Alec Baldwin Wanted To Kill Tony Soprano On 'The Sopranos,' An Offer That Was Easily Refused
Alec Baldwin was never on The Sopranos – but, like many actors, he wanted to be. And he wanted a very specific job: to kill (or whack, as they say) Tony Soprano. Thankfully, no one took Baldwin up on his offer, because having Alec Baldwin show up to murder Tony Soprano would be a little weird. But during an appearance on the Talking Sopranos podcast, hosted by Sopranos veterans Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa, Baldwin recounted how he made the folks behind The Sopranos an offer they could very easily refuse.
Did Tony Soprano die at the end of The Sopranos? It's a question that's been up for debate ever since the series ended in 2007. As you'll no doubt recall, the acclaimed series ended with a cut to black that threw everyone for a loop. I distinctly remember watching the episode when it aired and thinking my cable had gone out for a second before realizing that sudden cut was intentional. But what does it mean? Did Tony get whacked? Or was the ending more mysterious than that? It seems like everyone has their own opinions (I'm personally in the "Yes, he got whacked" crowd, but that's me), and we'll probably be debating this forever.
But if Alec Baldwin had his way, Tony definitely would've been killed. While appearing as a guest on the Talking Sopranos podcast (via The Playlist), hosted by Sopranos actors Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa, Baldwin regaled the actors with his very weird idea to kill Tony Soprano so he could run away with actress Edie Falco, who played Tony's wife Carmela.
"I called up whoever it was, I forget, and I said, 'Tell them, when it's time to kill Jimmy [Gandolfini]' — this was early before you get to the end — 'there's only one man in this business who should come in, whack Jimmy, and ride off with Edie [Falco, who played Tony's wife, Carmela], and I am that man,'" said Baldwin, who may or may not be joking here, I honestly don't know. "I am the guy who needs to blow Jimmy away and take Edie, who I'm madly in love with, away...And they were like, 'Sure, great, we'll add your name to the list of all the Irish actors who think that they should be on The Sopranos.'"
There you have it: Alec Baldwin, kind of joking, but not really, maybe?
In any case, I'm glad they didn't take Baldwin up on his strange offer. Meanwhile, if you're hungering for a return to Sopranos world, your wish will soon be granted. The Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark arrives on September 24, 2021.