Actress Jennifer Esposito has revealed that she turned down a role on the HBO drama The Sopranos more than once due to her past experiences with Italian American culture. In an interview with Variety, Esposito admitted that she found the show triggering and that it brought up memories of violence and bullying she experienced growing up. While she felt that the show perpetuated harmful stereotypes, she ultimately regrets turning down the opportunity and acknowledges the show's success. The Sopranos has been criticized in the past for its depiction of Italian Americans, but creator David Chase has argued that the show only depicted a small criminal subculture.