'Sopranos' star Drea de Matteo says James Gandolfini gave out expensive gifts during the show's run
'Sopranos' actress Drea de Matteo told Fox News Digital that the late James Gandolfini gave cast members $30,000 checks when they were left out of a DVD deal.
"The Sopranos" actress Drea de Matteo fondly remembers the "generosity" that her co-star, the late James Gandolfini, showed over the course of the successful drama series.
The actress told Fox News Digital about just a few of Gandolfini's acts of generosity, including giving "Sopranos" cast members $30,000 checks after they were left out of the show's DVD deal.
"I mean, this is a man who called us into his trailer one by one and gave us each checks for $30,000. And we're like, ‘What is this for?’ He's like, 'We just cut a deal for DVDs, and they didn't include you guys,'" de Matteo said.
"The Sopranos" actress Drea de Matteo, inset, told Fox News Digital that James Gandolfini was "generous" with lavish gifts to cast members. (Getty Images)
De Matteo got her big break when she landed the role of Adriana La Cerva on "The Sopranos," a part that earned her an Emmy Award win and a Golden Globe nomination.
‘THE SOPRANOS’ TURNS 25: LOOKING BACK AT JAMES GANDOLFINI, EDIE FALCO, JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER
De Matteo said that after she departed the mob-family show at the end of season 5, Gandolfini — who portrayed Tony Soprano on the show — made an extravagant gesture at the Emmy Awards.
WATCH: 'Sopranos' star Drea de Matteo says James Gandolfini gave out expensive gifts during the show's run
"I heard he did other crazy things after I left," de Matteo said. "He had some guy walking around the Emmys with him with a bag full of very expensive watches, and after the Emmys, he gave out watches to all the cast."
Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards for lead actor in a drama series.
"It was just a constant thing with him," de Matteo said.
Drea de Matteo and James Gandolfini starred on "The Sopranos." (KMazur/WireImage)
Gandolfini died during a vacation in Rome in June 2013 from a heart attack. The "Sopranos" icon was 51.
His funeral was attended by friends, family and many of his "Sopranos" co-stars, including Michael Imperioli, who played his nephew, Christopher, on the series, and Edie Falco, his on-screen wife for eight years.
De Matteo said that Gandolfini's generosity was seen on the set of "The Sopranos," as well.
Gandolfini died in 2013 at the age of 51. (Getty Images)
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"Ordering food for the crew and the cast every Friday, or, you know, there were just always different stories," she said. "He was a gem. He was humble."
What de Matteo hopes fans remember about Gandolfini is the "legacy" that Tony Soprano left behind.
WATCH: Drea de Matteo says 'there was nothing like' the 'Sopranos' set
"Watching those performances, watching his performance as an actor, just what an incredible performance," de Matteo said of Gandolfini's time on the drama series. "I want people to remember Tony Soprano, No. 1. I mean, that was the legacy he left. Then, within his family, he left a personal legacy, and the friends that he knew and the cast members he knew."
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For de Matteo, thinking back on her time on the legendary TV show was hard because "it was such a long time ago," but she does fondly remember her time on set.
Gandolfini, as Tony Soprano, smokes a cigar while he stands in a pool for "The Sopranos" in 1999. (Getty Images)
"When we were on set, man, it was great," she said. "I mean, it was great. There was nothing like it. I never really wanted to do anything after I left there."
De Matteo continued, "I didn't want to keep going. I kind of felt like I'd done it all. I had all these big dreams of being in movies and working with, you know, [filmmaker Martin] Scorsese or all the great Italian directors and stuff. But after working with [showrunner] David [Chase], I didn't feel like it was important anymore. I felt like I had the best and also with all those characters."
Fast-forward to today, the actress has launched a streetwear brand, Ultrafree, that helps "promote free speech."
De Matteo has launched a streetwear brand that is "devoted to promoting free speech." (Ultrafree)
De Matteo launched Ultrafree in February. (Ultrafree)
De Matteo told Fox News Digital the idea for her brand wasn't inspired by politics, but rather, the idea was to unite people despite their political beliefs.
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"This is about you and me as people, as human beings," she said. "I feel like politics should take a back seat at this point, and everybody needs to sort of come together and recognize there's a war on the truth and on humanity and on what really unites us.
"There are more things that unite us than divide us."
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