HBO
Despite the fact that it’s now been over a decade since his unfortunate and untimely passing, those who knew James Gandolfini still speak about the late The Sopranos star in relentlessly glowing terms.
During a recent appearance on the Inside of You podcast, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who famously played Meadow Soprano, the beloved daughter of Gandolfini’s Tony on The Sopranos, remembered the iconic actor as an “exceptional human being” who helped her be “as good as she could be.”
“I wish we could just do one week of filming right now, because of my awareness of the world and what that [show] was and what we were a part of… I just wish I could experience it, like one episode, give me one episode right now,” Sigler said. “Just drop me back in for a couple days.”
“Jim was the type of scene partner where it felt like he was there and his only intention was to make me as good as I could be. And it had nothing to do with him. Every time I worked with him, I felt like his sole purpose was… ‘I’m going to help you give your best f—— take, Jamie.'”
Gandolfini, who won three Emmy Awards for his work as Tony Soprano — widely considered to be one of the greatest characters in the history of television — passed away at the age of 51 years old back in 2013 due to a heart attack.
Most recently, the now 42-year-old Sigler starred in a main role in the third season of the ABC series Big Sky. In addition to The Sopranos and Big Sky, Sigler has also appeared on TV shows such as Will & Grace, How I Met Your Mother, Entourage (as herself), Ugly Betty, and more.
She also currently hosts the podcast Not Today, Pal, with Rober Iler, the actor who played her brother A.J. on The Sopranos from 1999 through 2007.