SOPRANOS STAR DIES
James Gandolfini dies at 51 while on holiday.
Sopranos star James Gandolfini died Wednesday of a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Italy. The New Jersey-bred actor, 51, was expected to attend the 59th annual Taormina Film Festival in Sicily.
HBO — the network that made The Sopranos a hit and Gandolfini a star — described the actor as a beloved member of the family. “We’re all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness ...,” the network said in a statement. “He was special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect.
“He touched so many of us over the years with his humour, his warmth and his humility. Our hearts go out to his wife and children during this terrible time. He will be deeply missed by all of us.”
Friends and colleagues paid tribute to the burly American, calling him a great actor.
“Everyone is in tears,” a friend of Gandolfini told the New York Daily News.
Joseph R. Gannascoli — who played the gay gangster Vito on The Sopranos — sang Gandolfini’s praises as a professional — and as a friend.
“James is one guy who never turned his back on me. He was the most humble and gifted actor and person I have ever worked with,” Gannascoli told TMZ. “He was a great man and I will forever be indebted to him.”
A native of Westwood, N.J., Gandolfini’s acting career sputtered initially and in the early days the future TV tough guy supported himself as a bartender and sometime nightclub manager. He got his big break in 1992 when he landed a role the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ iconic A Streetcar Named Desire starring Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange.
His big break came in 1999 when he was cast in the leading role of HBO’s mob drama, The Sopranos. Gandolfini played Tony Soprano, a neurotic mob boss who suffered from panic attacks, a demanding wife, spoiled children and often clueless henchmen. His conflicted soul and Gandolfini’s nuanced performance gave the show its structure and he was a three-time Emmy winner.
Gandolfini’s second wife — exmodel Deborah Lin — gave birth to a baby girl in October. The couple were married in 2008. He also has a son with ex-wife, Marcy Wudarski.