James Gandolfini, the burly actor best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of a conflicted New Jersey mob boss in the groundbreaking TV series "The Sopranos," died on Wednesday vacationing in Italy. He was 51.
Gandolfini, whose performance as Tony Soprano made him a household name and ushered in a new era of American television drama, had been scheduled to attend the closing of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily on Saturday.
He may have suffered a heart attack, Mara Mikialian, the spokeswoman for the HBO network that produced The Sopranos, told Reuters.
He was taken from his Rome hotel to the city's Umberto I general hospital where staff found his heart had already stopped at about 11 p.m. local time , a hospital spokesman said.
Since "The Sopranos" ended its six-season run in June 2007, Gandolfini appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including "Zero Dark Thirty," a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and the crime drama "Killing Them Softly."
At the time of his death, he had been working on an upcoming HBO series "Criminal Justice" and had two motion pictures due out next year.
"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 a 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 began his career as a stage actor in New York and went on to earn a Tony nomination for his role in the original 2009 Broadway cast of the black comedy "God of Carnage."
He shared Tony Soprano's Italian-American heritage and New Jersey roots, but the actor was known for a reserved demeanor off-camera and generally shied away from publicity.
In the HBO series, Gandolfini created a gangster different from any previously seen in American television or film. He was capable of killing enemies with his own hands but was prone to panic attacks. He loved his wife, Carmela, played by Edie Falco, and was a doting father, but he carried on a string of affairs.
He regularly saw a therapist, portrayed by Lorraine Bracco, to work out his anxiety problems and issues with his mother.
By the start of the show's final season, Gandolfini suggested he was ready to move on to more gentle roles once his TV mobster days were over.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-james-gandolfini-dead,0,438509.story
Gandolfini, whose performance as Tony Soprano made him a household name and ushered in a new era of American television drama, had been scheduled to attend the closing of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily on Saturday.
He may have suffered a heart attack, Mara Mikialian, the spokeswoman for the HBO network that produced The Sopranos, told Reuters.
He was taken from his Rome hotel to the city's Umberto I general hospital where staff found his heart had already stopped at about 11 p.m. local time , a hospital spokesman said.
Since "The Sopranos" ended its six-season run in June 2007, Gandolfini appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including "Zero Dark Thirty," a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and the crime drama "Killing Them Softly."
At the time of his death, he had been working on an upcoming HBO series "Criminal Justice" and had two motion pictures due out next year.
"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 a 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 began his career as a stage actor in New York and went on to earn a Tony nomination for his role in the original 2009 Broadway cast of the black comedy "God of Carnage."
He shared Tony Soprano's Italian-American heritage and New Jersey roots, but the actor was known for a reserved demeanor off-camera and generally shied away from publicity.
In the HBO series, Gandolfini created a gangster different from any previously seen in American television or film. He was capable of killing enemies with his own hands but was prone to panic attacks. He loved his wife, Carmela, played by Edie Falco, and was a doting father, but he carried on a string of affairs.
He regularly saw a therapist, portrayed by Lorraine Bracco, to work out his anxiety problems and issues with his mother.
By the start of the show's final season, Gandolfini suggested he was ready to move on to more gentle roles once his TV mobster days were over.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-james-gandolfini-dead,0,438509.story
