The first meeting between “The Sopranos” star Michael Imperioli and co-star James Gandolfini didn’t go smoothly.
The actor who played Christopher Moltisanti opposite Gandolfini’s boss Tony Soprano was New York Post His first day of filming was marked by a minor mishap.
Imperioli’s character was driving Gandolfini and had to reverse the car while delivering his lines and extras were walking around.
The only problem was that Imperioli was not an experienced driver.
Michael Imperioli told the New York Post that on his first day of filming “The Sopranos,” he was in a car accident while driving for a scene with James Gandolfini. (Barry Wetcher / © HBO / Courtesy of the Everett Collection)
‘The Sopranos’ star James Gandolfini presents cast members with $30,000 checks, expensive watches and free lunches
“I didn’t know how to drive. I didn’t have a license. I’d lived in New York City since I was a teenager and I’d never had a license,” he told the outlet.
He continued, “But I didn’t tell them that because I wanted the job. I thought it wouldn’t be that hard. It’s a TV job, and maybe they’ll pull you in…”
Imperioli accidentally crashed his car into a tree “with such force that it caused significant damage,” which deployed the airbags and produced smoke.
“I thought they were going to throw me out. People came running over and there was silence,” he recalls, “and Jim started laughing hysterically.”
Imperioli said Gandolfini laughed about the incident, reassuring him and his crew. (Anthony Neste/Getty Images)
Click here to sign up for our Entertainment Newsletter
Gandolfini’s laughter put Imperioli at ease.
“I thought, ‘OK, I’m OK.’ [Gandolfini] He always loved things going wrong. I mean, he loved things going wrong and going the wrong way. He had a really great, goofy sense of humor.”
Gandolfini died in 2013 at the age of 51 from a heart attack while visiting Rome, Italy.
“[He was a] “He was a really good guy,” Imperioli said. “I’m still really saddened that he’s gone, and I always will be.”
Gandolfini died of a heart attack in 2013 at the age of 51. Imperioli fondly remembered him as “a really good guy”, adding that he was “still really sad that he’s gone, and always will be.” (Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
Did you enjoy reading this? For more entertainment news click here
The Sopranos won a total of 21 Emmy Awards during its run, including three Outstanding Actor wins for Gandolfini and one Outstanding Supporting Actor win for Imperioli.
The show celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year.
“The Sopranos” premiered in January 1999 on HBO, now known as Max, and became one of the most popular shows of all time. (Photo by Anthony Neste/Getty Images)
Click here to get the FOX News app
“The reason ‘The Sopranos’ is so successful is because it’s about kids, parents, family. The characters in ‘The Sopranos’, especially at the beginning, I’ve never seen older characters written like that,” Gandolfini told “60 Minutes” in 2005. “I think it’s so well written. I think the writers are incredible. When I sit down and read it, I just think, ‘How clever.'”
