Steve Schirripa Says Someone on “The Sopranos” Set Was 'Selling Information' About Plotlines
Steve Schirripa Says Someone on “The Sopranos” Set Was 'Selling Information' About Plotlines
Tereza ShkurtajSun, February 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC
2
Steven R. Schirripa as Bobby 'Bacala' Baccalieri in 'The Sopranos.'
HBO/Getty
In a recent interview with The Independent, Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa discussed The Sopranos’ enduring legacy
The duo – who played Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri, respectively – revealed how hard it was to keep major plot twists, like Adriana La Cerva’s fate, under wraps
They also reflected on how James Gandolfini’s death in 2013 ended hopes for a prequel
Nearly three decades since it first aired, The Sopranos continues to cast a long shadow over television. Its mix of brutal mob politics and intimate family drama helped redefine what audiences expected from serialized storytelling.
In a recent interview with The Independent, cast members Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa reflected on the show’s long-lasting impact and the extraordinary effort that went into keeping its biggest twists under wraps.
“There was a leak on set because somebody was selling information,” Schirripa, 68, told the outlet.
While they "had some suspects,” the actors said the culprit was never caught.
'The Sopranos' cast.
Anthony Neste/Getty
That climate of paranoia was especially intense during season 5, when script writers were determined to keep the fate of Adriana La Cerva – Christopher Moltisanti’s stylish girlfriend, played by Drea De Matteo – out of the press.
Adriana’s storyline was one of the series’ most devastating turns, and spoilers would have blunted its impact. To guard against leaks, the production famously filmed scenes in two different ways, ensuring that even the cast and crew weren’t entirely certain how events would unfold. By the end of the series, Schirripa said the actors were only getting their own pages. It was an extreme measure, but on a show built around tension and betrayal, secrecy was essential.
Created by David Chase, The Sopranos followed mob boss Tony Soprano, who was played by the late James Gandolfini, as he balanced a violent criminal enterprise with suburban family life and therapy sessions that peeled back his contradictions and paved the way for the modern antihero.
Advertisement
Michael Imperioli and Drea De Matteo in 'The Sopranos.'
Anthony Neste/Hbo/Kobal/Shutterstock
As the years passed, speculation about revisiting the world of North Jersey surfaced more than once.
“There was even talk at one point of us doing a prequel, like with us in it, which, given our age, didn’t really make any sense,” Imperioli told the outlet. “I remember Jim [Gandolfini] was like, ‘What are we gonna do? Wear wigs and girdles like Star Trek?' "
Any chance of a reunion, however, ended when Gandolfini died at the age of 51 after a heart attack in 2013. “I think [Gandolfini] would have gone for it for the right price and the right script, but then he passed away – and without Jim it didn’t make sense,” Schirripa admitted.
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In 2024, Lorraine Bracco, Dominic Chianese, Aida Turturro, Steve Buscemi and De Matteo met at the Italian restaurant Da Nico in New York City to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary. Whether they will gather again for a 30th anniversary remains to be seen.
“We’re all getting older,” Schirripa said. “Everything changes, but hopefully there will be.”
Nevertheless, in the absence of a revival, Imperioli and Schirripa use their podcast, Talking Sopranos, as a way to revisit and share memories and behind-the-scenes secrets with fans online.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
