Sopranos Star James Gandolfini Dead at 51, Hailed as ‘One of the Greatest Actors of Any Time’
Per Deadline, the actor died on Wednesday of a suspected heart attack while in Italy. He was 51.
During his estimable run as The Sopranos‘ paterfamilias Tony, Gandolfini earned three Emmys in five tries, as well as a Golden Globe award. He also stands as the only three-time winner for the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama.
In an email to Deadline, former HBO Chairman Chris Albrecht, who in 1997 greenlit the crime family saga, declared himself “absolutely stunned. I got the word from Lorraine Bracco [who played Dr. Melfi] and just got off with [producer] Brad Grey who had just heard from [Sopranos creator] David Chase. We had all become a family. This is a tremendous loss.”
HBO also issued a formal statement on their onetime front man’s passing:
“We’re all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family. 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 humor, 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.”
Sopranos creator David Chase echoed those sentiments in his statement:
“He was a genius. Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that… He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes. I remember telling him many times, ‘You don’t get it. You’re like Mozart.’ There would be silence at the other end of the phone. For [Gandolfini’s family] this is crushing. And it’s bad for the rest of the world. He wasn’t easy sometimes. But he was my partner, he was my brother in ways I can’t explain and never will be able to explain.”
Gandolfini’s film career kicked off in 1993 with True Romance, followed by Crimson Tide and Get Shorty. His more recent credits include last year’s acclaimed Zero Dark Thirty (where he played the CIA director) and the indie Not Fade Away.
His post-Sopranos small-screen appearances included HBO’s Cinema Verite and Nickelodeon’s recently premiered Nicky Deuce TV-movie. He was next to star in HBO’s adaptation of the BBC series Criminal Justice, which last month was greenlit for a seven-episode run.
Also, screenwriter Rod Lurie, in the wake of Gandolfini’s passing, shared on Twitter that the actor was to star in his HBO project Sacco and Vanzetti, about the controversially executed 1920s anarchists.
On the stage, he made his Broadway debut in the 1992 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire (with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin), and he earned a Tony Award nomination in 2009 for God of Carnage.
The actor is survived by his wife Deborah Lin and their 8-month-old daughter Liliana, and his 14-year-old son Michael (from a previous marriage).
Watch Gandolfini accept his first Emmy, in 2000:
So sad. RIP
So sad. So young. Loved The Sopranos.
Reblogged this on karensunhumbleopinion and commented:
This sux!
SAD SAD NEWS….GOD BLESS YOU TONY
Devastated!
Wow. So sad.
:( my dad is so bummed. he was always hoping they would go back and explain the series ending.
Yeah I was always hoping there would be a movie or something sometime down the road
Well if Tony actually died at the end of the series they could still do the movie since he would have only been in it in a limited capacity…
So sad , my grandson just started watching the Sopranos and we were also hoping for a reunion shop
Why are there reports of this being a hoax? Really confused
Maybe it’s because it was so sudden?
I believe there was a hoax of him dying last week. Kinda eerie and creepy.
I think it’s disrespectful for the headline to say ‘DEAD AT 51.’ What would it hurt to say ‘passed away’ instead?
I too feel that its a little harsh, but its the way most news outlets report these types of things.
Saying “passed away”, while it is the more polite term, buries the lead here. The story is that a famous actor died at a tragically young age. If a star is old enough where death isn’t a huge shock, the headline would be more likely to include the words “passed away”.
No offense but that is completely asinine. Dead is not an offensive word. People die. Passed away is not the proper term to use in a story about death. The PC US is getting completely ridiculous in how people are offending by everything including the word dead. SMH!
“Dead” has always been standard for news reporting.
How is it disrespectful or harsh? The fact is, he’s dead. Disrespectful would be saying he “kicked the bucket” or something like that. There’s nothing wrong with the word dead. Why don’t you expend your righteous indignation on something that actually matters?
I keep expecting to read that this is just a internet hoax because it just does not seem real
it’s been confirmed by his management and HBO. Very sad.
No! But he was so young! And so darn talented! So sad… RIP James.
RIP 51 is way too young to die, he made Tony Soprano such an iconic character, and his daughter is not even 1 yet :(
Very sad news and also an avid Sopranos fan. RIP Tony Soprano :-(
That is really sad…I hope everyone keeps their comments respectful.
Total complete shock cannot believe it
He gave one of the most iconic performances that television will ever see. RIP.
Prayers for his family.
Horrible news!! RIP James!! :(
heartbreaking. RIP to a powerhouse of a talent.
Damn. :(
This is so shocking. He just had a baby last year… so sad! What a horrible shame. Condolences to his family and friends. Just awful.
Really SAD
I am deeply saddened by this news what a loss for the world as he was an amazing actor loved his work god bless you
God, so sad. Much too young, and with young children. Prayers for the family.
We just lost one of the great ones