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Updated · Fox News · Jun 22Sarah Shahi Calls James Gandolfini Kiss One of Her Best, 3-4 Takes Ran Past Cut
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 22Summary
- Sarah Shahi said on the “Bossticks” podcast that her on-screen kiss with James Gandolfini in “The Sopranos” was “one of the best” she has ever had.
- Shahi said the scene had to be filmed three or four times, and each time production called “cut,” she and Gandolfini were still kissing.
- She said Gandolfini, then 47, approached the scene as a method actor and asked for spiced mushroom props to create a stronger on-camera reaction.
- Shahi appeared briefly in the HBO drama’s 2007 sixth season as Sonya Aragon; Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano, died in 2013 at age 51.
Insights
Was Gandolfini's $30,000 gift a generous act or a sign of a Hollywood pay system that still fails supporting actors? A kiss continued after “cut.” In 2026, is this celebrated on-screen chemistry or a clear workplace violation?