Tony Soprano often displays behavior traits characteristic of a violent sociopath, but also struggles with depression and is prone to panic attacks. He seeks treatment from Dr. Jennifer Melfi in the first episode and remains in therapy on and off up until the penultimate episode of the series. Both the Tony Soprano character and Gandolfini’s performance garnered widespread critical acclaim, with Soprano being often cited as one of the greatest and most influential characters in television history. Gandolfini, for his portrayal of the character, won three Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series, three Screen Actors Guild Awards for
The Sopranos interviews and tours which strongly inspired some characters, settings, and storylines portrayed in "The Sopranos". Like the characters they portray on the show, many of the actors on "The Sopranos" are Italian American. Many cast members had appeared together in films and television series before joining the cast of "The Sopranos". The series shares a total of 27 actors with the 1990 Martin Scorsese gangster film, "Goodfellas", including main cast members Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, and Tony Sirico. The main cast was put together through a process of auditions and readings. Actors often did not know whether Chase liked their