN'T DO THAT, YOU KNOW.

HE WAS AT THE END, HE BOUGHT EVERYBODY WATCHES.

HE SPENT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON WATCHES AS GIFTS.

HE WAS A BIG-HEARTED GUY, NOTHING LIKE TONY SOPRANO.

NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING, YOU KNOW.

HE WAS A BIRKENSTOCK-WEARING...

HE LOVED MUSIC, HE LOVED HIS FAMILY HE WAS WITH HIS KIDS AND HIS WIE AND HIS NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND COUSINS AND SISTERS.

HE WASA GOOD GUY, MAN.

IT'S A SHAME JUST A SHAME >>YOU GUYS HAVE A SPECIAL BOND?

THE CAST...?

>>YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY DD YEAH, I THINK IT BECAME A BIG FY AND, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE TOGETHER LIKE TEN YEARS AND I CAME ON THE SECOND SEASON BUT WE TRAVELLED TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, YOU

WERE WITH EACH OTHER WITH DIVORCES AND KIDS AND WEDDINGS AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN YOU'RE WITH PEOPLE FOR THAT LONG YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER OFF-CAMERA,

YOU KNOW.

WE TRAVELLED, WE DID A LOT OF PERSONAL APPEARANCES, WE HUNG TOGETHER, YOU KNOW.

A LOT OF US LIVED DOWNTOWN AT THE TIME NOW EVERYBODY'S ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT, YOU KNOW, JIM LIVEDN TRIBECA, I LIVED DOWN THERE MICHAEL IMPERIOLI LIVED DOWN THERE, OUR ATTORNEY LIVED DOWN

THERE.

SO WE WERE OUT AND ABOUT ENJOYING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEE WAS A TIME...

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE SHOW WAS ON, IT WAS LIKE PLAYING FOR THE YANKEES MAN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU ON THE BIGGEST SHOW, POSSIBLY IN THE HISTORY OF TV, AND IT'S NEVER GONNA BE THAT WAY YOU

KNOW, THERE'S NOT...

NOTHING IS GONNA DUPLICATE THAT TIME OF YOUR LIFE, YOU KNOW.

THAT'S A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME SHOT YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS ONE SURE IF YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ON A TV SHOW >>YEAH >>AND THEN TO BE ON THAT TV SHOW THAT'S LIKE HITTING THE LOTTERY TWICE.

IT'S LIKE...

I MEAN, NOTY AM I LUCKY ENOUGH TO DO THIS FOR A LIVING, AND MAKE A GOOD LIVING, BUT THAT SHOW?

YOU KNOW >>YOU KNOW, FOR YOU, THAT'S WHAT There are these two powerful figures, so many people in your life, so many people you've influenced, and I do wanna get to "Sun City," but there's

James Gandolfini, and by the way, six of your castmates, we've actually interviewed so far, and so it's an honor to have you with us, and I've asked each one of them about James Gandolfini,

but the Gandolfini relationship and the Springsteen relationship, similar in any ways, dramatically different?

You help us understand, 'cause two giants.

- Well, I mean, what happened was my real life ended up being a model for the fictional characters.

You know, when I started off, I just was, my character was running the strip club for the family.

- The Bada Bing.

- Yeah, yeah, the Bada Bing.

- I just wanted to say that.

(both laughing) I just had to say that to you.

I'm sorry.

Go ahead.

- (laughs) But the role wasn't exactly well-defined because, you know, we had just made it up, right?

And what's interesting to me, and I don't even think this is in the book, actually, which I, you know, I'll have to put it in for the next edition 'cause it just occurred to me.

As detailed as David Chase was and is, and as thorough, and you know, all about authenticity, he did not write in the underboss role or the consigliere.

You know, now sometimes, there's two different guys in, you know, two different roles in a mob family.

Sometimes it's the same guy.

You know, sometimes the underboss is the consigliere.

Sometimes they're two different guys.

He didn't write those parts in.

Now, isn't that fascinating?

You know, because here I come in, and it's uncertain kinda what my role is.

I think he picks up on the fact that me and Jimmy start bonding off-screen, mostly because I think we're both character actors.

You know, he's a character actor.

I'm a side man.

We both kind of feel more comfortable a little bit, you know, outta the spotlight, you know, but we both had to rise to the occasion when we were asked to, and I think we kinda bonded on

that basis of neither one of us, you know, really needing that spotlight.

