James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. (Italian:[ɡandolˈfiːni]; September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, the Italian-AmericanMafia crime boss in HBO's television series The Sopranos (1999–2007). For this role, he won three Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. His role as Tony Soprano has been described as one of the greatest and most influential performances in television history.
In 2013, Gandolfini died of a heart attack in Rome at the age of 51.
Early life and education
James Joseph Gandolfini Jr.[nb 1] was born in Westwood, New Jersey,[4] on September 18, 1961.[3] His mother, Santa (née Penna), was an Italian high school food service worker who was born in the U.S. and raised in Naples.[3][5] His father, James Joseph Gandolfini Sr. (born Giacomo Giuseppe Gandolfini), was an Italian immigrant from Borgo Val di Taro, Parma, Emilia-Romagna who worked as a bricklayer and cement mason before becoming the head custodian at Paramus Catholic High School.[3][5][6] James Sr. earned a Purple Heart in World War II,[7] and would often purchase car tires from a shop owned by Salvatore Travolta, the father of actor John Travolta; their sons consequently became friends and would later co-star in five films.[8] Gandolfini's parents were devout Catholics who spoke Italian at home. Due to the influence of his parents, he developed a strong Italian-American identity and regularly visited Italy.[6][9] He had two sisters.[10][11]
Gandolfini grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey. He graduated in 1979 from Park Ridge High School, where he played basketball, acted in school plays,[12] and was named the "Class Flirt" in his senior yearbook.[13] In 1983, he earned a BA in Communications from Rutgers University-New Brunswick,[14] where he worked as a bouncer at an on-campus pub.[15] He also worked as a bartender and club manager in Manhattan prior to his acting career.[16] While living in Manhattan, he was introduced to acting when he accompanied his friend Roger Bart to a Meisner technique class.[17] He studied for two years under Kathryn Gately at the Gately/Poole Conservatory.[18]
Career
1983–1999: Early roles and Broadway debut
After graduating from Rutgers and acting school, Gandolfini worked various jobs in Manhattan while acting in low-budget films.[19] He made his Broadway theatre debut in the production of A Streetcar Named Desire as Steve Hubbell.[20] He also appeared in the 1995 Broadway production of On the Waterfront as Charley Malloy.[21] His first film role was in a 1989 New York University student film titled Eddy.[22] One of his earlier major film roles was that of Virgil, a brutal mob enforcer, in the romantic thriller True Romance (1993).[23] Gandolfini stated that one of his major inspirations for his character was an old friend of his who was a hitman.[24] Despite disappointing box office numbers,[23] Gandolfini's performance received critical praise.[25]
In 1995, television writer and producer David Chase pitched the original idea for The Sopranos to networks such as Fox and CBS before HBO picked it up.[33] The series revolves around Tony Soprano, a New Jersey–based Italian-American mobster, who tries to balance his family life with his role as boss of his crime family.[34] Gandolfini was invited to audition for the part of Tony Soprano after casting director Susan Fitzgerald saw a short clip of his performance in True Romance, ultimately receiving the role ahead of several other actors including Steven Van Zandt and Michael Rispoli.[35][36] In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Chase revealed that Gandolfini stopped and left in the middle of his audition before finishing it in his garage later that night.[37] According to Chase, Gandolfini felt that he "didn't prepare right" for the audition.[36]
The show debuted in 1999 and was broadcast until 2007 with Gandolfini playing Tony Soprano throughout all six seasons.[38] His portrayal of Tony Soprano was met with widespread fan and critical acclaim.[39][40]Deadline Hollywood said Tony Soprano helped "usher in the era of the antihero" for television.[41] As methods to focus anger into his performances, Gandolfini had said he would deliberately hit himself on the head, stay up all night to evoke the desired reaction, drink several cups of coffee, or walk around with a rock in his shoe.[3] For his depiction of Soprano, Gandolfini won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama.[42][43] He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series along with the rest of the cast.[44] In 2017, Entertainment Weekly listed him as the 42nd Greatest TV Icon of All Time.[45] Gandolfini was making $1million per episode during the show's final season, making him one of television's highest-paid actors.[46] Gandolfini underwent knee surgery on June 2, 2006, which pushed the production of the second part of the final season back by several months.[47][48] Following Gandolfini's death in 2013, David Chase in a Fresh Air interview said that, "without Jim Gandolfini, there is no Sopranos. There is no Tony Soprano."[49]
