“The Sopranos”
Class reunion for the 25th anniversary
The stars of “The Sopranos” around Steve Buscemi (l.) gather for the anniversary.
© getty/Jason Mendez / Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
In 1999, “The Sopranos” started – for many experts, the start of the golden age of series. To mark the anniversary, the stars held a class reunion.
Big family reunion of the “Sopranos” at the Tribeca Film Festival. As part of the New York Film Festival, the stars of the cult series met on Thursday (June 13) to celebrate the 25th anniversary.The Sopranos” premiered on January 10, 1999 on the US pay-TV channel HBO. It was therefore a slightly belated celebration of the groundbreaking series’ anniversary.
Among the guests at the event was Edie Falco (60). She played Carmela Soprano, the wife of the depressed mafia boss Tony Soprano, in the series. The lead actor James Gandolfini was sorely missed. He died of a heart attack in 2013 at the age of just 51.
The most prominent face on the red carpet belonged to Steve Buscemi (66). The actor, known from several major Hollywood productions, only played a minor role in “The Sopranos” and also directed a few episodes. Series creator David Chase (78) also did not miss the celebrations.
These “Sopranos” stars were missing from the anniversary
Lorraine Bracco (69) was one of those who was conspicuous by her absence. The actress, who received an Oscar nomination for the mafia classic “GoodFellas”, played the psychologist who treats the gangster boss in “The Sopranos”. Steven Van Zandt (73), who played mafia boss Frank Tagliano, was absent for professional reasons. The musician and occasional actor is currently working on his day job. He is on tour with Bruce Springsteen (74) as part of the E Street Band.
The golden age of series
Together with the prison series “Oz – Hell Behind Bars”, which started two years earlier, “The Sopranos” is considered to be the initial spark of the so-called golden age of series. An era that many observers believe is now coming to an end.
HBO established itself as the number one supplier of complex series with long story arcs and ambivalent characters. “The Sopranos” was the first series from a pay-TV channel to be nominated for an Emmy as best drama series. The mafia saga, which ended in 2007, is at the top of many lists of the best series of all time.