Moving past Tony Soprano is impossible. James Gandolfini knows this. He's too smart, too introspective, too much of a balls-to-bone fatalist to think otherwise. But he's done his damndest, continuing his work as one of our finest chroniclers of mid-life regret and furious impotence in everything from acid comedies (In the Loop) to outsized art films (Where the Wild Things Are) to indie dramas (this month's Welcome to the Rileys). We sat down with the man behind the most important television character of our time.
**On Getting Out of the Life **
The Sopranos all came down to the writing. I wouldn't have been on for as long as I was if the writing weren't so good. But I can't see myself doing a show like that again. It takes too much. When it ended, it was time—more than time. It had been a long run and as much as I loved the people I had to move on. And hell, half of 'em were dead anyway.
That Leading Man Thing
What they say about TV shows is true. You're really a family. You laugh, you fight, you get close, you know? Movies are shorter. They're over quicker. You don't form the same bonds. But that's about the only thing that I miss about TV. I like the character parts I get now. I don't need to be the star. I've done it. Don't need to do it again.
Anger Management
Violent roles? Yeah. That's all I got for a while. It's OK. I'm an angry guy. I'm like a sponge. You wring yourself out and then you have none of that left in you for a while. It can be good thing that way. I'll do those parts again. It takes a toll though. Definitely takes a toll.
The Problem With Comedy
It's fun to do escapism. It's fun to do light. But the fact of the matter is there's too much fuckin' escapism in the world today—the powers that be, they just cram it down your throat. They don't want you paying attention. I like making people laugh. I love doing theaters, cracking people up, hearing them physically roll in the aisles. But we need to get serious. These are serious times. No joke. No joke.