James Gandolfini once dished out $33,000 to each of his co-stars on HBO's hit show, The Sopranos, to end a contract dispute between the cast and the network, according to James Andrew Miller’s new book, Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers.
The book explains that the legendary actor was paid $5 million per season until season 3, when his earnings were doubled to $10 million. Gandolfini later decided that he was worth more to the network and requested $13 million per season. This time, however, HBO lamented.
The dispute between Gandolfini and HBO would have caused production on The Sopranos to halt and the cast to be temporarily unemployed. This is when Gandolfini decided to write out $33,000 checks for each of his co-stars.
“As good of an actor as he was, he was a better guy,” co-star Steve Schirripa told a New York City radio station in 2013 after Gandolfini's death. “A generous guy. The guy gave us $33,000 each—16 people. In Season 4 he called every one of the regular castmembers and gave us a check. He said, ‘Thanks for sticking by me.’ It’s like buying 16 people a car.”
“Jim was a brilliant actor but a complicated guy to deal with,” Mike Lombardo, HBO’s former president of programming said in Tinderbox.
[Via]
