Many years before Jennifer Esposito first appeared on TV screens as Jackie Curatola in Blue Bloods – Crime Scene New York alongside Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg, she was possibly facing the career opportunity of a lifetime. The American actress with Italian roots was cast several times in the HBO hit The Sopranos which is still considered a milestone in the series’ history.
Blue Bloods star Jennifer Esposito turned down role in The Sopranos
As Esposito explained in an interview with Variety, she had to turn down a role in the cult series with James Gandolfini several times because she saw it reflected traumatic experiences from her past:
I decided not to audition when they invited me because I thought, ‘I can’t do this again.’ The only thing I liked about the show was the character Meadow because she was nice. The girls I grew up with wanted to kill me, they wanted to kill me every day. So it was a kind of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). People don’t understand it unless they’ve experienced it. But I experienced it. They were in their Catholic school uniforms and they pulled a girl onto the table and beat her until her face was no longer recognizable. Things like that.
CBS
Jennifer Esposito in Blue Bloods
Jennifer Esposito regrets her decision today – but only partially
Even though the series triggered traumatic memories in Esposito, she now partially regrets her decision – but not completely. There was another point that also gave the Blue Bloods star a stomach ache:
They asked me to audition for some roles several times and I was like, ‘No. The way you represent Italian culture? Oh, pull yourself together. Are you serious?” It was a great show. But I was a kid. I didn’t recognize it. Of course I look back and think, “That was stupid.”
After the cancellation, Esposito landed a number of notable roles. She was seen in Paul Haggis’ LA Crash, as Special Agent Alexandra Quinn in the crime hit NCIS and as Susan Raynor in the Amazon hit The Boys. After playing a leading role in the first three seasons of Blue Bloods, she returned to the series as Jackie Curatola in two episodes of seasons 13 and 14.
Podcast: The 15 best series launches in August on Netflix, Amazon and Co.
Do you need more fresh streaming tips? We present the most exciting series in August that are launching on Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and Co. in the monthly overview:
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The 15 series highlights in August include season 2 of the Lord of the Rings series as well as the Netflix finale of The Umbrella Academy. In addition, The Bear, one of the best series of recent years, returns and Batman and the Terminator also shake up the month.