Cleaver (The Sopranos) Cleaver (The Sopranos) Cleaver is a metafictional film within a TV-series that serves as an important plot element toward the end of the HBO television drama series "The Sopranos". Although very little film material is actually shown in the series, its planning and development are discussed at large throughout multiple seasons of the show. The extent to which Sopranos character Christopher Moltisanti mixes confidential and personal information about the Soprano mob family into the story elements of Cleaver is the focal point throughout its development. After the project eventually materializes, Cleaver can be categorized as a direct-to-DVD mafia-slasher film, described
The Sopranos performances or not. Michael Imperioli, who beat out several actors for the part of Christopher Moltisanti, recalls "He's got a poker face, so I thought he wasn't into me, and he kept giving me notes and having me try it again, which often is a sign that you're not doing it right. I thought, I'm not getting this. So he said, 'Thank you,' and I left. I didn't expect to hear back. And then they called." Chase also said he wanted Imperioli because he had been in "Goodfellas." James Gandolfini was invited to audition for the part of Tony Soprano