Maybe David Chase picked up on that, I don't know, but by the end of the first season, maybe end of the second season, I suddenly, my character becomes that underboss/consigliere, and it

wasn't really written in, you know, but it ended up being the same role that I had been playing with Bruce Springsteen in real life, you know, my whole life, so I knew exactly how to do

that.

WE'VE INTERVIEWED SEVERAL OF YOUR FORMER COLLEAGUES ON THE SOPRANOS, AND ONE OF THE THEMES THAT KEPT COMING OUT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE THIS RIGHT OR NOT, SAY THERE'S A...

THERE WAS A REAL CONNECTION, A PERSONAL, HUMAN CONNECTION I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE FACT THAT A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF ITALIAN-AMERICANS, SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS, BUT THE WAY THEY TALKED

ABOUT JAMES GANDOLFINI WAS REALLY SPECIAL, AND THAT HE WAS A REAL KEY TO THAT FAMILY AND THAT HIS LOSS WAS NOT JUST WE LOST A COLLEAGUE, THEY LOST SOMEONE WHO WAS A PART OF OUR FAMILY, A

FRIEND... >>OH >>IS THAT...?

THAT'S REAL?

>>WELL THE SOPRANOS WAS VERY UNIQUE AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED A BUNCH OF US KNEW EACH OTHER FROM OTHER PROJECTS, THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE IN GOODFELLAS, WHO

WERE IN A LOT OF THE SPIKE LEE MOVIES WHICH I >>THAT'S RIGHT >>HAD DONE, SEVERAL OTHER PLAYS AND MOV...

I KNEW EDIE, I KNEW VINNY PASTORE, I KNEW TONY SIRICO, I KNEW JOHNNY VENTIMIGLIA, I KNEW FEDERICO CASTELLUCCIO, I KNEW A LOT OF >>GREAT ARTISTS >>THESE PEOPLE >>RIGHT >>SO NOW WE'RE ALL ON

THIS SHOW AND IT BECOMES A HIT, SO THERE'S... AND A LOT OF US HAD BEEN KIND OF IN THE TRENCHES FOR MANY YEARS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW CLIMB THE LADDER OF SHOW BUSINESS OR WHATEVER SO NOW WE ALL

EXPERIENCE THIS HIT TOGETHER, I DID NOT KNOW JIM, AND A LOT OF US DIDN'T BUT HE WAS THE CENTRAL CHARACTER, HE WORKED MORE THAN ANY OF THE OTHER ACTORS PRETTY MUCH, AND HE WAS ALSO LIKE THE

CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM, YOU KNOW HE WAS LIKE THE LOU GEHRIG OR THE DEREK JETER, AND HE LOOKED OUT FOR EVERYBODY, BOTH BEHIND THE CAMERA... >>AND FINANCIALLY I HEARD?

DID HE FIGHT?

>>AND FINANCIALLY, WELL HE WAS AN EXTREMELY GENEROUS GUY, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD FIND OUT ABOUT LIKE SOME WOMAN WHO'S GETTING EVICTED OR COULDN'T PAY HER MORTGAGE, AND HE'D SEND SOMEONE OVER A

CHECK, COMPLETELY ANONYMOUSLY, AND HE SAVED A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND HELPED A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY, TO THIS DAY, NEVER KNOW HE DID THAT >>WOW, AND... >>STRANGERS, HE'D READ STUFF IN THE

NEWSPAPER, AND THEN HE'D TELL SOMEBODY, HE GOES...

HE'D WRITE A CHECK AND GO "GIVE THIS TO THIS PERSON" AND IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS, HE'D...

HE'D DO A MONEY ORDER, WHATEVER HE DID, AND TO THIS DAY PROBABLY, THESE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT JAMES GANDOLFINI PAID OFF THEIR MORTGAGE OR PAID THEIR RENT OR WHATEVER HE DID, HE DID THAT A

LOT, AND HE... AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU'RE DOING STUFF LIKE THAT ANONYMOUSLY THERE'S HUMILITY THAT, YOU KNOW THAT GOES WITH THAT >>JAMES GANDOLFINI >>OH MY GOD.

WHAT CAN I SAY MAN?

YOU KNOW HE WAS A GENTLEMAN... >>WHY THAT REACTION?

>>WHY?

BECAUSE IT'S STILL, I STL CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THAT JIM IS GONE.

