Did you know that James Gandolfini was paid not to take a roll? In case you missed it, “Sopranos” stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa opened up about it.
When Steve Carell left “The Office” in 2011, the late actor was offered the role of his replacement. However, HBO paid him to turn it down. “I think before James Spader and after Carell, they offered Jim, I want to say, $4 million to play him for the season — and HBO paid him $3 million not to do it. That’s a fact,” Steve said.
The move was apparently to “keep the legacy of ‘The Sopranos’ pure.” Also, James had a deal to make the miniseries “The Night Of” in development for HBO prior to his death in 2013.
photo: Getty Images Source:Entertainment Weekly