andPOP » The Sopranos

‘Sopranos’ Gets an Extension

andPOP Staff — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 22:54:15 +0000

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Tony ain’t dead yet! HBO has announced that the final season of “The Sopranos” will be extended by a single episode.

The popular mob series had been set to end after a final eight shows, but that number will now be upped to nine, according to E! Online.

“They going to give it a bonus episode, so fans are getting a bit of a holiday gift,” said HBO spokesman Quentin Schaffer. “They were originally going to do eight, but David Chase wanted the added episode to tell the story, and we obviously said, ‘Sure.’”

Schaffer also says that six of the episodes have been shot, and that the ninth episode was given the go-ahead a number of weeks ago.

The final set of episodes will begin airing on April 8, and will now wrap up in early June with the extra episode.

Newest Member of the Sopranos is a Baldwin

andPOP Staff — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 21:35:21 +0000

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A Baldwin brother has been cast in a supporting role for the final season of HBO’s mob drama, “The Sopranos,” E! Online reports.

No, it’s not Alec. Not Stephen or Billy either. It’s actually Daniel Baldwin, who co-starred on the TV series “Homicide: Life on the Street” and who has a real-life rap sheet of his own.

Baldwin won’t have to stretch his acting chops too far – he’ll be playing himself.

The storyline Baldwin will be involved in is Christopher’s horror movie project, in which Baldwin will be the star, after Ben Kingsley (who appeared as himself on the show) turned it down.

It is unknown how many episodes Baldwin will appear in, but the role is a recurring one.

Four Sopranos Stars Settle With HBO Over Salary

andPOP Staff — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:00:23 +0000

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And then there were three.

Reuters is reporting that four actors from the hit HBO mob melodrama “The Sopranos” have or are close to signing deals to up their salaries to appear in the final season of the show.

Lorraine Bracco, Aida Turturro, Robert Iler and Jamie-Lynn Sigler have settled for salary increases, while Tony Sirico, Steven Van Zandt and Steven Schirripa are still holding out waiting for a deal to be struck.

The actors were demanding more pay, or they wouldn’t return for the final season. Things were looking grim for awhile as the first read through for the first episode was supposed to occur on July 4 (it has been pushed back to July 6).

Sources say Bracco will be receiving $220,000-$230,000 per episode, Turturro will be receiving $130,000-$140,000 per episode and Iler and Sigler will be receiving $110,000-$120,000 per episode.

Sopranos Actor Guilty of Drunk Driving

andPOP Staff — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:04:00 +0000

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John Ventimiglia, best known for playing chef Artie Bucco on “The Sopranos,” pleaded guilty to drunk driving on Monday.

The plea was part of a deal with prosecutors in Brooklyn Criminal Court that let the 42-year-old actor off with license suspension of 90 days and a $500 US fine, reports Reuters.

As part of the deal, charges were dropped against Ventimiglia for possessing a small bag suspected of containing cocaine at the time of his arrest.

He was stopped by police near his Brooklyn, NY home early in the morning on May 1. Police say he was weaving in and out of traffic.

Ventimiglia was also ordered by the court to participate in a detoxification program, take a one-day course on the risks of drinking and driving, and visit 30 local high school students to talk about the crime.

Ventimiglia is the fifth cast member of the hit HBO mobster show to be arrested, making viewers wonder whether most of the criminal action is taking place on or off the screen.