Through eight years and six seasons, The Sopranos has dominated entertainment awards, defined HBO's niche in the production of original scripted drama, and provided guest-star opportunities for East Coast-based actors between shots on Law & Order. But as the series draws to a close, some of these folks are going to experience an immediate change in their fortunes. Who, when we examine their fame, is most likely to find it severely taxed as soon as the series is off the air?
Name: Lorraine Bracco
Age: 52
Occupation: Actor; sometime hot mess
Non-Sopranos Experience: 33 movies; one Oscar nomination
Assessment: You know, I wouldn't necessarily choose to undertake a long-term therapeutic relationship with Jennifer Melfi, because her scratchy baby voice would drive me even crazier. But Lorraine Bracco has actually done a good job of toning down her natural blowsiness for the role -- and of being even blowsier in her real life to avoid typecasting as a restrained psychiatrist. The trouble she may have post-Sopranos is that, other than HBO, she's squandered her Goodfellas legacy by languishing in straight-to-tapers when she's not winning Worst Actress Razzies. But maybe she doesn't even want to be an actor anymore; she might be weirdly right as a daytime talk-show host....
Assets: Any time you think she's a hack, you just need to watch Goodfellas again and remember that, though she's coasting now, she is capable of tremendous work.
Liabilities: She totally is coasting now, though. And appearing drunk on Conan is not helping to make her look like a competent professional who cares whether she ever works again.
Current approximate level of fame: Annabella Sciorra
Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Whoopi Goldberg
Name: Dominic Chianese
Age: 76
Occupation: Actor; crooner
Non-Sopranos Experience: 33 movies; one soap opera
Assessment: As Uncle Junior, Dominic Chianese has shown us many moods -- tough as a bastard; disgraced at having been found out as a performer of cunnilingus; way senile. And while we were pleased when he popped up in Unfaithful, the fact that his picture stars a Baldwin other than Alec isn't encouraging. (Fine -- it's William, the second-best one. Still.)
Assets: You can't beat a pure Italian tenor.
Liabilities: He's probably kind of a tough sell to insurers, given that, uh...well, he's old, okay?
Liabilities: He's probably kind of a tough sell to insurers, given that, uh...well, he's old, okay? Current approximate level of fame: Hector Elizondo Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Hume Cronyn Name: Jamie-Lynn DiScala (b. Jamie-Lynn Sigler) Age: 25 Occupation: Actor, irritant Non-Sopranos Experience: 8 movies; one failed marriage Assessment: For a long time, we thought that the only way a character could be as annoying as Meadow Soprano is if the actor who portrayed her was acutely conscious of her shortcomings and was playing them, to some degree, for laughs. But the more we learn about Jamie-Lynn DiScala, the less we buy Meadow as an example of note-perfect satire. She does appear to be attentive about staying in the public eye -- why else would anyone willingly appear as herself on the erstwhile Tommy Hilfiger reality show The Cut? But other than her role as Heidi Fleiss in a TV movie, DiScala's main non-Sopranos fame-bolstering efforts seem to involve getting photographed at parties and participating in Celebrity Blackjack. Assets: Makes a decent anti-eating disorders spokeswoman. Liabilities: Marrying the kind of guy who's going to hang out with Nick Lachey and follow you with Haylie Duff is going to continue lowering your worth even after you've split up. Current approximate level of fame: Emma Roberts Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Shannon Elizabeth Name: Edie Falco (b. Edith Falco) Age: 43 Occupation: Actor; award winner Non-Sopranos Experience: 35 movies; 3 TV series Assessment: You have to love Edie Falco. No -- you have to. We don't know anyone who doesn't. She's an amazingly talented character actor; rather than resting on her many awards for playing Carmela Soprano, she still challenges herself in films and on Broadway; she's survived cancer; she hosts Independent Lens; she's in the John Sayles posse...we could go on. Falco is a performer of amazing subtlety and range, and the one reason we're most excited to see the end of The Sopranos is so we can see how much more she can do. Assets: If you don't like her as Carmela, you can always check out any other role she's ever done; they're all completely distinct and different from one another. Liabilities: Having a greater interest in making interesting movies may keep her from appearing in big-ass blockbusters? ...We're out. Current approximate level of fame: Sela Ward Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Emma Thompson Name: James Gandolfini Age: 45 Occupation: Actor; adenoid case Non-Sopranos Experience: 29 movies Assessment: Playing Tony Soprano, a character at the centre of a sprawling family -- and Family -- drama, James Gandolfini joins a long tradition of sympathetic fictional mobsters. The layers of detail that both the actor and creator David Chase have brought to Tony's story have brought us more insight than ever before into the logistics of running a crime organization, for which Gandolfini has earned his place in pop-culture history. It's too bad that, in doing so, he's earned a reputation as kind of a prick with his obstructionist salary demands and negotiating tactics -- but then again, what do we know? Maybe playing Ernest Hemingway will make him the Jamie Foxx. Assets: Some women find him sexy, apparently. Liabilities: Quiet scenes where you can hear his laboured breathing really, really gross us out. Current approximate level of fame: William Petersen Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Chris Cooper Name: Robert Iler Age: 22 Occupation: Actor, perp Non-Sopranos Experience: 3 movies Assessment: Robert Iler has the largely thankless role of playing AJ -- overlooked second child, college drop-out, shiftless lout, constant fuck-up. In a word, he's a loser. The show does make a point of showing that his parents' alternating indulgence and neglect are responsible for AJ's lack of character, but he still kind of has yet to redeem himself in any meaningful way, and at this point, do you care if he does? Do you ever want to see the douche that brings him to life douching it up in any other roles? 