While working on The Sopranos, Gandolfini appeared in more films. In 2001, he played Winston Baldry, a gay hitman, in the adventure comedy film The Mexican.[50] Gandolfini was recommended for the role by co-star Brad Pitt.[51] For his performance, he won the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role at the 2002 Outfest Outie Awards in Los Angeles, California.[52] Gandolfini also starred in the action drama film The Last Castle that same year.[53] In 2006, he starred in the musical romance comedy film Romance & Cigarettes.[54] Director and friend John Turturro stated that he wanted Gandolfini to star in the film; however, he had to wait until The Sopranos stopped filming.[55] He also appeared in a 2002 episode of Sesame Street, and a 2004 episode of Saturday Night Live (which, while called "New Jersey Resident", was a take on Tony Soprano) commenting on the Jim McGreevey sex scandal.[56][57]
In 2010, Gandolfini produced another documentary with HBO, which analyzed the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder throughout American history, from 1861 to 2010.[69] The film, titled Wartorn: 1861–2010, featured interviews with American military officials on their views of PTSD and how they are trying to help soldiers affected by it.[70] The documentary, which had its premiere at The Pentagon, received favorable reviews.[71][72] Gandolfini was also executive producer of the HBO film about Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with Martha Gellhorn, titled Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012).[73] The film premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews.[74] Despite the reviews, the film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie.[75] In 2012, Gandolfini reunited with The Sopranos creator David Chase for Not Fade Away, a music-driven production set in 1960s New Jersey, and the latter's feature film debut.[76][77]
Gandolfini is credited as an executive producer on the HBO miniseries The Night Of, which premiered in 2016.[83] He was set to star in the miniseries when it was pitched to HBO in 2013, but the network ultimately decided not to go ahead with the show. HBO reversed its decision a few months later, and the show was green-lit, with Gandolfini still set to star; however, he died before filming began. Actor John Turturro assumed the role intended for him.[84]
Personal life
Gandolfini married Marcy Wudarski in March 1999, and they divorced in December 2002.[85][86] They had a son together, Michael (born May 10, 1999), who also became an actor.[87] Gandolfini began dating sex therapist Lora Somoza in 2003,[88] and they became engaged before splitting up in 2005.[89] After two years of dating, he married model and actress Deborah Lin in her hometown of Honolulu on August 30, 2008.[90] They had a daughter together named Liliana (born October 10, 2012).[91]
Gandolfini maintained ties with his hometown of Park Ridge, New Jersey, and supported its Octoberwoman Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.[92] He previously lived in New York City and owned a piece of land on the Lake Manitoba Narrows in Canada,[93] then moved to a 34-acre (14 ha) property in Chester Township, New Jersey.[94] In 2009, he purchased a home in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey.[95] Brett Martin said of Gandolfini in a 2013 GQ article, "In interviews, which [he] did his very best to avoid, [he] would often fall back on some version of 'I'm just a dumb, fat guy from Jersey'."[96]
Gandolfini struggled with substance abuse. Producers and location managers of The Sopranos have noted that his misuse of substances led to missed shoots, concerns about Gandolfini's health, and a (failed) intervention.[97]
Death and funeral
While visiting Rome on June 19, 2013, Gandolfini died suddenly at the age of 51.[98] He had been planning to travel to Sicily a few days later to receive an award at the Taormina Film Fest.[99] After he had spent the day sightseeing with his family in the sweltering heat, his 14-year-old son Michael discovered him unconscious at around 10p.m. on the floor of his hotel room's bathroom at the Boscolo Exedra Hotel.[100] Michael called reception, who in turn called paramedics, and Gandolfini arrived at the hospital at 10:40 p.m.[101] He was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.[102] An autopsy confirmed that he died of a heart attack.[103]
While word of Gandolfini's death spread, state and national politicians paid tribute to him online.[104][105][106] New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered all state buildings to fly their flags at half-staff on June 24 to honor Gandolfini when his body was returned to the U.S.[107] The day after Gandolfini's death, Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band (whose long-time guitarist Steven Van Zandt portrayed Sopranos character Silvio Dante) dedicated a performance of the entire Born to Run album to Gandolfini during a concert in Coventry on the UK leg of his tour.[108]
