The late Hollywood star Ray Liotta once revealed that he turned down the offer to star in the hit TV crime drama The Sopranos. Released in 1999, the groundbreaking mafia series became a massive success and is widely regarded as one of the most influential TV shows of all time.
However, while the actor did eventually star in a prequel film of the show, Liotta admitted that he initially turned down the Emmy-winning series, admitting that his decision was largely driven by his own ego.
Ray Liotta explained why he turned down the offer to star in The Sopranos
Considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time, The Sopranos follows the life of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss, as he navigates the challenges of his personal life while dealing with organized crime.
Ray Liotta, known for playing the New York mobster Henry Hill in Goodfellas, previously revealed that he was approached to star in the hit HBO crime drama, an offer he ultimately turned down.
“Having done Goodfellas, I mean that’s pretty much the ultimate in Mafia everyday life,” he told GW Hatchet in a 2003 interview when asked about the offer to star in the crime drama.
The actor further explained that considering the series revolved around Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini, he felt he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to stand out.
And that show is pretty much structured around Tony Soprano. There was no way I was gonna shine. Tony says, “do this” and I race “oh, OK Tony.” F*ck you, you fat bastard. It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do.
While he expressed admiration for Gandolfini as an actor, Liotta admitted that his own ego influenced his decision. “I love [James Gandolfini] as an actor. I think he’s great. But my ego’s as big as anybody’s,” he acknowledged.
“To go and do television is almost a step backwards,” he continued, noting that he might have been more willing to accept a lesser role if it had meant working alongside someone like his Goodfellas co-star, Robert De Niro.
In a later interview with USA Today, The Sopranos creator David Chase revealed that he wanted to cast Liotta in the role of DiMeo crime family soldier Ralph Cifaretto, a character who was eventually portrayed by Joe Pantoliano.
Ray Liotta eventually joined The Sopranos’ prequel, The Many Saints of Newark
While Ray Liotta declined the offer to star in The Sopranos, he later joined its prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark, playing the dual roles of twin brothers Aldo Moltisanti and Salvatore Moltisanti. The movie would ultimately be his final on-screen role before his passing in 2022.
Set in the 1960s and 1970s in Newark, New Jersey, the film explores a violent gang war through the eyes of mobster Dickie Moltisanti and his teenage nephew, Tony Soprano, against the backdrop of the city’s 1967 riots.
Talking about his decision to pass on the original series but accepting the role in its prequel, Liotta revealed that, he was intrigued by the film’s script and personally reached out to The Sopranos creator, David Chase.
“I said to my agent, ‘What’s going on with that? They don’t need me or want me for this?’” he recalled in an interview with USA Today, adding, “I said, ‘Let me talk to [Chase]. I’ll fly out to New York and just have lunch with him.’”
He also shared he previously turned down the role of Ralph Cifaretto in the series, due to his role in Goodfellas, noting that he did not want to continue pursuing similar projects or roles.
“I needed something different,” he said while reflecting on his decision to turn down the offer and also added that he had some other projects lined up at the time.
The Sopranos and The Many Saints of Newark are available to watch on Max.
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