Sopranos star James Gandolfini grew up in the same neighborhood as John Travolta, got into acting to meet girls and ran a seedy nightclub like Bada Bing in the hit series. Gandolfini is so secretive he rarely gives interviews and refuses to discuss his personal life. He also demands that his friends keep quiet. But an in-depth investigation into his past has revealed his father used to buy tires from Travolta's dad. Friends also claim that Gandolfini started acting because there were lots of cute girls in the drama class. But one of his teachers notes that Gandolfini was a natural in class. Glen Noto says, "He was great in the school plays, but actually he was acting all the time. He was a definite character." But after school, rather than pursuing an acting career, Gandolfini ran a nightclub called Private Eyes. It wasn't until a friend invited him to an acting class that he rediscovered the thrill of performing.