The Sopranos star has died at age 51. Stunningly bad news.
Good God! I got word of his death when I was in Lucky's on my cell phone from a friend. He apparently died of a heart attack while on vacation in Italy. I am watching "The Sopranos" Season 6 Season 2 D.V.D. set when this happens. My condolences to his family and friends. R.I.P. James. You were absolutely wonderful as Tony Soprano. You're now up there with Nancy Marchand (Mama Sophia).
My favorite Gandolfini role was in True Romance. He brought Tarantino's dialogue to spicy, crackling life and imbued his character (aided by the script of course) with pathos, sensitivity, psychosis, brutality, intellect, viciousness, curiosity...all within a 5-minute scene.
His character in The Mexican was the only good thing about the film and actually made it watchable.
A few years ago, word went around that Gandolfini used his star power to demand a huge salary for the last few seasons of THE SOPRANOS, and he then had much of that money paid to his castmates who could never command it on their own. That's uncommon generosity. His own family might have considered him generous to a fault.
Wot"!!!!!!??? Woke up to this news!!! 51??? Thats scary.
Say it aint so!
What a loss. Went to bed last night and oddly enough was watcheing an episode of Sopranos, - Sky are re-running series 3 I think it is - but watched the one where his relationship with Gloria comes to an explosive ending and shes riling him and he gives her a slap and gets her by the throat. I was thinking how well he did stressed and angry and how believable he was. The guy was an immense actor. Tony Soprano has to be one of the best TV portrayals in the history of television.
I awoke to this sad news and was very dismayed. He had so much ahead of him. Great actor; approachable kind man when you saw him on the streets in New Jersey.
I can only say what everyone else has said. What a loss. Went to bed last night and oddly enough was watching an episode of Sopranos, - Sky are re-running series 3 I think it is
And Sky Atlantic just announced they're clearing tomorrow night's schedule to run four episodes (including the pilot) back to back.
film critic I heard on Tv today was talking about his method acting. She said he would invariably stick a stone in his shoe when he had to play edgy and angry and it helped him get irritated. Also that in True Romance where, as mentioned earlier, he played a hitman who was on the road tracking his target/s so Gandolfini slept in his suit in his car so that next day he was suitably bedraggled and creased.
