Anyone who's seen The Sopranos will know just how fickle the criminal underworld can be - and just how quickly someone can get whacked if they cross the wrong person.
Of course, starring in a show about a group of violent, heartless mobsters must be the ultimate occupational hazard for actors, who could easily find themselves killed off quicker than they can say 'Tony Soprano'... all because their character looked at Silvio Dante the wrong way.
In fact, it turns out this is what happened to Joe Pantoliano, who played Ralph Cifaretto, one of the leading members of the DiMeo crime family.
Despite his relatively important role, Pantoliano was reportedly stunned to find out that his character was being killed off, having only found out during a readthrough of a script.
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This is according to Dane Curley, who had a 'small, but multi-episode credited role' as Justin Cifaretto, Ralphie's son.
Curley recently held an Ask Me Anything session over on Reddit, where he told fans how he 'met 95% of the cast and worked in Silvercup studios and on location in NJ [New Jersey]'.
One Reddit user asked the star if there were 'any crazy stores' he could 'legally talk about'.
Curley, who now works as a comedian, comedy writer and podcast host, replied to describe the moment Pantoliano found out Ralphie was going to die, saying he 'wasn't happy'.
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He wrote: "Joe Pantoliano, who portrayed my characters father Ralph Cifaretto, found out his character was being killed off the show in real time during the table read for our episode. Yeah, he wasn't happy!
"As soon as he realized he was getting whacked (maybe by reading a few pages ahead of where we were), he angrily shouted (at no one in particular, but presumably the writers) and stood up from the session. His phone went up to his ear so fast to call his agent, and he stormed off. As he did this, Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts) yelled back some choice words to him: something like, 'Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!'."
Curley added: "The ruthlessness of showbusiness. Got to see the reality of this business well before my 14th birthday."
When someone else asked if he'd seen the show before getting the part, Curley explained that he was just 13 when he landed the role, but that his mother was a 'HUGE fan' and would let him watch the odd episode.
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He continued: "That said, I did have an idea it was big, because it was constantly talked about by all 'the adults' (and they all had kids who knew it). I don't think I understood the gravity of just HOW big. I didn't care much about it, myself. I could follow along, but I couldn't dive into the soul of the characters.
"I think what makes the show great is that it has one layer that's about the mob, Italian-American culture, crime in NJ, and other macroscopic themes that feel very casual. But there's another layer about the Ego, sculpting your own persona despite your upbringing, women's empowerment, criticisms of Catholic life, etc., that feel very personal.
"The show is so deep and rich, I think now I understand why it's timeless (perhaps especially for NJ lapsed-Catholics), and I'm very much more grateful in hindsight that I got to be apart of it, than I was at the time."
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros
Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, Reddit