andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

You may not be a mobster but now you can look like one – for a good cause.

James Gandolfini, star of the hit HBO series “The Sopranos,” has donated 24 outfits he wore as Tony Soprano for a June 25 pop culture auction at Christie’s in New York.

The proceeds from the sale of Gandolfini’s wardrobe will go to the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit group that assists injured U.S. soldiers.

Among the items up for sale are Tony’s tan cotton bathrobe, his striped boxer shorts, his white tank top, the blue button-down shirt he wears in the show’s opening credits and a blood-spattered outfit, courtesy of the mobster being shot in a later season.

According to Christie’s, the items are expected to start at $500 and the sale could fetch up to $36,500 US in total.

Costumes worn by other “Sopranos” characters, including Paulie Walnuts, A.J. Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti, will also be sold at the auction, but the proceeds for those outfits will not go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

“The Sopranos” ended its critically acclaimed run last year after eight seasons.

‘The Sopranos’ went out with a bang at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy awards on Sunday, taking the prize for best drama.

The mob saga, which had a total of 15 nominations for its last season, also won for best directing and best writing.

Meanwhile, newcomer ‘30 Rock’ won for best comedy, beating out ‘Entourage,’ ‘Ugly Betty,’ ‘Two and a Half Men’ and last year’s winner ‘The Office.’

James Spader edged Sopranos lead James Gandolfini for best actor in a drama, winning for his role in ‘Boston Legal.’

“I feel like I just stole a pile of money from the mob,” Spader joked as he accepted his award.

Best actress in a drama went to Sally Field for her work in ‘Brothers and Sisters,’ while best actress in a comedy was picked up by America Ferrara for ‘Ugly Betty.’

“It is truly an amazing and wonderful thing when your dreams come true,” Ferrara said in her acceptance speech.

Britons were also big winners at the awards show. An absent Ricky Gervais won for best actor in a comedy, while British detective series ‘Prime Suspect: The Final Act’ won three awards, including best actress in a miniseries for Helen Mirren.

Tony Bennet, who performed a duet with Christina Aguilera as part of the ceremony, won for best individual performance in a variety or musical program for ‘Tony Bennett: An American Classic.’ The variety show also won a best direction award for Rob Marshall.

“It started out as a gift to you for your 80th birthday,” Marshall said to Bennett as he accepted the award. “But I think it ended up a gift to me.”

On a Canadian note, the Alberta-shot ‘Broken Trial’ garnered a best lead actor in a miniseries or movie award for Robert Duvall, while ‘Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee’ ‘ also shot in Alberta ‘ won for best made-for-TV movie.

This year’s Emmys featured a tribute by Queen Latifah to the groundbreaking TV series ‘Roots,’ followed by an appearance on stage by the cast.

Other highlights of the show, which was hosted by Ryan Seacrest, included a musical number by Brian and Stewie of ‘Family Guy,’ Rainn Wilson (’The Office’) throwing down against Kanye West in a rap-off and the Jersey Boys performing a tribute to ‘The Sopranos.’

Here is a selected list of winners at the 2007 Emmy Awards:
Best drama – ‘The Sopranos’
Best comedy – ‘30 Rock’
Lead actor in a drama – James Spader, ‘Boston Legal’
Lead actress in drama – Sally Field, ‘Brothers & Sisters’
Lead actor in a comedy – Ricky Gervais, ‘Extras’
Lead actress in comedy – America Ferrara, ‘Ugly Betty’
Supporting actor, drama – Terry O’Quinn, ‘Lost’
Supporting actress, drama – Katherine Heigl, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Supporting actor, comedy – Jeremy Piven, ‘Entourage’
Supporting actress, comedy – Jaime Pressly, ‘My Name is Earl’
Lead actor, miniseries or movie – Robert Duvall, ‘Broken Trail’
Lead actress, miniseries or movie – Helen Mirren, ‘Prime Suspect’
Best miniseries ‘ ‘Broken Trail’
Best variety, music or comedy series ‘ ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’
Best reality program ‘ ‘The Amazing Race’
Best made-for-TV movie ‘ ‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’
Individual performance in variety or music program – Tony Bennett

THE SOPRANOS star JAMES GANDOLFINI braved the cold on Sunday to wow revellers at this year’s Mardi Gras – wearing a bizarre costume.

