My Top 10 this week is Top 10 The Sopranos Characters!
Early on in The Sopranos, before actress Nancy Marchand's death, Tony Soprano's mother was a very prominent character. Though she was only in the first couple years, her character gave us plenty of interesting material in her own right and set up our understanding of Tony through the rest of the series. A different show would have found ways to make her more sympathetic. Not The Sopranos, they delighted in showcasing the mental torture she put others through and they never backed away from that.
9. JANICE SOPRANO
Another actual family member of Tony's, his younger sister Janice also makes the list. She provided more comedic relief on the series as she was so often a complete hot mess. She gets into ridiculous relationships and can't move forward in her life, which drives Tony crazy. There's probably a Janice-type character somewhere in your family so Tony's frustrations with her were always very understandable.
Jennifer Melfi was a character who was so removed from pretty much all the other characters except Tony. I went back and forth on her as a character. I thought the therapy sessions were usually pretty fascinating but I never liked when the show tried to dig deeper with Melfi. She's where she is on this list because she made Tony a much more interesting character, but she wasn't a super interesting character in her own right.
7. SALVATORE "BIG PUSSY" BONPENSIERO
For awhile, Sal was just one of Tony's mobster friends. He didn't really stand out in that crew. They were all good for a couple good moments and some occasional lighthearted ones. What got him on this list is also what led him off the show - his death and the lead-up to it. Sal became an informant and his death was one of the first signs of a crack in Tony's stranglehold on things. He also had a great ending episode as he toasted with his friends when everyone knew what was coming.
6. ADRIANA LA CERVA
Drea de Matteo won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Adriana La Cerva and it was for good reason. Similar to Sal, her story got better as it arced towards her untimely demise. Adriana was one of the most sympathetic characters on The Sopranos because she was in a much different situation than Carmela and she seemed to really believe she could change Christopher. Their relationship was a driving force on the show for quite awhile and de Matteo was up to the task.
Considering how classic the first season episode "College" was, it seemed certain that Meadow would play a pivotal role throughout the series. But the series wasn't always consistent with the character. Sometimes, Tony's daughter factored prominently in the series and sometimes she was an afterthought. When she was a prominent character, she was a very strong one. She could be a stereotypical teen or you could see some of her parents' best and worst qualities in her.
4. CHRISTOPHER MOLTISANTI
The great Michael Imperioli made Christopher such an interesting character. There was such a "little brother" feel to him in relation to Tony because of the decisions he made and his impulsive behavior. He was dangerous because of his ignorance an lack of control and that was quite a contrast to the much more calculated Tony. Christopher also provided some bits of comedy but he also was a very sympathetic character from time to time. He was very well rounded.
Tony Sirico only accepted the role of "Paulie Walnuts" on the condition that his character would not "become a rat." He was a great character throughout the season. One one hand, he provided a ton of comic relief but on the other hand, he was one of the most dangerous characters and the character directly responsible for the most deaths on the show. He was easily the most consequential character who wasn't a relative of Tony's.
2. CARMELA SOPRANO
All of these anti-hero shows from the 2000s had the "long-suffering wife" as a character but Betty Draper and Skyler White and others were no match for Carmela Soprano. Edie Falco's acclaimed performance was one for the ages. It was so interesting to watch her and oscillate between feeling sorry for her and also seeing how she both enabled Tony and benefited from the lifestyle he provided, which made her a very complicated character. She was sort of an anti-hero in her own right and Falco just gave so much to the role.
There is no The Sopranos without the late, great James Gandolfini. Tony Soprano is one of TV's most iconic characters and with good reason. He pre-dated so many interesting lead characters who have come in the years since with the uncomfortable tension between being a ruthless mobster and a very broken man. Through the therapy scenes and Gandolfini's expert portrayal, we were inside the mind of Tony Soprano early and often and it was a fascinating place to be.
Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder look at Phenom!
Next Tuesday: Top 10 The People vs. OJ Simpson Characters!
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