The Sopranos premiered on HBO in January 1999, and throughout its six-season run introduced viewers to actors who would eventually go on to become major stars.
The late James Gandolfini starred as New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano for the entirety of the iconic show. Fans brought Tony and his family — Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco), and two kids Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and A.J. (Robert Iler) — into their lives on a weekly basis until the controversial series finale aired in 2007.
As Tony conducted his business dealings throughout the tri-state area, viewers met a few side characters who were played by some familiar faces, albeit they weren’t notable names at the time.
Lady Gaga made her acting debut during a 2001 episode of The Sopranos as one of A.J.’s school friends (or as she was officially credited, Girl at Swimming Pool No. 2).
“When I look back on that scene I can see exactly what I did wrong in that scene,” Gaga told Entertainment Weekly in December 2021. “I didn’t know how to listen in a scene! I was supposed to laugh, and it was sort of like, cue, laugh … I see it and I go, ‘oh, that’s not a real laugh!’”
Gaga called herself a “non-specific actor” on The Sopranos, but has since developed her acting skills. Aside from being a successful musician, Gaga has since nabbed roles in movies like A Star Is Born and The House of Gucci.
Will Arnett also had a guest spot on the show. He joked that he wished “everybody would forget about” what he looked like when portraying an FBI agent in the series, during a 2019 appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden.
Mike Epps
Epps starred as Jerome in season 1, episode 2, titled “46 Long,” of The Sopranos.
Michael B. Jordan
Before he was Wallace on The Wire, Jordan had a small role in The Sopranos. He appeared as Rideland Kid in season 1, episode 7, “Down Neck.”
Brian Geraghty
The Big Sky actor had a small role as the Counter Boy in season 1, episode 8, “The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti.”
Tony Hale
Hale played a nurse in season 3, episode 7 of The Sopranos, which was titled “Second Opinion.” The actor recalled “violently shaking” while filming his scene.
“I’ll never forget on The Sopranos — because of my anxiety, my nerves will manifest itself in my hands; my hands will start shaking,” Hale said during a 2022 SiriusXM interview. “And I was a nurse oncologist to Uncle Junior, and I’ll never forget my hands were violently shaking about to put a tube into his arm.”
Elizabeth Reaser
She appeared briefly as Stace in season 2, episode 7, titled “D-Girl.”
Lady Gaga
Just call her Girl at Swimming Pool No. 2. Gaga appeared in season 3, episode 9, titled “The Telltale Moozadell.”
Michael K. Williams
The late actor appeared as Ray Ray in The Sopranos season 3 finale, “Army of One.”
Will Arnett
Arnett’s Sopranos stint was a two-episode arc in the fourth season where he played Mike Waldrup, an FBI agent.
Paul Dano
Dano played A.J.’s friend Patrick Whalen during various episodes in season 4.
Chandra Wilson
The Grey’s Anatomy star played the role of Evelyn Greenwood in season 5, episode 10, titled “Cold Cuts.”
Julianna Margulies
Margulies had a brief role as realtor Julianna Skiff, whom Tony was having an affair with, during the show’s sixth season.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
The actor was a guest star in season 6, episode 15, titled “Remember When.” He made a brief appearance as a bellman at a hotel.
“My one story about Gandolfini was that he stayed and did his [lines] even though it was the end of the night. He had no need to do that,” Miranda said of Gandofini in Judd Apatow’s 2022 book Sicker in the Head. “He stayed and did the scene for the scared-s—tless Puerto Rican kid in the bellhop outfit.”
