The Sopranos is known for being one of the most talked about HBO shows of all time. The mobster HBO series was a trailblazer for prestige television and kept audiences at the edge of their seats for six seasons. The show has a reputation for being intense and often quite dark and violent, however some forget how funny the show truly could be at times. Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher on the show, recently revealed which Sopranos scene kept making the cast laugh so much that it took 12 takes to complete.
People interviewed Imperioli and his former co-star Steve Schirrpa after the duo made a Sanpellegrino ad together that evoked their Sopranos characters. The duo opened up about the family dynamic of the Sopranos cast, as well as some of their favorite memories from shooting the show. Imperioli wanted fans to remember how hilarious the humor was in the show, and reminisced about filming a scene with the cast following Livia Soprano's funeral. He explained the cast just couldn’t get it together, especially after a particular music cue. He said:
And, when they played the song from Carousel, we just all started laughing hysterically and they had to cut. This happened at least 12 takes in a row.
For context, in the Sopranos Livia passes away and a majority of the key characters attend her funeral. After at the repass, Janice puts pressure on everyone to share a memory of the departed, despite her being one of TV’s meanest mothers. Imperioli’s Christopher character awkwardly says something about two people not being the same, and just continues on, basically not saying anything remotely about Livia. The group finds the whole speech strange and things become tense, offering a clunky lead-in for the Carousel song "If I Loved You.”
It is understandable why the cast would erupt in laughter after every take. The entire scene is cringeworthy, as this is definitely not the sort of family to make earnest emotional speeches. They of course resort to what they do best, arguing. Christopher’s attempt is honestly atrocious and bizarre, resulting in a hilarious moment. The song makes it even better, as it is such a juxtaposition from the tone in the room.
Also, anytime you get a group of people all together to perform a comically awkward scene, people naturally feed off of each other. I think anyone would have a hard time getting through the whole thing without laughing at the absurdity. Imperioli said of the moment:
So what should be one of the saddest scenes, right, cause it's Livia's funeral turned into this thing that we just couldn't shoot because people were just laughing too much. It's actually a very fond memory.
It can be the heaviest scenes that can make you laugh the hardest. The laughter cuts the tension in the room and then people start laughing because it’s such an inappropriate time to laugh. I love that this cast had the kind of camaraderie that made this scene such a joy to shoot. Imperioli talked about it so fondly, as he seems to see the Sopranos cast as another family in his own life. These kinds of behind-the-scenes stories are the best, especially when it emphasises the strong cast bonds, giving fans a strong sense of nostalgia.
You can revisit this scene, as well as the rest of the Sopranos now with an HBO Max subscription. For more information on other series available on the platform, make sure to consult our feature on the best shows streaming on HBO Max right now.
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