HBO: Actor James Gandolfini has died
James Gandolfini, best known for his role as an
anxiety-ridden mob boss on HBO's "The Sopranos," died Wednesday while
on vacation in Italy. He was 51.
"It is with immense sorrow that we report our client,
James Gandolfini. passed away today while on holiday in Rome, Italy,"
managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said in a joint statement. "Our
hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part
of our family for many years and we are all grieving."
The actor had been scheduled to make an appearance at the
Taormina Film Fest in Sicily this week.
Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Tony Soprano,
the angst-wracked mob boss who visited a therapist and took Prozac while
knocking off people. "The Sopranos" aired from 1999 to 2007.
Share your memories
"Jimmy was the spiritual core of our Sopranos family,
and I am stunned at this devastating loss," said Chris Albrecht, the
former president of HBO who gave the green light to the show. "He was a
great talent, but an even better man. My thoughts are with his family."
Actor Steve Van Zandt, who played Tony Soprano's confidant
Silvio Dante, felt equally close to Gandolfini in real life. "I have lost
a brother and a best friend," he posted on Twitter. "The world has
lost one of the greatest actors of all time."
Gandolfini was born September 18, 1961, in Westwood, New
Jersey, according to Biography.com.
He graduated from Rutgers University and, as the story goes,
worked as a bartender and a bouncer in New York City until he went with a
friend to an acting class.
He got his start on Broadway, with a role in the 1992
revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" with Jessica Lange and Alec
Baldwin.
Entertainers, politicians mourn Gandolfini
Gandolfini's big screen debut came in the role of a heavy in
the bloody "True Romance" in 1993. His breakthrough on the small
screen came in 1999 with the role of Tony Soprano.
"He was a genius. Anyone who saw him even in the
smallest of his performances knows that," David Chase, who developed
"The Sopranos," said in a statement. "...A great deal of that
genius resided in those sad eyes."
Gandolfini, who was notoriously press shy, had a reputation
in the tabloids for being sometimes difficult.
"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,"
Chase said.
'Sopranos,' Gandolfini left mark on N.J. businesses
While Gandolfini was known for sometimes ruthless, often
imposing characters, those who worked with him described an actor who put his
heart into a role.
"He was just so good at the emotion. A very passionate
man and a very, very tender man," Matthew Warchus, who directed Gandolfini
in the 2009 Broadway play "God of Carnage," told CNN. "I really
loved him and admired him a great deal."
Larry King, who saw Gandolfini in Las Vegas just weeks ago,
told CNN the actor was "jovial and seemed happy."
"He stamped himself in 'The Sopranos' so much, people
have overlooked his many diversified roles he's performed," King said.
"He was a very diverse character actor, who became a star."
Best quotes from the mouth of Tony Soprano
In recent years, he had starred in several movies, including
the Oscar-nominated "Zero Dark Thirty," "The Taking of Pelham 1
2 3" and "Killing Them Softly."
Gandolfini was also known to children, voicing Carol, a wild
thing, in the 2009 movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic "Where the
Wild Things Are."
He took to the stage to do a reading of Sendak's "In
The Night Kitchen" to mark the author's 80th birthday.
News of the actor's death spread quickly, drawing shock and
sadness from those who had worked with him.
"James Gandolfini was a kind, funny, wonderful guy. I'm
so lucky to have worked with him. Sending love to his family. Such a sad, sad
day," Olivia Wilde, who starred with the actor in "The Incredible
Burt Wonderstone," said in a post on Twitter.
Actor Steve Carell, who also appeared in the movie, simply
said on Twitter: "James Gandolfini. What a great loss."
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie described himself as a
"huge fan" of Gandolfini.
"It's an awful shock. James Gandolfini was a fine
actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy," he said.
Gandolfini is survived by his wife, Deborah, and their
9-month-old daughter, Liliana. He is also survived by a son, Michael, from
another marriage.
Source: CNN News
Source: CNN News
Collected By
Nahid World
0 comments:
Post a Comment