James Gandolfini once threatened to "beat the f**k" out of Harvey Weinstein.
The late ‘Sopranos’ star argued with Weinstein over promotion for his 2012 movie ‘Killing Them Softly’ and when Harvey continued to browbeat the notoriously publicity shy Gandolfini into doing more press for the project, James lost his temper.
Gandolfini’s ‘Sopranos’ co-star Steve Schirripa explained on his ‘Talking Sopranos’ podcast: "He said, ‘Harvey Weinstein keeps calling, he wants me to do Letterman and I said no.’ And he got f**king nasty with Jim. And Jim said, ‘I will beat the f**k out of Harvey Weinstein! He f**king calls me again, I will beat the f**k out of him! For the money he paid me, I’m not f**king doing it!’ Swear to God. And this is before all the Harvey Weinstein sh*t when he was still king sh*t."
‘Soprano’s star Gandolfini – who played Mob boss Tony Soprano in the HBO drama about a Mafia family in New Jersey – died at the age of 51 after suffering a heart attack in a hotel room in Rome in June 2013.
And Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for rape and sexual assault after being convicted in February.
Meanwhile, last year, James’ son Michael Gandolfini, 21, was cast as the young Tony Soprano in prequel movie ‘The Many Saints of Newark’.
Michael was cast by producers after an extensive audition process, as they felt his mastery of the character’s mannerisms paired with his resemblance to his father made him the standout choice for the role.
Michael said: "It’s a profound honour to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano. I’m thrilled that I’m going to have the opportunity to work with David Chase and the incredible company of talent he has assembled for ‘The Many Saints of Newark’."
Michael joins Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Billy Magnussen and Corey Stoll in the ensemble drama, which is written and produced by ‘The Sopranos’ creator David Chase, and directed by Alan Taylor.
The story focuses on Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola) as a mentor to young Tony as his own father, Johnny Boy, was grooming his son on a pathway to organised crime prominence.