Late Sopranos actor James Gandolfini was allegedly paid $3m by HBO to turn down the lead role in the US remake of The Office.
“So they paid him that to keep the legacy of The Sopranos pure?” asked Gervais.
Schirripa added that Gandolfini “was going do it” because he was looking for work and it was “a number of years removed from when [The Sopranos] ended”.
He was offered the role when the popular sitcom was already partway through its run, and was seeking a replacement for Steve Carell.