The tough guy actor wore a black derby hat, a white tunic over white tights and black knee-high boots – while he threw coins to spectators at the famed New Orleans festival.

Tonight’s parade will feature hometown singer HARRY CONNICK JR.

Local officials see Mardi Gras as key to helping improve New Orleans’ image following Hurricane Katrina, and boost tourism in a city that relies heavily on the tourist trade.

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

THE SOPRANOS star JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER is ashamed of her brief singing career, insisting she never wanted to release the album.

The 25-year-old signed a record deal after becoming famous on hit mob drama

The Sopranos, but she regrets her foray into the music industry because promoting her 2001 album HERE TO HEAVEN made her “miserable.”

She recalls, “I was 18 years old and the show was just starting to get popular. I had been singing in musical theatre for years. Somebody found out I sang and offered me a deal. It was cool – I’d never been in the recording studio before. But it started going really fast. I got caught up in it, and I didn’t feel it was right, or it was me.

“Next thing I knew, I was shooting a video and promoting this CD, and I almost didn’t want to put it out. I didn’t like it, but I felt like I had to fake it and pretend I liked it, like I was this artist who cared about my music. I wasn’t.

“I feel bad saying this because people would die for that opportunity, so I don’t want to sound unappreciative, but I was miserable and sort of embarrassed. I was praying people would forget about it.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

After much negotiation, the final two Sopranos actors without new contracts have settled their pay disputes and signed on to continue with the HBO series.

According to sources, Tony Sirici and Steven Van Zandt will now be paid about double their most recent per-episode take of $85,000 US, reports Reuters.

Sirico and Van Zandt, who portray Paulie Walnuts and Silvio Dante, respectively, were demanding $200,000 an episode in the much-publicized dispute. Aside from lead actors James Gandolfini and Edie Falco, that was more cash than any other cast member had made on the show.

HBO’s initial offer was only a 10% raise.

Now that all the pay disputes have been settled, the entire cast of the show is expected to come together for a table read on Thursday, when production on the show’s final episodes is set to commence.

“The Sopranos” is halfway through their final season, but that isn’t stopping six cast members from refusing to come back and tape the final eight unless they get raises.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow), Robert Iler (A.J.), Steven Van Zandt (Silvio), Tony Sirico (Paulie), Steven Schirripa (Bobby) and Lorainne Bracco (Dr. Melfi) are threatening to walk if they don’t get a significant raise in pay, FOX News reports.

“It’s coming down to the wire. HBO just doesn’t want to pay. No one has deals and they’re very far apart. [Show creator] David Chase has tried to help the actors, but even his pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” a source close to the show told FOX News.

Filming on the final episodes is set to start in New Jersey soon.

If you’re a fan of “The Sopranos,” you’re probably keen on viewing the new season.

After all, 21-months will have passed from the time HBO aired the last episode of the eccentric drama to the premiere of the first show due March 2006.

HBO proved to audiences it was worth the wait, after announcing Thursday its plans to extend the show an extra eight episodes.

“When something is as remarkable as “The Sopranos,” our audience would like to see it continue as long as possible, so we are thrilled that (series creator) David Chase felt there are more stories to be told,” HBO Chairman Chris Albrecht said in a statement.

“The Sopranos,” is the most successful series in cable television.

The show has won more Emmy awards then any other cable television series, including, “Sex and the City,” and “Six Feet Under.”

No statements have been released as to whether or not James Gandolfini, will gain some extra coin or have to revamp his contract for his portrayal of the quintessential mob-God “Tony Soprano.”