'Cause we really don't. Assets: Getting arrested for robbery and marijuana possession in 2001 did give a little extra authenticity to his performance. Liabilities: Don't you already forget he's on the show sometimes? Current approximate level of fame: Jerry Ferrara Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Christopher Serrone Name: Michael Imperioli (b. James Michael Imperioli) Age: 41 Occupation: Actor; profile Non-Sopranos Experience: 47 movies Assessment: Michael Imperioli has been given such a gift in the character of Christopher Moltisanti: he's moved up through the ranks, found love, dabbled in show business, lost love, gotten shot, and shot up a lot of dope. And even when Christopher's bad decisions make you curse out the character, Imperioli makes him fascinating to watch. He even pulls focus from Gandolfini in scenes they share -- not easy to do when you're four-foot-three. Imperioli's never stopped working as a character actor; once Sopranos is over, he might even graduate from Hey! It's That Guy! status. Assets: Super-thick eyebrows don't work on everyone. They work on Peter Gallagher, and they really work on Michael Imperioli. Liabilities: Good as he is, the "short, intense, New York-based Italian actor" space is pretty crowded. Current approximate level of fame: Sam Rockwell Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: John C. Reilly Name: Steve Schirripa Age: 49 (est.) Occupation: Actor, lummox Non-Sopranos Experience: 21 movies, 1 TV series Assessment: We'll say this for Steve Schirripa: he knows his place. The guy's going to get calls for mobster roles -- that's it. He knows it, and he's milking it as long as he can, by doing things like writing A Goomba's Guide To Life and hosting Mob Scene. When this role ends, he'll find another, playing some other gentle, dim meatball. He's not trying to stretch by lining up a role as...I don't know, Taft or something. We say: good for him. Assets: Perfectly formed to play enforcers who might subdue you by sitting on you. Liabilities: If we ever stop being interested in organized crime, he's screwed. Current approximate level of fame: Steve Schirripa Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Steve Schirripa Name: Tony Sirico (b. Genaro Sirico) Age: 64 Occupation: Actor, pointer. Non-Sopranos Experience: 41 movies Assessment: If Paulie Walnuts seems like a more legit mobster than any of the others, it may be because of Tony Sirico's real checkered past -- a backstory that made him appealing to Woody Allen, and qualified him to play a supporting role in Mickey Blue Eyes. We've enjoyed his ups (glee at murdering people) and downs (finding out his aunt was actually his mother), and the fact that Wonkette calls John McCain "Walnuts" for his rumoured temper. But most of all, we love his hair. When you've got a crowning glory like that, who even needs fame? Assets: Wings! Liabilities: We'd never risk getting punched in the face by saying he has a lisp, so...speech impediment. Current approximate level of fame: Joe Pesci Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Frank Sivero Name: Aida Turturro Age: 44 Occupation: Actor, Stones fan Non-Sopranos Experience: 41 movies Assessment: Janice Soprano just may be the most hateful character we love the most, and so much of that is due to Aida Turturro's performance. Nancy Marchand may have (sadly) passed on, depriving us of years more Livia Soprano, but her narcissistic, sociopathic spirit lives on in her crazy-ass daughter. Janice is a career-defining role after years in the character-actor dungeon; we hope casting directors now realize she deserves better than to play second fiddle to Geena Davis. As if her ass is from New York! Please. Shut up, Angie. Assets: Unlike Jamie-Lynn DiScala, we believe Turturro actually is a cool lady playing an insufferable shrew. Liabilities: Those teeth are a real problem. Current approximate level of fame: Camryn Manheim Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: Debi Mazar Name: Steve Van Zandt (b. Steven Lento) Age: 56 Occupation: Actor, musician Non-Sopranos Experience: No other acting gigs, but he's in a band, or something? Assessment: Don't we all wish we had a consigliere like Sil? He's smart, unflappable, and kind of looks like my late grandpa. Any talk of future fame for Steve Van Zandt, who plays him, is sort of academic, given that he's not an actor and has no plans to act once The Sopranos is over, so we'll just say that he's done more to promote the sharkskin suit than all the Four Seasons combined. Assets: Years ago, he taught our pre-teen asses why we shouldn't play Sun City. Liabilities: That's not his real hair. Current approximate level of fame: Kris Kristofferson Deserved approximate level of fame, post-Sopranos: The Edge