That meant ruffling a few feathers on set. A new biography, Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend by Jason Bailey, revisits one such moment that nearly spiralled out of control, involving none other than Denzel Washington.
Back in 1995, Gandolfini was still in his pre-Sopranos years and had a supporting role in Crimson Tide, a tense submarine thriller directed by Tony Scott. The film starred Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington in a heated power struggle, with Gandolfini playing Lt. Bobby Dougherty. During one scene, his character was meant to grab Washington’s character by the collar, but things didn’t go quite as planned.
Gandolfini, known for throwing himself fully into a role, apparently got a bit too carried away with the scene. According to a report from Premiere Magazine at the time, Washington “stormed over” to director Tony Scott to complain about Gandolfini’s intensity. That same report has resurfaced in Bailey’s book, shedding fresh light on the behind-the-scenes tension, reported US Weekly.
Rocky Carroll, who also starred in Crimson Tide, recalled the moment too, saying, “It got really heated really fast.” Gandolfini, for his part, defended himself by saying he was just “doing [his] job.” His former manager, Mark Armstrong, admitted that Gandolfini later recognised he’d been “a little aggressive, more aggressive than I think Denzel was ready for.” He even worried the clash might cost him the role altogether.
But in a twist that only Hollywood could deliver, the tension eventually eased, and the two actors reportedly got along well after the dust settled. According to the book, they even had another scuffle on set later—this one ending in laughter. Washington was quoted saying they’d “fooled everybody” on the Crimson Tide set. And despite the rocky start, the two went on to work together again in Fallen and The Taking of Pelham 123.
The biography also touches on Gandolfini’s eventual casting as Tony Soprano, revealing that creator David Chase was initially unsure. “I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?” Chase reportedly told Gandolfini’s manager. But casting directors Sheila Jaffe and Georgianne Walken were firm: “He was really our favorite idea from the beginning.”