If you watched The Penguin, recently released on Max, there is no way you should miss out on the show it was inspired by. Yes, that is correct, The Sopranos was the show that inspired the tone of one of the most successful shows of 2o24, which proves the kind of impact it continues to have. So, if you have been a fan of the popular crime mafia show and often wonder where the cast of The Sopranos is now, here, find out all the answers you need.
1. James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano, a family man working in “Waste Management,” took the world by storm with a legacy that is as good as new to date. Played by James Gandolfini, being a waste management official was Tony Soprano’s operational front while he was a ruthless New Jersey mob boss. After The Sopranos, Gandolfini continued to act in mob dramas such as Killing Them Softly (2012) and The Drop (2014). He also served as an executive producer for multiple HBO projects such a Hemingway & Gellhorn and The Night Of.
However, leaving a massive legacy behind, James Gandolfini passed away on 19 June 2013 at the age of 51. Continuing his acting legacy, his son Michael Gandolfini appeared as a young Tony Soprano in the prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark, and most recently appeared in Daredevil: Born Again as Daniel Blake.
2. Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
Edie Falco appeared in The Sopranos as Tony Soprano’s wife, Carmela Soprano. Even before appearing in The Sopranos, she had her fair share of experience working on mob dramas before she took up the role of Carmela. Her appearance in The Sopranos won her three SAG Awards, Emmys, and Golden Globe Awards.
After bidding farewell to the show, Edie Falco appeared in shows like Law & Order, True Crime, Tommy, and Horace and Pete. She also appeared as Hillary Clinton in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most recently, she took up the role of General Frances Ardmore in Avatar: The Way of Water and is also set to reprise her role in the upcoming third movie of the franchise.
3. Robert Iler as A.J. Soprano
Robert Iler appears as A.J. Soprano, and when the show was on the air, AJ became a symbol of spoiled brats. He suffered from an underlying anxiety disorder and was always getting caught in trouble in the series. After The Sopranos concluded, Robert stepped away from acting, only to appear in one episode of Law and Order. He started his career as a professional poker player in Las Vegas.
4. Lorraine Bracco as Jennifer Melfi
Lorraine Bracco has had her fair share of experience with mob dramas as she had already appeared as Karen Hill, the wife of Henry Hill, in Goodfellas, released in 1990. She appeared in The Sopranos’ cast as Jennifer Melfi, Tony’s psychiatrist. Now, technically, she knows the most about Tony’s life as a mob boss, but in a rather metaphorical way.
After The Sopranos, Lorraine Bracco stuck to the genre and narrated I Married a Mobster, released in 2011. She also appeared on Rizzoli & Isles, released in 2010, and most recently, she lent her voice to Disney’s Pinocchio (2022), where she voiced Sofia the Seagull.
5. Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva
Drea de Matteo appeared in The Sopranos as Adriana La Cerva. Her character had fans going through all sorts of emotions as they witnessed her becoming Christopher’s girlfriend, fiancée, and ultimately turning out to be an FBI informant.
After she ended her tenure on The Sopranos, Drea de Matteo appeared in the Friends Spinoff as Joey Tribbiani’s sister, Gina Tribbiani. From that point on, her career has only seen an upward trend as she landed roles in some successful shows, such as Sons of Anarchy, Desperate Housewives, A Million Little Things, and more.
6. Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
Michael Imperioli appeared as Christopher Moltisanti in the cast of The Sopranos, who is one of the most well-known and iconic characters from series. However, even before he became a part of the show, he was a well-established actor and had already appeared in Goodfellas, released in 1990. and won himself an Emmy and two SAG Awards.
After Sopranos, he continued to work in the industry, appearing in movies and shows, the most notable of which was his appearance in The White Lotus for 2 seasons. Most recently, he acted as narrator for The Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark, where James Gandolfini’s son appeared as a young Tony Soprano.
7. Tony Sirico as Paulie Gualtieri
Tony Sirico made a fairly big name for himself as Paulie in The Sopranos, but even before that, he was fairly popular for appearing as Tony Stacks in Goodfellas. After The Sopranos, he mostly appeared in short films such as Café Society (2016) and Wonder Wheel (2017) and then lent his voice to shows like Family Guy and American Dad! However, he sadly passed away on July 8, 2022, at the age of 79.
8. Vincent Pastore as Salvatore Bonpensiero
Vincent Pastore appeared in The Sopranos’ cast for quite a brief period. However, he was one of the members of Tony’s inner circle and due to his past “career” as a cat burglar, got the nickname, “Big Pussy”. Following The Sopranos, Vincent had appeared mostly as a supporting actor in almost 180 movies and shows.
9. Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante
Steven Van Zandt appeared as Silvio Dante, another member of Tony Soprano’s inner circle, who eventually climbed up the hierarchy to become an advisor to Tony. Following his parting with The Sopranos, Steven Van Zandt continued to appear in roles related to the mafia in other movies and shows, such as Lilyhammer and The Irishman.
10. Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano
Aida Turturro had been working in the industry as a supporting character in multiple movies even before she became a part of The Sopranos. She appeared in the show as Janice Soprano, Tony’s dramatic and narcissistic elder sister. However, after the show’s conclusion, she did not take up a lot of roles, and her most notable acting feat after Sopranos was The Blacklist, which concluded in 2023.
11. Dominic Chianese as Corrado Soprano
Dominic Chianese rose to fame in 1972 after his depiction of Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part 2, and then joined The Sopranos cast in the role of Corrado Soprano, Tony’s uncle. He was the mastermind behind everything that the family did and was technically the head of the mob for quite some time. After he departed from The Sopranos, Dominic appeared in Boardwalk Empire (2011 to 2013), The Good Wife (2012 to 2015), and The Village (2019).
