“The Sopranos” creator David Chase almost passed on casting James Gandolfini in the lead role because the late actor didn’t seem “threatening enough” to play mob boss Tony Soprano.

In an excerpt published by Vulture of Jason Bailey’s book “Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend,” Gandolfini’s former manager, Nancy Sanders, remembered how Chase was hesitant to offer Gandolfini the role.

“I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,’” Sanders said. However, Chase allegedly told Sanders at the time, “I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?”

IndieWire has reached out to representatives for Chase and HBO.

Sanders recalled telling Chase at the time, “David, if your only concern is, ‘Is he threatening enough’…If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,’ I could understand. But he’s threatening enough. This is your guy.