In relation to the above post I read the following article on eonline.

Gandolfini to HBO: Fuhgeddaboudit!

by Lia Haberman
Mar 7, 2003, 11:20 AM PT

Getting sued by James Gandolfini is downright civilized considering the alternative bargaining methods employed by his alter ego Tony Soprano: busted kneecaps or worse.

Keeping it legal, the TV mob boss filed a lawsuit against HBO in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday looking to get out of his contract with the cable network before shooting starts later this month on The Sopranos' fifth season.


The suit contends that HBO missed a deadline letting the burly actor know that his services would be required on set after it inked a deal giving creator David Chase $20 million for the series' fifth season. Citing a breach of contract, the titular lead of the Mafia drama now wants out.

"Our legal position is that there is no obligation for James Gandolfini to perform services for the coming season," attorney Martin Singer told Reuters, without definitely saying his client wouldn't return when production begins. "There have been negotiations going on for our client to potentially return. They haven't reached an agreement, and we have until March 24 to evaluate what to do. That is the day they've requested for him to come back to work."

But before disappointed fans of the don pick up their baseball bats and start swinging, consider that the actor is in the midst of renegotiating his contract with HBO and may be using the legal loophole to strong-arm the network into upping his take from the show. While Gandolfini hasn't spoken to Chase in months, according to a confab with onscreen confessor Lorraine Bracco in the March issue of Interview magazine, the actor is warming up "for our last and final debacle."

In fact, the suit came as a surprise to HBO execs currently at the bargaining table with the actor. Threatened with losing its prized thoroughbred, the network released a dismissive statement, saying, "This is nothing more than a further renegotiation tactic by an actor with a binding contract."

According to HBO reps, production is still scheduled to begin March 24, and the core cast, up for Best Ensemble in a TV Drama, is set to attend the SAG Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on Sunday. No word if Gandolfini, who's also nominated for Best Actor, plans to take one for the team and make an appearance.

Gandolfini may have the network by the cajones. The series is HBO's top-rated drama and last season's 75-minute finale, which left Tony and Carmela's future up for grabs, attracted 12.5 million viewers, making it the second most watched show in HBO history, just behind the fourth season premiere, which pulled in 13.4 million viewers.

Also looking for payback in recent days were some of Gandolfini's foot soldiers, including Michael Imperioli and Tony Sirico, who renegotiated their contracts with the network for a fifth and possibly sixth season. But the supporting actors' salaries, in the $60,000-$80,000 per-episode range, are chump change compared to what the harried head of the family is hoping to command.

As head honcho Gandolfini is looking for due respect to the tune of $750,000 per episode, in line with what his broadcast network peers, like Ray Romano ($800,000) and Kelsey Grammer ($1.6 million), are taking home. His paycheck is currently estimated at $400,000 an episode, which puts him in league with Frasier's second bananas Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin.

Even if HBO makes Gandolfini an offer he can't refuse, he will undoubtedly earn less overall than his network counterparts because the cable series only tapes 13 episodes per season, as opposed to an average 22 for a broadcast series.

Full Story.