TV Guide published a special tribute to Gandolfini in its July 1, 2013, issue, following his death, devoting the entire back cover of that issue to his image. Columnist Matt Roush cited Gandolfini's work as Tony Soprano as an influence on subsequent cable TV protagonists, saying, "Without Tony, there's no Vic Mackey of The Shield, no Al Swearengen of Deadwood, no Don Draper of Mad Men (whose creator, Matthew Weiner, learned his trade as a writer on The Sopranos)."[116]
Similar testimonials were given by his co-stars and colleagues, including Edie Falco, who expressed shock and devastation at his death;[117]Sopranos creator David Chase, who praised him as a "genius";[118]Bryan Cranston, who stated that his Breaking Bad character Walter White would not have existed without Tony Soprano;[119] and Gandolfini's three-time co-star Brad Pitt, who expressed admiration for Gandolfini as a "ferocious actor, a gentle soul and a genuinely funny man".[120]Emily Nussbaum, writing for The New Yorker, said that "nobody could be under any illusion about what a television actor was capable of" after Gandolfini's portrayal of Tony Soprano.[121]The Atlantic said Gandolfini's influence on television was "seismic", comparing him to film star Marlon Brando.[122]Mark Lawson, writing for The Guardian, said that Gandolfini's performance as Soprano "represents one of the greatest achievements" of television.[123] Critic Alan Sepinwall said of Gandolfini's Sopranos performance in 2019, "Watching it again, it was very clear to me, quickly and often, that this was the greatest dramatic performance in TV history."[124]
In the years since The Sopranos ended, there's almost been this TV-actor Mount Rushmore. Bryan Cranston [Breaking Bad] is on there, and Jon Hamm [Mad Men] is on there, and Elisabeth Moss [Mad Men, The Handmaid's Tale] or Claire Danes [Homeland] or somebody else is on there. But James Gandolfini gets his own mountain. With all due respect to everybody else, including Edie Falco [who played Tony Soprano's wife, Carmela], Gandolfini is the best dramatic actor in TV history, and I don't know that anybody else is particularly close.
In December 2013, following an online petition started by one of Gandolfini's high school classmates, his hometown of Park Ridge gave a section of Park Avenue (the street he grew up on) the nickname "James Gandolfini Way". Signs were installed at the intersection of Park Avenue and Kinderkamack Road at a public ceremony attended by several of his former Sopranos co-stars.[126][127] That same month, HBO released a tribute documentary in honor of Gandolfini.[128] The documentary, James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend, featured co-star interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.[129] Filmmaker Spike Jonze, who had previously worked with Gandolfini on Where the Wild Things Are, dedicated his Academy Award–winning film Her to Gandolfini.[130][131]
In 2014, Gandolfini was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[132] In 2019, his son Michael was cast as the younger version of Tony Soprano in the prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.[133] Michael watched the show for the first time to prepare for the role, describing it as an intense process.[134] In 2022, the Montvale service area on the Garden State Parkway was renamed for Gandolfini.[135] The renaming was part of a project that honored several New Jersey residents prominent in the arts, entertainment, and sports.[135]
In 2024, in the weeks leading up to the release of his longtime passion project Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola revealed to Rolling Stone that Gandolfini gave him a lot of great suggestions for the film back when he read for the role of Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who was ultimately portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito, back when Coppola did a reading of an early draft in 2001.[136]
Keishin Armstrong, Jennifer (January 10, 2019). "The Sopranos: A revolutionary show we'll talk about forever". BBC Online. BBC. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020. This rippling influence began with The Sopranos' true artistry, and the landmark performances of James Gandolfini as Tony and Edie Falco as his wife, Carmela, among others. But the TV landscape of the time and changing technology amplified that effect enormously.
^Tauber, Michelle (July 8, 2013). "James Gandolfini: 1961-2013: A Family's Heartbreak". People. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020. But after battling his demons through the years – including drug use, clashes with HBO and a difficult 2002 divorce from his first wife, Michael's mother, Marcy Wudarski – the three-time Emmy winner finally had "a calmness about him," says the actor's former fiancée Lora Somoza, who remained in touch after their engagement ended in 2005.
