Where The Sopranos cast are now 19 years after iconic finale
19 years ago today The Sopranos ended with the iconic cut-to-black sequence that left many questioning if their TV screens had broken – when instead they had just watched Television history.
The Sopranos is widely considered one of the greatest TV shows ever made, if not the greatest, and its average rating of 9.2 on IMDb makes it the eighth highest rated show in history.
Starring James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, it follows a New Jersey mob boss who goes to counselling as he continues to deal with his family and his life as a gangster.
There are a number of actors who’ve gone on to achieve big things, with some such as Drea De Matteo (who played Adriana) leaving acting altogether and becoming an adult film-star.
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Some stars such as Steve Schirippa (who played Bobby) are still acting, appearing in Dexter: Resurrection, and there are a number of now-famous actors who had small roles in the show such as Michael B Jordan, Cristin Milloti, Will Arnett, Alexandra Daddario, Paul Dano, and Salma Hayek.
That said, there are nine names who appeared in every episode of the hit HBO show, and this is what they’re all up to now.
James Gandolfini – Tony Soprano
Gandolfini won three Emmy awards for his role as Tony, but tragically died in 2013 at the age of 51.
The actor died in a visit to Rome during a visit with his family, being found by his 14-year-old son Michael Gandolfini unconscious on the floor of their hotel bathroom. He died of a heart attack.
When news of his death broke flags were flown at half-mast across the entire state of New Jersey.
His son Michael has himself become an actor, appearing in the new Daredevil sequel spin-off and even taking on the role of Tony Soprano himself in a prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.
Lorraine Bracco – Dr Jennifer Melfi
Tony’s conversations with Dr Melfi are arguably the entire framing of the show so its not a surprise that she appeared in every single episode of the series.
Lorraine was already famous for an iconic gangster film totally unconnected to The Sopranos, Goodfellas, where she played Henry Hill’s wife and was nominated for an Oscar for her role.
Originally touted to play Tony’s wife Carmela she decided against being typecast, she has had an equally successful career since.
She has more recently appeared in Netflix’s Nonnas, she starred in Rizzoli and Isles for 105 episodes, and even appeared in Bojack Horseman as ‘Dr Janet’, a nod to The Sopranos.
Edie Falco – Carmela Soprano
Carmela Soprano, Tony’s Wife, is arguably the emotional centre of The Sopranos, and whilst she faces intense fan scrutiny similar to Skylar in Breaking Bad, she is still a pretty great character.
She received three Emmys for her role as Carmela, but that isn’t where she left things either, as she was later nominated for another Emmy for her lead role in Nurse Jackie.
Add to that roles in the Avatar sequels and Law and Order and she has had a very successful career. She and James Gandolfini reportedly never really hung out outside of the set of the show, knew very little about their personal lives, and kept things strictly on set and professional.
That said, when he died she issued a beautiful tribute, saying: “If you needed anything at all, ever, Jim was there to take care of it before you even had a chance to ask.
“You all knew James Gandolfini the actor. I was lucky enough to know Jim the man for 10 years as his close colleague and his pretend life partner, and for many more years as his friend. And it’s Jim the man, the very dear man, that I will miss most of all.”
Michael Imperioli – Christopher Moltisanti
After playing Tony Soprano's protégé across all six seasons of The Sopranos, Imperioli went on to have a pretty successful career, having recurring roles in Hawaii Five-0, Lucifer and Life on Mars. He also starred in films such as Oldboy, Song Sung Blue and The Lovely Bones.
He also reprised his role as Moltisanti for a brief voice cameo in The Many Saints of Newark.
His most recent credits include a starring role in Fox drama series Memory of a Killer, as well as roles in upcoming films Between Wars and The Housewife.
Off-screen Imperioli was reported to be close with his late co-star Gandolfini, with the pair remaining friends after the series wrapped.
"We became friends very quickly, very good friends. We spent a lot of time together on and off set and hung out together and drank and travelled at times for different things and I’ve acted with him more than I’ve acted with any other actor. Probably more than I ever will act with another actor," he said of his relationship with Gandolfini in a 2020 interview with AnotherMan.
"We’ve been through a lot and we both gave a lot as a responsibility for each other because we respected each other."
Tony Sirico – Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualtieri
Best known for playing the eccentric mobster 'Walnuts', Sirico was never quite able to escape the mobster typecast, appearing in films such as Goodfellas, Bullets Over Broadway and Gotti.
He also had a successful career in the world of voice acting, playing recurring character Vinny Griffin on Family Guy and voicing roles in The Fairly OddParents and American Dad.
Sirico passed away July 2022 at the age of 79, a few years after being diagnosed with dementia.
Jamie Lynn Sigler - Meadow Soprano
The eldest child and only daughter of Tony Soprano, Jamie Lynn Sigler played the character across all six seasons of the crime series, with the character being her best-known role.
Following her work on The Sopranos, Sigler appeared in episodes of Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother and Will & Grace. She also ran a podcast with her on-screen brother Robert Iler, titled Not Today, Pal.
Off-screen Sigler has struggled with her health in recent years, being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2016.
Sigler provided an update on her condition at the start of the year, revealing on Instagram that she was now using a mobility scooter.
Robert Iler, Dominic Chianese, Steven Van Zandt – A.J. Soprano, Junior Soprano, Silvio Dante
Since waving goodbye to the role of AJ Soprano, Robert Iler took an extended break from acting before being cast in Netflix dark comedy Bad Thoughts in 2025. He also collaborated on podcast series Not Today, Pal with Jamie Lynn Sigler.
Following a lengthy career in TV and cinema, 95-year-old Dominic Chianese has largely scaled back his entertainment career in recent years, with his most recent role being in 2024 film Breathe Truth.
Steven Van Zandt has appeared in a number of roles since playing Silvio Dante, most notably The Irishman.
Outside of acting, he is an accomplished musician, having played in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.
Topics: TV and Film, TV, HBO
Michael Slavin