.png)
1 week ago
9
The Sopranos was the king of modern cable television and remains revered even today. As a result, other shows have often referenced the hit series and The Office is no stranger to the same. The NBC sitcom premiered while the James Gandolfini series was still on air but lasted nine seasons in total with a major The Sopranos actor cameoing in the final season.
The Sopranos is one of the best TV shows of all time (Credit: HBO).Given the lackluster reception of the series following lead actor Steve Carell’s departure, the cameo got lost in discourse over other aspects of the final season. As a result, the cameo feels wasted, especially since another earlier episode would’ve been more suitable for it. Here is everything you need to know about the forgotten The Sopranos cameo in The Office.
The Office wasted its big The Sopranos cameo by adding Michael Imperioli in the wrong episode
Actor Michael Imperioli played Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO series The Sopranos. He later appeared as a guest star in an episode of the NBC sitcom The Office. The twenty-first episode of season 9, titled Livin’ the Dream, introduces Sensei Billy, Dwight’s karate teacher, played by Imperioli.
The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli had a cameo in The Office (Credit: NBC).The character is a fun one-off addition and Imperioli delivers a hilarious performance. The cameo came too late in the show’s run despite the episode receiving overall positive reviews. Instead, Imperioli would’ve been better served had he appeared in the season 6 episode Mafia.
In the episode, Michael Scott becomes convinced that insurance salesman Angelo Grotti is connected to the mafia. The episode’s premise could have served as a direct callback to The Sopranos and Imperioli’s early stint as Christopher Moltisanti, a low-ranking captain of the DiMeo crime family.
Moreover, it would’ve allowed Imperioli to play off the comedic genius of Steve Carell, who was still at his A-game. As a result, the cameo would’ve been more memorable as it would’ve been in context to Imperioli’s most famous role.
The Sopranos star James Gandolfini was prevented from joining The Office
Imperioli’s appearance wasn’t the only The Sopranos cameo The Office hoped to pull off. Instead, the sitcom hoped to generate plenty of hype by casting Tony Soprano himself as James Gandolfini was eyed as a replacement for the outgoing Steve Carell.
The Sopranos actor James Gandolfini was eyed to replace Steve Carell in The Office (Credit: NBC).During an appearance on the Talking Sopranos podcast, Steve Schrippa revealed that NBC had hoped to cast Gandolfini in the hit sitcom. He said:
I think before James Spader and after Carell, they offered Jim — I want to say $4 million — to play him for the season, and HBO paid him $3 million not to do it.
From Schrippa’s words, it is evident that Gandolfini was approached as a potential replacement for Carell even before James Spader was cast as Robert California and saved the sitcom from plummeting.
Schrippa added that Gandolfini considered the offer but the actor was reportedly unsure about being suitable for the show’s brand of comedy. Ultimately, Gandolfini did not sign on most likely due to HBO’s intervention. However, it would’ve been fun to see Gandolfini’s cameo during the interview for the regional manager position.
The Office is streaming on Peacock.
Bengali (BD) · 
English (US) ·