Jamie-Lynn Sigler reveals the story she regrets telling about James Gandolfini on “The Tonight Show”

Marina WattsMon, May 25, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

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Jamie-Lynn Sigler; James Gandolfini
Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty; Matt Carr/GettyKey Points -

In her new memoir, Jamie-Lynn Sigler recalled a detail about James Gandolfini she regretted revealing on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Gandolfini and Sigler starred as father-daughter duo Tony and Meadow Soprano the HBO's The Sopranos.

And So It Is… A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope is on bookshelves out.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler is reflecting on a story she shared about a beloved costar.

In her new book And So It Is… A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope, the actress revealed a story she regretted telling during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Sigler said she felt unprepared for her late-night appearance and ended up telling a story about her Sopranos costar and onscreen father, James Gandolfini.

In a pre-interview for Leno's show, a producer asked Sigler if she had any funny stories from the Sopranos set to share. "I drew a blank," she remembered. "It really wasn’t that kind of blooper-­reel set. I didn’t yet realize that no matter what the reality is, part of your job as an actor is to collect stories to have in your back pocket for moments just like this."

Despite not having anything to share, "the producer kept pushing" and asked what working with Gandofini was like.

Sigler and Jay Leno on 'The Tonight Show' in 2001
Credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

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"In my naivety, I shared the only thing that came to mind: that sometimes, to prepare for a scene, Jim would make these funny animal noises —­ squeals and grunts to get out of his head and into his body to prepare himself to go deep into Tony’s mind. I admired this and didn’t think it was a big deal," Sigler writes. She offered up the anecdote and the producers loved it.

Looking back, however, Sigler wasn't thrilled with herself for revealing that intimate information, calling it a "transgression" and "a betrayal of Jim’s trust."

"I loved and respected him. The last thing I wanted to do was make a joke at his expense. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I wanted to take them back. I left the show feeling terrible — terrible for Jim and angry at myself."

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Sigler writes that she was "overcome with guilt and inadequacy," and a voice inside her head told her that she wasn't cut out for this kind of career. Ultimately, she and Gandolfini never discussed her comment, nor did HBO's publicity team.

Gandolfini and Sigler in Los Angeles in 2003
Credit: KMazur/WireImage

Elsewhere in her memoir, Sigler praises Gandolfini, who died in 2013. She said the actor was "the sun around which the rest of us orbited."

"He was larger than life. His energy filled the room. Sometimes I think he hated that power. But it was just part of him. He was magnetic — so big, so beautiful. His presence took up space in the most brilliant way. Jim was humble and present. He cared.”

Gandolfini was the only person on the Sopranos set who knew Sigler was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — something she wouldn't make public for years. "He pulled me aside one day and he said, 'Jamie, what is going on?'" Sigler said in a June 2024 episode of Justin Long's podcast Life Is Short.

"I just fell in a puddle in his arms. And I was just like, 'I'm so scared, but I have MS, and I don't know how to tell anybody.' And he's like, 'Your secret's safe with me.'"

She also learned after his death that he quietly donated to MS charities.

'And So It Is…: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope' by Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Credit: Amazon

And So It Is...A Memoir of Acceptance and Hopeis available for purchase wherever books are sold.

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