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Vale: James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini, best known as mob boss Tony Soprano, has died while vacationing in Rome, aged 51.

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2013-06-20_1043James Gandolfini, best known as mob boss Tony Soprano, has died while vacationing in Rome, aged 51.

Gandolfini is believed to have died of a possible heart attack.

“We’re all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family,” HBO 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.”

Gandolfini fronted The Sopranos for six seasons for the cable network, as gangster killer, doting father, and husband prone to infidelity. His performances scored him three Emmy Awards as best lead actor in a drama series.

Since The Sopranos ended Gandolfini has appeared in a number of film roles, including Zero Dark Thirty and the comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.

At the time of his death, he had been working on an upcoming HBO series Criminal Justice. HBO declined to elaborate on the series other than to say that it was in development and that Gandolfini was a part of it.

The drama is an adaptation of Peter Moffat’s 2008 BBC crime entry and had been in development at HBO for more than a year, earning a pilot order in September when Gandolfini agreed to star.

The future of the project, which would have seen Gandolfini star as Jack Stone, a downtrodden jailhouse attorney who frequents police stations for clients, is now in limbo.

Gandolfini had also signed on in early June to executive produce an adaptation of Canadian comedyTaxi-22 at CBS. He was also developing drama Big Dead Place, based on Nicholas Johnson’s memoir about his work in the U.S. Antarctic Program.

Source: Reuters, Hollywood Reporter

10 Responses

  1. How could there be a Sopranos movie?
    Chase has always said the end was the end and he had said all he wanted to.

    Tony was most probably dead and making a movie would be like opening the box containing Schrodinger’s cat.

    @Gonzo
    Why should an actor’s work be judged according their politics?

    Gandolfini was a good actor and he died too young.

  6. Wow what a terrible shock. A charismatic actor. He will thankfully live on in the culture thanks to his iconic role, as well as the evidently great reputation he enjoyed in the industry. Sad news.

  7. Ahh dammit. There was something so ‘sympatico’ about him. I first noticed him from bit parts in Get Shorty and Crimson Tide. And his Tony Soprano character was simply outstanding. Fugedaboudid.
    Much too young – RIP.

  8. I had heard about this earlier, very sad. yet IMDB is flooded with trolls making fun of him and his weight. I wonder how many eps of that new show he filmed, and how many there were meant to be. well, no Sopranos movie then.

    Rest In Peace Tony Soprano! 🙁

  9. Shocking, devastating news. I am gutted to hear this. So young still, and so incredibly talented. He gave life to one of, if not the, greatest TV character of all time.

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