AND YOU KNOW, HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE THAT I'VE EVER MET.

ON AND OFF SCREEN.

HE CARED ABOUT ALL OF HIS... ALL OF THE PEOPLE WORKING NEXT TO HIM.

MORESO THAN HE DID ABOUT HIMSELF.

HE WAS JUST A PHENOMENAL PERSON AND HE'S GREATLY MISSED, I MISS HIM EVERY DAY.

CAN'T PICK UP THE PHONE ANYMORE AND CALL HIM.

- I know that my husband would be so honored and humbled at this prestigious award.

He was very proud to be from New Jersey and out of all the places that he's traveled to or lived in, his happiest moments and memories were always from New Jersey.

(audience clapping) He'd always say that people from New Jersey were honest, hardworking and family orientated.

That's exactly what he was.

If he were here tonight, he would simply say with a smile, "that's Jersey, baby."

Thank you.

(audience clapping) - [Narrator] To watch more One on One with Steve Adubato find us online and follow us on Social media.

So Jackie, there you have it, many of James Gandolfini's colleagues talking about him.

And so much of it, of what they had to say, obviously, wasn't just about how talented an actor, an artist he was.

It was about the kind of person he was, generous, caring person.

And you begin to realize that while you said earlier when we were introducing a segment You know what Jacqui, you said that he said part of Tony Soprano was in him and he was in Tony

Soprano, but all they did his castmates talk about his generosity, his compassion, his concern for them, for their wellbeing, so that they could make a good living.

- Right?

And not just them, but so many other people that he helped behind the scenes.

And so many of them said there's probably dozens, maybe even more than that of people that he just found the ways to help that we'll never know about.

He was just such a generous guy.

And it's just so sad that, that he passed so young like you said, at 51 in Italy and right after his passing there was a concert that Bruce Springsteen did with the E Street band.

And Stevie Van Zandt was there just to really honor and remember their friend James Gandolfini, you know, dying way too young.

And I thought that does have some parallels to what happened at the end of The Sopranos.

Just dying too young.

- You're gonna go there?

By the way.

Did you, did you actually, did you stay, did you go all the way through?

Did you and your husband go all the way through to that?

- Yes.

- Did you see, - So did Tony live or did Tony die?

I guess that's still the question that no one really knows the answer to, right?

(Jacqui laughing) I mean, some fans were OK with the ending.

Were you?

- (sigh) You know, I have like so many others, I have mixed feelings.

But I would say this, I'm gonna duck the question by saying this.

When I go to Holsten's which is probably 10 minutes from my home - The last episode, the last, yeah.

The last scene is Holston's in New Jersey.

- Do you remember what they ordered?

- Ah, don't put me on the spot.

You do though.

(Jacqui laughing) So you tell it.

What did they order?

- They had to get the onion rings.

And by the way, you have to get the onion rings.

You have to get the onion rings.

But there's a booth there that's obviously, got the, it's dedicated to, to Tony Soprano, to James Gandolfini and that scene.

I'll say to you, it was in so many ways the, the lack of finality, the uncertainty.

He sat there and went, well, what happens in the future?

And then the movie comes out later on.

Ironically, in The Many Saints of Newark with the earlier Tony Soprano, his son, I believe Michael, in that movie, people can decide for themselves what they think of it.

For me, Jacqui, I wanted some finality.

I'm, I'm terrible that way.

I'm like, okay, what's the end?

- Me too.

(laughing) - And I, I think, I think, who, what do I know?

I think they may have done it that way, with the hope of doing something else and never played.

And who, who knows whoever could have known that he would've died.

Cause you can't do, ever done this series after that, without him.

I'm sorry, I don't know where I was going with that.

I just have so many mixed feelings.

- But I think, yeah, and I think if anybody wants to look back and look at the brilliance of James Gandolfini in this role that's definitely a series that's gonna, that anybody can watch at

any time.

I mean, it's just, it's phenomenal.

It's so well done.

- And it doesn't get old.

It does not get old.

You begin to appreciate how talented he really was.

A Jersey guy, a Rutgers guy a guy who represented everything that's good about this state and, and artistry.

So on behalf- - I'm proud that he's a New Jerseyan along with us.

- Yeah, in the 2014, 2014 New Jersey Hall of Fame.

On behalf of Jacqui, myself, and the team at Remember Them we are honored to recognize, and acknowledge James Gandolfini.

We'll see you next time.

- [One on One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

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