^Olivier,Bobby. "Park Ridge street dedicated to late actor James Gandolfini"Archived February 26, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 1, 2013. Accessed February 26, 2023. "stretch of a road in Park Ridge often frequented by a young James Gandolfini was dedicated in the late actor's honor today, NorthJersey.com said. A section of Park Avenue in the borough was dedicated to the larger-than-life "Sopranos" star who died of a heart attack June 19, the website said."
Margrethe Vestager Komisioner Eropa untuk KompetisiPetahanaMulai menjabat 1 November 2014PresidenJean-Claude Juncker PendahuluJoaquín AlmuniaPenggantiPetahanaDeputi Perdana Menteri DenmarkMasa jabatan3 Oktober 2011 – 2 September 2014Perdana MenteriHelle Thorning-Schmidt PendahuluLars BarfoedPenggantiMorten ØstergaardMenteri Ekonomi dan Dalam NegeriMasa jabatan3 Oktober 2011 – 2 September 2014Perdana MenteriHelle Thorning-Schmidt PendahuluBrian Mikkelsen (Ekonomi)Be...
Untuk Masyarakat Oriental Jerman lainnya, lihat Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft. Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft. Sertifikat pengangkatan dikeluarkan untuk Eduard Reuss pada tahun 1846. Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft (Jerman: [ˈdɔʏtʃə ˈmɔʁɡənˌlɛndɪʃə ɡəˈzɛlʃaft], berarti Masyarakat Oriental Jerman), disingkat sebagai DMG, adalah organisasi ilmiah yang didedikasikan untuk kajian Dunia Timur atau Oriental, terlebih untuk kajian bahasa dan budaya di Timur ...
Oklahoma affiliate of the Republican Party Oklahoma Republican Party ChairpersonNathan DahmPresident pro tempore of the SenateGreg TreatSpeaker of the HouseCharles McCallFounded1907HeadquartersDewey F. Barlett Center4031 N. Lincoln BlvdOklahoma City 73105Membership (2023)1,154,464[1]IdeologyConservatismNational affiliationRepublican PartyUnofficial colorsRedStatewide Executive Offices12 / 12 Seats in the United States Senate2 / 2 Seats in the United States House of Representatives5 / ...
ليقيامعلومات عامةنسبة التسمية Lycus (en) المنطقة تركيا وصفها المصدر القائمة ... الموسوعة الكتابية للأرشمندريت نيكيفور قاموس بروكهاوس وإفرون الموسوعي الصغير قاموس بروكهاوس وإفرون الموسوعي القاموس الحقيقي للآثار الكلاسيكية للوبكر الموسوعة السوفيتية الكبرى معجم التخاطب ل�...
مسجد فرح آباد إحداثيات 36°47′30″N 53°06′35″E / 36.791694444444°N 53.109666666667°E / 36.791694444444; 53.109666666667 معلومات عامة الموقع فرح أباد[1][2] القرية أو المدينة مقاطعة ساري، محافظة مازندران الدولة إيران تاريخ الافتتاح الرسمي 1616[2] أبعاد المبنى التفاصيل التق...
76th New York Film Critics Circle Awards 76th NYFCC Awards January 10, 2011 Best Picture: The Social Network The 76th New York Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in film for 2010, were announced on 12 December 2010 and presented on 10 January 2011.[1][2] Winners David Fincher, Best Director winner Colin Firth, Best Actor winner Annette Bening, Best Actress winner Mark Ruffalo, Best Supporting Actor winner Melissa Leo, Best Supporting Actress winner Best Film The Soc...
Danish rapper TopGunnBackground informationBirth nameOliver Gammelgaard NielsenBorn (1991-04-03) 3 April 1991 (age 33)Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, DenmarkGenresRap, dancehallOccupation(s)RapperYears active2010–presentLabelsCHEFF RecordsMusical artist Oliver Gammelgaard Nielsen better known by his stage name TopGunn (born 3 April 1991[1]) is a Danish rapper and music producer from Nørrebro, Copenhagen, born in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. He has also established his own label CHEFF...
