When James Gandolfini died in 2013, there were many stories told about his brilliant acting ability and the great love his co-stars had for him. On Friday night’s Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Jeff Daniels told one particular story about his time co-starring with Gandolfini on Broadway, in the original cast of God of Carnage, when a missing prop caused a bit of on-stage havoc.

Both Daniels and Gandolfini were in the original Broadway production of the play, along with Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis, from February to November 2009.

Fallon had Daniels on to talk about his current role in Steve Jobs, but the actor got to talking about his impending return to Broadway — in the Scott Rudin-produced Blackbird, co-starring Michelle Williams — which led him to his Gandolfini story. It involved a crucial juncture in the show where the phone rings and Gandolfini’s character is supposed to pick it up … only the prop phone was missing. Daniels’ telling of Gandolfini’s improvised response to the snafu doubles as a loving tribute to the man, not to mention the once-in-a-lifetime aspect of live theater. Clearly that night’s audience went home with a story too.