During the 20th anniversary party for The Sopranos in early January, Michael Imperioli told a great story about auditioning for the part of Christopher Moltisanti in the hit HBO show. Initially, Imperioli believed he botched his audition because creator David Chase made no reaction to his performance.

“He’s kind of poker-faced, and I thought I was boring him to tears,” Imperioli told The New York Post. Chase also offered directions on playing Christopher, which Imperioli took as criticism for a flaw in his performance. Leaving the audition, Imperioli considered the part gone and wrote it off as another day in the life of an actor.