Ex-"Sopranos": Gandolfini paid handsomely to turn down "Office" role

[Bob Jersey]

Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa were doing their latest "Talking Sopranos" podcast with Ricky Gervais, who "offered praise and appreciation" for Steve Carell's work on the NBC hit, when Imperioli brought up the nugget in the subject line, first dropped last year in an "inside story" book from Rolling Stone writer Andy Greene...

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hbo-sopranos-james-gandolfini-paid-to-pass-on-nbc-the-office-role-1234982204/ (link)

I'd venture to guess HBO clammed up when said book came out, and will do so again...

B