Actor Chris Diamantopoulos recently shared a memorable behind-the-scenes story from his guest appearance on HBO's hit series "The Sopranos," where he experienced an unexpected real-life hit from the late Tony Sirico.
During an interview with PEOPLE, Diamantopoulos recalled filming a scene for the episode "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh," where his character Jason Barone was supposed to receive a beating from Sirico's character Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri.
The scene called for two pipes - a real lead pipe and a rubber prop - to be used depending on camera angles. However, things didn't go according to plan when Sirico accidentally used the wrong prop.
"Sirico had two pipes, a lead pipe and a rubber pipe, one to use when the camera was on me, and one to use when the camera was on him," Diamantopoulos explained. "Which one do you think he used on me the first time?"
The actor confirmed he was struck with the real lead pipe instead of the rubber prop, joking that he "got whacked by Paulie Walnuts and lived to tell about it."
Diamantopoulos, now 49, also shared fond memories of working with the late James Gandolfini, praising his dedication to authenticity. He described watching Gandolfini use a jagged rock hidden under his hospital gown to create genuine reactions for scenes requiring his character to show pain.
Both Sirico and Gandolfini have since passed away. Gandolfini died in June 2013 at age 51, while Sirico passed in July 2022 at age 79.
Diamantopoulos can currently be seen in the Prime Video series "The Sticky," where he portrays a complex mob character named Mike Byrne.