Gender-aware branch of economics This article is about the discipline. For the journal, see Feminist Economics (journal). The first issue of Ms. magazine examined feminist economics in a piece by Jane O'Reilly Part of a series onFeminism History Feminist history History of feminism Women's history American British Canadian German Waves First Second Third Fourth Timelines Women's suffrage Muslim countries US Other women's rights Women's suffrage by country Austria Australia Canada Colombia Ind...
Antiviral drug RemdesivirClinical dataPronunciation/rɛmˈdɛsɪvɪər/ rem-DESS-i-veer Trade namesVekluryOther namesGS-5734, RDVAHFS/Drugs.comMonographMedlinePlusa620033License data EU EMA: by INN US DailyMed: Remdesivir Pregnancycategory AU: B2[1][2] Routes ofadministrationIntravenousATC codeJ05AB16 (WHO) Legal statusLegal status AU: S4 (Prescription only)[4][1][5][6][2] CA: ℞-only...
العلاقات الإندونيسية الكورية الجنوبية إندونيسيا كوريا الجنوبية إندونيسيا كوريا الجنوبية تعديل مصدري - تعديل العلاقات الإندونيسية الكورية الجنوبية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين إندونيسيا وكوريا الجنوبية.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة بين ا�...
Project AlbertaFoto kelompok Project Alberta di TinianAktifMarch – September 1945Negara Amerika Serikat Britania RayaCabangArmy Corps of EngineersPeralatanLittle Boy, Fat Man, dan bom labuPertempuran Serangan udara di Jepang Pengeboman Hiroshima dan Nagasaki Pendudukan Jepang TokohTokoh berjasaWilliam S. Parsons Project Alberta, juga dikenal sebagai Project A, adalah sebuah bagian dari Proyek Manhattan yang membantu pengiriman senjata-senjata nuklir pertama dalam serangan bom atom...
Гитара Gibson Les Paul Junior[англ.] серии «John Lennon» Музыка́льные инструме́нты Джо́на Ле́ннона были разнообразны и многочисленны, а всемирная слава артиста привела к тому, что его личный выбор оказал сильное влияние на предпочтения будущих поколений исполнителей[1]. Содержание...
لمعانٍ أخرى، طالع مندن (توضيح). مندن الإحداثيات 40°05′17″N 91°17′04″W / 40.08806°N 91.28444°W / 40.08806; -91.28444 [1] تقسيم إداري البلد الولايات المتحدة[2] التقسيم الأعلى مقاطعة آدمز خصائص جغرافية المساحة 0.86 ميل مربع عدد السكان عدد السكا�...
Presence of multiple ethnicities in a society or an identification with multiple ethnicities Polyethnicity in New York City Polyethnicity, also known as pluri-ethnicity or multi-ethnicity, refers to specific cultural phenomena that are characterized by social proximity and mutual interaction of people from different ethnic backgrounds, within a country or other specific geographic region.[1] Same terms may also relate to the ability and willingness of individuals to identify themselve...
London Underground station This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Oval tube station – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Oval Station entranceOvalLocation of Oval in Greater LondonLocationOval, LondonLocal authorityLambethManaged b...
German sculptor and carver Clock at the Church of the Holy Ghost, Tallinn, created by Ackermann Christian Ackermann was a sculptor and carver who worked in Estonia. Life and work Altarpiece of St Mary's Cathedral, Tallinn[1] Christian Ackermann was born in Königsberg.[2] He worked in Riga, Stockholm, and Gdańsk, before becoming active in Tallinn from about 1672 until his death in 1710.[3] In 1675, Ackermann moved to Tallinn and worked first in the workshop of Elert T...
Canadian baseball player (born 1973) Baseball player Corey KoskieKoskie with the Brewers in 2006Third basemanBorn: (1973-06-28) June 28, 1973 (age 51)Anola, Manitoba, CanadaBatted: LeftThrew: RightMLB debutSeptember 9, 1998, for the Minnesota TwinsLast MLB appearanceJuly 5, 2006, for the Milwaukee BrewersMLB statisticsBatting average.275Home runs124Runs batted in506 Teams Minnesota Twins (1998–2004) Toronto Blue Jays (2005) Milwaukee Brewers (2006) Member ...